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PANIC!
The Faithful are panicking over quantity not quality when it comes to the first few days of NFL free agency. I get it, no one likes change. Let me ask you this if you’re a 49ers fan on edge due to the large number of departures: Did you think it was a good idea to give below average guard Aaron Banks $77 million dollars like the Green Bay Packers did? You think the Kansas City Chiefs will regret handing $30 million to 49ers swing tackle Jaylon Moore to protect Patrick Mahomes blind side? I do. Dre Greenlaw? Big loss no question and the team has no one currently on the roster to replace him. However Dre is coming off a major Achilles injury suffered in the Super Bowl and played 34 snaps last season, hardly a sure thing for 3 years and $35 million which the Denver Broncos gave him. So let’s dive a little deeper into what the 49ers actually lost in the first couple days of free agency.
PLAYERS LOST :
LB DRE GREENLAW: If you’re upset over the loss of Greenlaw, I get it. He was Fred Warner’s running mate. You can make a case if he stays healthy, the 49ers beat the Chiefs in Super Bowl 58 in Las Vegas and there is no one currently on the roster who can replace what he brings to the table. The 49ers had slotted about $8 million to bring him back. They thought they might be able to get him on a one-year make good deal after he only played 34 snaps in 2024 after his achilles injury in the Super Bowl. However, the signings of Ernest Jones (Seahawks), Nick Bolton (Chiefs) and Jamien Sherwood (Jets), the night before free agency opened brought the number at the position up and left Greenlaw as the best available option at linebacker for the league, shrinking the market and giving massive leverage to the player. Those three linebackers signed deals ranging from $13M-$15M per season on multi-year deals and the 49ers were out. In past years John Lynch likely could have convinced Jed York to loosen the purse strings to keep a key player, but York and the 49ers bean counters were not going there this year, Greenlaw coming off injury was too big of a chance this year.
Who can replace him? Dee Winters and Jalen Graham are internal options, but neither stepped up when Greenlaw missed the majority of the season in 2024. Curtis Robinson is back from injury and could factor in after signing a one-year deal. The 49ers signed special teams ace Luke Gifford from the Titans who played in a career high amount of defensive snaps last season in Tennessee, but that was out of necessity and is unlikely here. I could see a Eric Kendricks signing for a stop gap move. Kendricks almost signed with the 49ers last offseason before going to the Cowboys. He’s 33 and could buy the 49ers a season to develop an off-ball linebacker they take in the draft. Off ball linebackers not named Patrick Willis, aren’t picked at #11. The 49ers will likely address the position later in the draft. Remember, Fred Warner was a 3rd rounder and Greenlaw was a 5th rounder. The 49ers can find mid-round talent at the position.
PANIC LEVEL: 8. I get why the 49ers wouldn’t budge on their number given the achilles injury, but they have no suitable replacement. The biggest loss easily of the 2025 free agent group.
CHARVARIUS WARD. If this was 2023 Ward and not 2024 Ward this would be a major blow. Ward played at an All-Pro level in 2023 when the 49ers ended up in the Super Bowl and he was a major reason why. In 2024 though, Ward slipped to Pro Football Focus’ 93rd ranked corner with a grade of 56.2. It’s understandable given the off-field issues he dealt with, his nearly two year-old daughter passed away during the season. Because of this Ward told media at the end of the season he had trouble being in California where everything happened and his wife couldn’t step foot back in the state, he was never going to return to the 49ers. During the season San Francisco opted to extend Demo Lenior, the corner opposite Ward to secure him for the future, knowing Ward would leave.
Who can replace him? 2024 second-round pick Renardo Green replaced Ward for much of last season and did a respectable job. He was PFF’s 37th ranked CB at 69.2 which was the highest on the 49ers. He should be even better in 2025. The only other corners on the roster are 2023 5th round pick Darrell Luter Jr. who the 49ers like but has been injured and 5’7″ CB Tre Tomlinson who the 49ers just picked up on waivers from the Rams. The 49ers will scour the market for some vets and use a pick in the draft.
PANIC LEVEL: 3. We knew he was gone the minute the 49ers signed Lenior to a long term deal during the season and if we didn’t know 100% at that point, we did when he said on locker room clean out day his wife had PTSD and couldn’t ever return to California after the death of their young daughter. On top of that, the distractions made Ward a shell of his former self in 2024. Green was a second rounder in 2024, time to take another step up.
KYLE JUSZCZYK: The 49ers no longer have the space for thank you contracts and good guys in the locker room deals. Juice took a pay cut to stay around for one last run last season, so you knew this was a likely scenario. He’s still a good player at 33, but the 49ers don’t utilize him enough to justify the cost. He’s a good, not great blocker and that’s his main job. He’s not going to slam a linebacker in the hole on 3rd and 1 and that’s what this team needs. They don’t throw it to him much, he has 33 receptions in the last two years combined, including just 19 this past year. He has 10 carries the past two seasons. His best attribute is he’s a great culture guy and the 49ers can’t afford that anymore.
Who can replace him? It’s already done. Luke Farrell 27, who at 6’5 255 pounds is much bigger than Juszczyk, was signed in day one of NFL free agency for a reported three years and $20.25 million. He’s PFF’s 20th ranked blocking TE, including an 82.6 pass blocking grade, which was second in the league last season. Expect Farrell to be a move tight end on running plays and will likely line up in the back field at times. He’s not the receiver Juice is with only 12 catches in 2024, but he fits the physical style the 49ers want to get back to.
PANIC LEVEL: 3. They’ll miss Juszczyk in the locker room, but his contributions on the field can be replaced and the 49ers have already addressed it.
TALANOA HUFANGA: Hufanga was a 5th round pick in 2021 and mostly a special teamer. He burst onto the scene in 2022, and was named an All-Pro with 97 tackles, four interceptions, two sacks and a fumble return for a touchdown in the divisional round in Green Bay against the Packers to help win that game. He always seemed to be around the ball whenever a play needed to be made that year. However he missed 7 games in 2023 and 10 games in 2024 dealing with injuries and when he did play, he wasn’t nearly as effective. Pro Football Focus had him ranked as the NFL’s 72nd safety in 2024.
Who can replace him? Malik Mustapha. The 5’10 210 pound block of stone was a 4th round pick in 2024 and although he made he share of mistakes, he has that missile mentality Hufunga had. Mustapha is a hitter and an intimidator on the field. There is no doubt he has to get better in all areas, but he had 46 solo tackles and an interception that helped win a game in Seattle as a rookie. At 22 years old, he’s cheap and has potential, that seems to be what the 49ers are looking for these days.
PANIC LEVEL 4. Hufanga has missed a ton of games the last two seasons and hasn’t been close to the same player he was in 2022. Mustapha may have beaten him out had it been a competition in 2025.
LEONARD FLOYD: The good was Floyd had 8.5 sacks across the line from Nick Bosa, which was the best production an edge rusher opposite Nick has had in his entire 49ers career. The bad news? The other 600 snaps he played. Floyd had an overall PFF grade of 53.5, which was ranked 102nd, his run grade was one of the worst in the NFL. At 240 pounds, he can’t hold up on the edge and at 32, is no longer an every down player.
Who can replace him? Yetur Gross-Matos is a 49er for now, though the team can save money if they release him, which they may do. He had four sacks in limited duty, but is more of a run player. Sam Okuayinonu showed flashes last season and had 35 tackles and 3 sacks. He lacks size at 6’1 265 on the outside and is more suited to a situation/back up role. Robert Beal is a former 5th round pick in 2023 who has tools, but wasn’t healthy last season and in 18 career games has only one sack. Drake Jackson is a bust. The 49ers are woefully thin on the defensive line in general and will have to address edge early in the draft. Joey Bosa was a thought, but he signed with the Bills on Tuesday.
PANIC LEVEL 7: Not because of Floyd leaving, but the edge spot opposite Nick Bosa has been an issue since Dee Ford started limping around in 2019 and the 49ers haven’t addressed it in an acceptable way yet. Some names still out there on Tuesday night were Dre’Mont Jones, DeMarcus Lawrence, Clelin Ferrell, and Dante Fowler Jr.
JAVON HARGRAVE: Hargrave was a knee jerk, day one signing back in 2023 after it was clear Javon Kinlaw would not be able to replace DeForrest Buckner at defensive tackle. Hargrave had just helped the Eagles beat the 49ers in the NFC title game and San Francisco panicked and gave him an $80 million deal out of the gate. Fast forward two years and he never gave the 49ers what they paid for. He was ineffective and injured during his time here.
Who can replace him? Is Buckner still around? The residual effects from that trade still remain and the 49ers are still paying for that fateful trade. after Buckner, there was Armstead and now Hargrave. They’ve released Maliek Collins and all that remains inside are Jordan Elliott, who was a disappointment coming over from the Browns last season, young Evan Anderson, who is better known for wearing a giant SF safety cap during games and newly resigned Kevin Givens, who is undersized. Former 6th rounder Kalia Davis is around, but he hasn’t done much and has been hurt. It is a good draft for defensive lineman and the 49ers will have to grab a couple. As of Tuesday some remaining names of a dwindling class were Larry Ogunjobi, Charles Omenihu, Greg Gaines, Jerry Tillery, and Levi Onwuzurike.
PANIC LEVEL: 8. It’s a 3 on Hargrave, but the position itself is in the worst shape on any group on the roster. They can’t go into the season this thin. As of now, it’s one of the worst position groups in the NFL. To think just a few years ago this DL was Bosa, Buckner Armstead and Ford.
AARON BANKS: The Packers must have filled up on brats and beer the night before NFL free agency started and were hungover and not thinking straight when they gave Banks a reported four-year $77 million deal. If not for former 49ers DL Javon Kinlaw getting a guaranteed $30 million from 49ers former VP of player personnel Adam Peters in Washington, Banks deal would be the worst in free agency so far. The former 49ers second rounder had an overall PFF grade of 65.4 which was 34th in the NFL in 2024 among guards, including 25 pressures. The Packers will pay him over $19 million a year, fourth highest among guards.
Who can replace him? There are a few names or the 49ers could dip into the draft. Ben Bartch, Spencer Burford, and Nick Zakelj all have a shot.
PANIC LEVEL: 2 Banks wasn’t terrible last season, he is a solid run blocker, but being next to Trent Williams should make you better and he was average at best and below average with slow feet in the pass game. This would have been a position they would have looked to upgrade even if Banks had still been around. Amazed at what Green Bay paid. They can do better.
JAYLON MOORE: The 49ers swing tackle had been a liability for years but in 2024 turned in a solid performance. The former 5th-round pick in 2021 out of Western Michigan parlayed this into a two-year $30 million deal with the Chiefs. While not the overpay Banks was, Moore was not going to be the future at left tackle for the 49ers. Having him protect Patrick Mahomes blindside in Kansas City will be interesting. Moore has played 279 pass blocking snaps the last two seasons, so Kansas City is banking on a small body of work.
Who can replace him? The 49ers have to plan for life after Trent Williams who will be 37 years-old this season, so they may go early for a tackle who can either play right tackle or guard this season and move to the left side in a year or two when big Trent retires. I expect them to address the position early in the draft. That could move Colton McKivitz back to a swing tackle slot or inside to guard. On the current roster, Spencer Burford played tackle in college at Texas-San Antonio and journeyman Austen Pleasants is around.
PANIC LEVEL 4: Moore doesn’t alarm me because I didn’t think he was a long term solution at left tackle when Williams leaves. However it is a position they need to address early in the draft with Trent likely to leave in the next season or two. I would not be surprised if they go tackle in the first round or two and have that player play right tackle, while McKivitz moves inside to guard. Many people feel that might be his best spot.
ELIJAH MITCHELL: Was he still around? Mitchell was a revelation as a rookie in 2021 when he ran for a 49ers rookie record 963 yards. The next three years he would miss 35 games and rush for a total of 560 yards. Though he had an assortment of injuries, they started his rookie year and never let up. His agent and the 49ers had disagreements over the extent of the injuries going back to his rookie season.
PANIC LEVEL 0. Mitchell hasn’t been a factor in the 49ers plans since 2021. Christian McCaffrey should be healthy in 2025, with a second rounder tender attached to him Jordan Mason should be back and Isaac Guerendo showed flashed in 2024. One of the few solid position groups going into 2025.
I understand it is alarming to lose that many players at once especially in the day and age of social media and hot takes telling you the 49ers are cooked. If you look at it though, the offense is still intact from a skill position stand point. Purdy will be re-signed, Kittle will be extended. CMC should be healthy, Aiyuk will take a while to heal and I doubt he’s traded. Jennings is solid, Pearsall is unproven but has upside. The 49ers added DeMarcus Robinson on Tuesday. I know he won’t be as popular as Juice, but Luke Farrell is a better fit for the smash mouth football the 49ers want to play. The line is a major issue. I won’t be surprised if the 49ers draft their left tackle of the future at #11, he plays right tackle this season and Colton McKivitz is the Aaron Banks replacement at left guard.
Defensively it’s a whole new story and even Robert Saleh can’t fix this current mess without some under the radar additions and a big time draft on this side of the ball. The defensive line is a mess. Floyd wasn’t good last season outside of the 8.5 sacks, so they need a starting edge who scares the opposition, something they haven’t had since 2019 and Dee Ford. The interior of the D-line might be the worst in football. The 49ers need a combination of a vet or two and going early in the draft at the position. The NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah says he has 24 starter grades on interior defensive lineman, he only had 12 such grades in 2024, so it’s a good time to need some beef and the 49ers desperately do. The secondary is relatively set at corner with Demo Lenior and Renardo Green, but an upgrade with a vet would be nice as insurance. At safety, Mustapha will replace Hufanga as I wrote, but Ji’Ayir Brown is a below average free safety who lacks range and speed and they need an upgrade there.
I’m not saying it’s pretty. I’m not saying it’s ideal, but the 49ers needed a facelift and a financial reset of sorts. They may have lost a lot of fan favorite name value, but they didn’t lose as much actual value as you think in the first wave of NFL free agency.