There’s no question the 49ers are primed to make a splash in free agency. They have close to $70 million in salary cap space, and giant roster holes where they need high-quality, starting-caliber players. It’s not out of the question that they scoop up two or three of the market’s top players at their positions of need.
However, they can’t stop at the top of the market. With just six picks to work with in this year’s draft, San Francisco has to try and find some depth for less money than a higher-quality or younger player will command.
Here are some of the free agents flying under the radar who would fit with the 49ers:
WR Chris Hogan
The 49ers actually gave Hogan his first crack in the NFL when they signed the lacrosse player out of Monmouth college as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He was eventually cut, but since then has carved out a nice NFL career as a reliable pass catcher with the Bills and Patriots. His ability to get open in multiple areas of the field make him a prime candidate to plug into head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense. Hogan isn’t going to set the world on fire, but he can be a high quality third or fourth receiver to give the 49ers some good experience and depth at a position where they desperately need some.
DE Alex Okafor
Okafor may have a market that exceeds what the 49ers are willing to pay for a defensive end, but he’s a very good all around player. He has 8.5 sacks the last two seasons for the Saints despite tearing his Achilles a little more than halfway through the 2017 campaign. He showed last season that there weren’t any lingering effects from that injury. Rushing the passer isn’t what makes Okafor a solid player though. His ability to set the edge against the run is what sets him apart. With so many good edge rushers on the market, it’s easy to see how Okafor and his low sack totals could get overlooked. He’d be a very good rotational option at both end spots on the 49ers’ defensive line.
DE Cameron Wake
Snagging a 37-year-old pass rusher is a bit atypical of what the 49ers are doing with their roster going into next season, but Wake can still play despite chatter he might retire this offseason. He’s no longer the Pro Bowl caliber player he was between 2010 and 2016, but he did post 6.0 sacks in 14 games last season. That would’ve been the second-highest total on the 49ers. Considering he put up 22 sacks between 2016 and 2017, there’s some reason to believe Wake can still impact games off the edge. The 49ers will very likely have a highly-drafted rookie to rush the passer, and limiting Wake’s snaps to passing situations could increase the 10-year veteran’s effectiveness.
LB Kwon Alexander
Injuries have limited Alexander to only 18 games the last two seasons. He tore his ACL in late October which could wind up sidelining him into training camp. However, the 24-year-old is a very good athlete who was a Pro Bowler in 2017, and racked up 145 tackles in his only full season in 2016. Injury issues may diminish the market on a very talented, young linebacker. Even if his value wasn’t down some, he’d be a very intriguing candidate for San Francisco in their search for a WILL linebacker.
LB Brandon Marshall
Marshall turns 30 at the start of the 2019 season, and his play has declined some in the last couple years. Injury limited him to just 11 games a season ago. However, he’s a good athlete with a history of being strong in coverage and against the run. Even with a small dip from his peak production, Marshall would be a perfect stop gap at linebacker while the 49ers search for a younger, foundational piece in the front seven.
