SANTA CLARA, Calif. _ The first wave of free agency left the 49ers looking different.
Gone are star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner and receiver Emmanuel Sanders, two key starters San Francisco couldn't retain because of salary cap implications.
Keeping good players is difficult by design. It's one of the key reasons the NFL thrives on parity, giving teams a chance to make dramatic improvements year over year. The 49ers, of course, went to the Super Bowl a season after going 4-12 and having the second overall pick in the NFL Draft.
The difficulty Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch experienced last week with keeping the core together will extend into next offseason, when more key players will up for new contracts.
Part of that future planning starts with giving tight end George Kittle a new contract that's expected to reset the market for tight ends. That could happen at any point this offseason, though Kittle still has a year remaining on his rookie deal.
Free agent Austin Hooper signed a four-year, $44 million contract with the Browns last week with $23 million in guarantees. Hooper's average annual salary, $11 million, and total guarantees are the most in the league for tight ends.
Given Kittle's value to San Francisco's offense, both as the team's top pass catcher and run blocker, could command significantly more. It wouldn't be surprising if he received a contract similar to some of the game's top receivers, given the way he impacts both the passing and running games. There are 11 receivers who make more than $16 million per year on average and a case could be made Kittle is as valuable as any of them.
Beyond Kittle, there are other players in line to get new deals. Linebacker Fred Warner will be eligible for a second contract after the 2020 season. Fullback Kyle Juszczyk is under control for one more year and would be difficult to replace. Cornerback Richard Sherman is entering the final year of his three-year pact he signed in 2018, though the team might be more inclined to find a long-term replacement than give Sherman a new contract as a 33-year old.
Other prominent players who are unsigned beyond 2020: strong safety Jaquiski Tartt, slot corner K'Waun Williams, defensive lineman D.J. Jones, cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon, receiver Trent Taylor and third-string quarterback C.J. Beathard.
Then there's the curious case of defensive lineman Solomon Thomas, who should be a prominent part of the rotation filling in for Buckner.
The 49ers must decide by early May whether or not to pick up Thomas' fifth-year option for 2021 which appears unlikely to happen given his lack of production since entering the league as the No. 3 pick in 2017. But he could sign a multiyear agreement regardless, as San Francisco did with former first-round pick Laken Tomlinson when he signed a three-year contract extension in 2018.
The new collective bargaining agreement getting ratified earlier this month allows the NFL to shift its focus to its television contracts, which could be good news for teams in terms of cap spending. More television revenue means more cap space. Some estimate the cap could rise an unprecedented $40 million in 2021 if a new broadcasting deal is signed this offseason.
However, the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 epidemic could put those talks on hold while the immediate financial future of the country is up in the air.
As things currently stand, the 49ers have the third-smallest amount of projected cap space for 2021, according to Overthecap.com.
Which means they will have to continue to draft and develop players on cheap contracts to replenish the roster and keep their contention window open. The team has seven selections in next month's draft, but none in the second, third or fourth rounds, where the team has done well to find contributors in the last three years.
Which is why getting the No. 13 pick in the Buckner trade was important, and why moving back from pick 31 in exchange for more selections is prudent.
