In
my last article, I discussed some of the issues that the front office faces
this offseason in keeping players who were key figures in helping the 49ers
reach the Super Bowl. In this one, I
will be putting on my fake GM cap and looking at who should be paid to
stay with the 49ers or be allowed to test free agency out of the free agents. In order to keep it simple, I will only talk about the players who are unrestricted free agents or could be one if the 49ers decline their club option. First, I will break down what each player has
done for the team, then follow it up with a verdict and why I reached the
decision for that player. Some may agree
with my conclusions, while others may tell me to check my living area for fumes
or be thanking the heavens that I am not an actual GM for the team. Whatever you think is fine by me, especially
since I am doing this just for fun, have already checked for any gas leaks, and
am thanking the heavens that I am not an actual GM.
DE/DL Arik Armstead
In 2019, Armstead finally experienced the breakout season
that the 49ers fans have been waiting for to happen for so long. And break out he did. After reaching a career-high of three sacks during
the 2018 season, Armstead obliterated that number by taking down QBs 10 times during
the regular season. Armstead was held without a sack during the last five regular-season games, but he has added two more sacks to his season total during the
playoffs. Armstead also succeeded in defending
against two passes and forcing two fumbles, as well as recovering a fumble. His stats also included career highs in QB
hits (18) and TFLs (11).
VERDICT: Let him test free agency
While re-upping with Armstead would be a great outcome for
the 49ers, the reality is that it will be next to impossible for this to
happen. After all, Armstead is only 26
years old and has been able to play in all 16 regular-season games for two
straight seasons. More importantly, Armstead
is coming off a career year, so his stock is currently at an all-time high. All of this adds up to the 49ers being unable
to keep Armstead because he will cost too much.
Can the 49ers apply the franchise tag to him? Sure, for a projected $19.3 million if he
designated as a DE. Like I said, too
much.
FS Jimmie Ward
Aside from finishing third-best on the team in total
tackles and defending 8 passes, there is not much to glean from the stats Ward
put up in 2019 to how valuable he was to the 49ers. But any 49ers fan knows that the secondary really
improved once Ward returned as a starter after sitting out the first few games
of the season due to an injury. For one,
there were considerably less bad angles taken by the FS on passes thrown. And when he was paired with Tartt, it felt
like no RB could score on the unit. Over
and over again, Ward made or helped make several stops, from the TD saving
tackle on RB Nick Chubb against the Browns in front of a Monday Night Football
audience to halting the Rams twice on fourth down when the 49ers played against
them in October.
VERDICT: Let him test free agency,
but try to re-sign him.
If teams only look at the stats Ward put up, then he will
be easier for the 49ers to resign. However,
teams in need of a FS will probably be watching how Ward does in the Super Bowl;
if he helps the 49ers stop the high-octane Chiefs offense, then that will
likely increase Ward’s already high value he gained during the regular season
and playoffs and make him less likely to return to the 49ers. Adding to the conundrum is the weakness of the
FS position in free agency and the draft. The 49ers could apply the franchise tag to
him, but does the team, whose coaching staff has raved about Ward and his work
ethic in the past, want to pay over $8-10 million for a player who has been
injury-prone? If the 49ers are fine with
taking the risk, then the team should try to resign Ward because his presence
in the secondary really benefitted the defense.
WR Emmanuel Sanders
Acquired via a trade with the Broncos in October, the
presence of Sanders made the passing game of the 49ers a more dangerous
component of the offense that could not be taken lightly by any NFL
defense. Sanders showed that he can burn
a team if they do not do a good job covering him, which is something the
Cardinals and Saints found out. But when
teams did successfully cover him, it opened up things for Bourne and Samuel as
pass catchers, with the former snagging five TD passes and the latter having a
more solid rookie season after Sanders arrived through the Broncos trade. Don’t believe me? Check out the stats for Bourne and Samuel at http://www.nfl.com/player/kendrickbourne/2558914/gamelogs
and http://www.nfl.com/player/deebosamuel/2562721/gamelogs.
VERDICT: Re-sign him.
This is honestly a no-brainer. Not only has Sanders added something to the
passing game, but he has also shown that he is a great blocker and (unlike Dante
Pettis) is not afraid of fighting for the ball.
Sanders will be 33 years old by the start of the 2020 regular season and
has also stated that he wants to play for at least two more years, so the 49ers
should be able to resign the playmaker to a deal that will not be a big hit to
the salary cap. Having Sanders aboard
will also give the 49ers a solid #2 WR in their offense once Samuel become the top
WR.
DE/DL Ronald Blair
Utilized primarily as a backup and pass-specialist in
2019, Blair was on pace to break his career-high in sacks, tackles, and TFLs. Unfortunately, Blair suffered an injury that
put an end to his 2019 campaign. When Blair
was on the field however, he always seemed to be able to make his presence be
known.
VERDICT: Re-sign him before someone
else does.
Don’t let the short description of his 2019 season fool
you. Blair was a difference-maker
whenever he was on the field, so the 49ers should do their best to resign him given
the injury history of DE Dee Ford and the lack of quality depth at DE behind
Ford and Nick Bosa. The 49ers may be
able to sign Blair to a low-cost deal given that he is coming back from an injury,
but he is a player that seems to be ready to be given a starting role on a
defense, and a team could swoop in and sign Blair to a deal that may be too
rich for the 49ers if they are not careful.
FB Kyle Juszczyk
I am only including Juice because he could be a free
agent if the team declines his club option, but the likelihood of that
happening is as strong as the Bengals winning the Super Bowl this Sunday. No team is going to get rid of a player that
brings so much to an offense, even if they are playing a position that teams
are eliminating from their rosters.
VERDICT: Who would seriously reach
this point?
*TFL is short for tackle
for loss.
Check out these links and
tell me if you agree or disagree with my conclusions.
Don't think they'll resign Sanders because he'll cost too much, and they'll have Hurd, Taylor and a strong draft class. Another candidate in F/A should be Robbie Anderson.Razoreater*
ReplyDeleteHurd and Taylor are better suited in the slot, whereas Sanders can play anywhere on the field.
DeleteAnderson is expected to cost more to sign than Sanders, so I don't see Anderson as an option.
I disagree MWD. Hurd will be taking handoffs in the backfield, lining up at slot or tight end, running reverses or splitting out wide. Shanny even said as much and attributed his versatility as a key attribute of taking him in round 3. “There’s a lot of receivers who maybe could have the ability to do it, but it’s very rare to have the ability and the mentality with it because playing running back is a lot different than playing receiver, and it’s a lot different than playing tight end, and he’s capable of doing it all".
DeleteAll of that is true about Hurd, but it is also true that Hurd still has only accrued one year and some change at the WR position. He has also shown himself to be injury-prone.
DeleteI totally agree on Blair and Sanders. Blair kept Ford fresh and he's a good player in his own right.
ReplyDeleteSanders is a quality WR. We can hope, but we can't expect that Taylor and Hurd will be healthy. Pettis and Goodwin might not even make the final 53.
Yeah, Juice is a no brainer and I bet Shanahan would agree with you.