SANTA CLARA, Calif. _ The last time the 49ers were a red-hot destination, they boasted a super-charged slogan: "Who's got it better than us? Nooo-body!"
The modern-day adaptation: "Who's got Jimmy Garoppolo? Nooo-body but us!"
By retaining Garoppolo last month with the richest contract in NFL history, the 49ers unabashedly used their unbeaten quarterback as their key selling point to potential free agents.
"We wanted to make sure we had good signaling, that we had Jimmy done before free agency," Paraag Marathe, the 49ers contract czar, said last month. "We wanted the good mojo that comes with having it done."
Free agency talks can begin Monday. Contracts can be ratified as early as Wednesday. Newcomers can join Garoppolo & Co. in the offseason program starting April 16.
A year ago, new coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch promptly whisked in a slew of free agents. Six players arrived on Day 1: wide receivers Pierre Garcon and Marquise Goodwin, quarterback Brian Hoyer, fullback Kyle Juszczyk, kicker Robbie Gould, linebacker Malcolm Smith and tight end Logan Paulsen.
How much more attractive are the 49ers this time around, with Garoppolo _ and not Hoyer _ the quarterback?
"We were in good shape but I think we're in great shape now, because the moves we made solidified a few positions and made some clarity," Goodwin said Thursday upon signing a three-year extension. "The more people we add can only make us that much better."
Last season's 5-0, Garoppolo-fueled finish is a nice recruiting tool. But the 49ers' 0-9 start shouldn't be dismissed, as it exposed deficiencies they can address in free agency.
Lynch vowed to be "aggressively prudent" in free agency, and the 49ers have been very aggressive in extending their own players: Garoppolo, Goodwin, center Daniel Kilgore, offensive tackle Garry Gilliam, defensive end Cassius Marsh and linebacker Mark Nzeocha. (Hey, where's Joe Staley's deal?)
They had over $66 million in salary cap space before Goodwin's deal (three years, $10 million guaranteed) and Elvis Dumervil's exit ($3.5 million in cap savings). A healthy amount remains for this year's free-agent class. Where should the 49ers spend their money and who should they pursue? Here is a position-by-position glimpse:
