With the second wave of free agent agreements coming in on Day 2 of the NFL’s legal tampering period, a slew of free agents remain available who could have a significant impact for the 49ers. San Francisco has been relatively quiet since agreeing to a reported four-year deal worth $54 million and $27 million guaranteed with linebacker Kwon Alexander.
Alexander is a starting-caliber player the 49ers needed, but he’s not going to singlehandedly fix all the holes San Francisco needs to fill.
Despite missing out on some of the top available players, the 49ers can still put together a strong draft class with a couple of these players who’re still available:
EDGE Ezekiel Ansah
Ansah’s market has been relatively quiet in the early stages of free agent negotiations. He seems like an ideal fit for San Francisco at edge rusher with his experience, productivity, and familiarity with new 49ers defensive line coach Kris Kocurek. Kocurek was Ansah’s defensive line coach for five years in Detroit. The 49ers need to invest more than a draft pick in their pass rush, and Ansah would be an ideal player to lock down in free agency.
FS Earl Thomas
It looked like Thomas might have a line of teams knocking his door down, but that hasn’t quite been the case. In fact, NFL Network’s Jane Slater reported Monday the 49ers hadn’t even reached out to the free safety. The soon-to-be 30-year-old will surely want a hefty salary from whichever team he joins. San Francisco has the cap space, and adding a top-end safety, even at the end of his prime, would be a significant upgrade in the 49ers’ secondary. If they’re not spending on a player like Thomas, they’ll need to allocate those unused resources in bulk at other positions.
EDGE Shaquil Barrett
Barrett is an extremely intriguing option for San Francisco. The 26-year-old has only started 15 of 61 career games playing behind some very talented edge players in Denver. His 14 sacks in five seasons aren’t exactly inspiring either, but his talent is apparent, and an opportunity may be all he needs. Barrett is versatile enough to play SAM linebacker in the base defense and then drop his hand in the dirt in sub packages. Barrett is an ideal player to add depth to the 49ers’ weak edge rush group.
WR Tyrell Williams
The 49ers may decide to skip wide receiver in free agency and use some draft capital to bolster their receiving corps. However, if they do want to snag a receiver who can contribute right away, Williams is a fascinating option who may wind up having a bigger market than the 49ers want to invest in. He’s a big, fast receiver who can bring a needed big-play element to San Francisco’s offense. If there’s not a huge market for Williams and his price tag drops some – the 49ers should absolutely be interested.
EDGE Justin Houston
Houston may not be an exact fit for the 49ers’ 4-3 defense, but he’s an undeniably gifted pass rusher. He had 9.0 sacks last season, and would be a versatile piece who fit in different spots based on San Francisco’s personnel groupings. This would be a case of the 49ers skipping precise scheme fit and scooping up a good football player who adds a needed skill to their defense. Houston is still productive even at 30-years-old. The front office may need to move quickly if they want to snag him.
CB Pierre Desir
The 49ers’ reported interest in former Broncos CB Bradley Roby is a sign they’re looking for cornerback help in places other than the draft. Desir ha a really good season last year with the Colts, and it could be enough to vault him to a contract larger than San Francisco wants to pay. He’s a lengthy corner who’s been in the league for five years, but managed to only become a full-time starter last season. The 49ers have younger options at the position, but Desir would have a real chance to win a starting role in a defense that better suits his skill set.
