With the 2021 season now 6 weeks old, I think it’s a good time to take a peek towards the 2022 offseason.
Right now, if the 2022 salary cap does come in at the agreed upon ceiling of $208.2 million, the 49ers would be $4,844,855 over the cap, which includes them having 51 players signed, as they only have 31 players currently signed for 2022.
Below are the 31 players currently signed for 2022, with their cap numbers.
QB Jimmy Garoppolo – $26,950,000
QB Trey Lance – $7,751,195
RB Trey Sermon – $1,107,485
RB Elijah Mitchell – $870,893
FB Kyle Juszczyzk – $2,958,750
WR Deebo Samuel – $2,949,159
WR Brandon Aiyuk – $3,417,641
WR Jalen Hurd – $1,361,717
TE George Kittle – $16,011,765
TE Charlie Woerner – $940,258
C Alex Mack – $6,725,000
RG Aaron Banks – $1,607,638
LT Trent Williams – $14,120,000
LT Jaylon Moore – $905,759
RT Mike McGlinchey – $10,880,000
RT Justin Skule – $1,009,887
DE Nick Bosa – $10,805,564
DE Arik Armstead – $20,000,000
DE Dee Ford – $11,909,997
DE Samson Ebukam – $8,250,000
DT Javon Kinlaw – $4,224,191
WLB Dre Greenlaw – $1,045,429
MLB Fred Warner – $8,164,000
CB Emmanuel Moseley – $6,673,176
CB Ambry Thomas – $1,087,693
CB Deommodore Lenoir – $896,217
FS Jimmie Ward – $12,965,000
SS Talanoa Hufanga – $885,038
PK Robbie Gould – $5,509,313
P Mitch Wishnowsky – $1,156,018
LS Taybor Pepper – $1,120,000
I should also note that three players are scheduled to see their base salaries rise to the projected original round tender of $2.396 million, those being, Deebo Samuel, Dre Greenlaw, & Mitch Wishnowsky, which would add on $3,213,360, which would put the 49ers $8,058,215 over the 2022 cap.
I also need to note that the 49ers should receive, as of now, $1,621,657 in credits from base salary guarantees, & per game roster bonus paybacks, which would put the team $6,436,558 over the 2022 cap.
Of course, Jimmy Garoppolo won’t be here in 2022, which would save the team, after factoring in the top 51 rule, $24.845 million, which would leave the team with $18,408,442 in salary cap room to begin the 2022 offseason.
Now, the 49ers have several scheduled free agents as of now, with all of them listed below.
UFA:
RB Raheem Mostert
RB Jeff Wilson Jr.
RB Trenton Cannon
WR Mohamed Sanu Sr.
WR Trent Sherfield
WR Travis Benjamin
WR Richie James Jr.
TE Ross Dwelley
C Jake Brendel
LG Laken Tomlinson
RG Tom Compton
DE Arden Key
DE Jordan Willis
DT Maurice Hurst Jr.
NT D.J. Jones
NT Zach Kerr
WLB Marcell Harris
SLB Mychal Kendricks
CB Jason Verrett
CB K’Waun Williams
CB Josh Norman
CB Dre Kirkpatrick
CB Dontae Johnson
FS Tarvarius Moore
FS Tavon Wilson
SS Jaquiski Tartt
RFA:
RG Daniel Brunskill
DT Kentavius Street
SLB Azeez Al-Shaair
PK Joey Slye
ERFA:
RB JaMycal Hasty
WR Jauan Jennings
DT Kevin Givens
SLB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles
Let’s start with the teams RFAs, as they have 4, with the team most likely to bring back Brunskill, Street, & Al-Shaair, likely on 1-year deals, worth less than the original round tender of $2.396 million, likely in the $1.5 million range.
Next are the teams ERFAs, I’d expect the team to tender all 4, with Hasty, Givens, & Flannigan-Fowles costing $895,000 each, and Jennings $825,000.
If we add up these 7 players, we get a total of $8.01 million, but after taking into effect the top 51 rule, it’s a loss of $3.075 million, leaving the team with $15,333,442 in cap room to begin the 2022 offseason.
Now, when it comes to the teams UFAs, the only players who look like guys that the team should be bring back in my opinion, are, defensive tackle Maurice Hurst Jr., nose tackle D.J. Jones, & cornerback K’Waun Williams, with the possibility that the 49ers look to bring back some of the following, running backs Raheem Mostert, & Jeff Wilson Jr., wide receivers Mohamed Sanu Sr., & Trent Sherfield, tight end Ross Dwelley, center Jake Brendel, left guard Laken Tomlinson, defensive ends Arden Key, & Jordan Willis, weakside linebacker Marcell Harris, strongside linebacker Mychal Kendricks, cornerbacks Jason Verrett, & Josh Norman, free safety Tarvarius Moore, & strong safety Jaquiski Tartt.
If I had to put potential contract numbers for the 3 players I mentioned as guys I’d bring back, I would put $5 million a year for Jones, & Williams, and $3 million a year for Hurst.
As for guys I mentioned as potentials, I think the most likely to be brought back would be, Jeff Wilson Jr., Mohamed Sanu Sr., Trent Sherfield, Ross Dwelley, Jake Brendel, Arden Key, Jordan Willis, Marcell Harris, Mychal Kendricks, Josh Norman, & Tarvarius Moore, with none of these players breaking much more than $2.5 million a year, with most of these guys likely not breaking the league minimum.
As for Raheem Mostert, Laken Tomlinson, Jason Verrett, & Jaquiski Tartt, I see it as either the player will want more than what the 49ers are willing to pay them, or the 49ers already have someone in house that they believe can take over for them, but of these 4, I think the most likely to be brought back is Laken Tomlinson, but that’s a big IF in my opinion, as I’m not sure the 49ers will want to pay him $5.5 million a year again.
I also believe the 49ers will look to extend Nick Bosa, Deebo Samuel, & Dre Greenlaw, with the 49ers paying around $30 million a year for Bosa, and $12 million a year for both Deebo & Greenlaw.
For Bosa, I would do what they did with Fred Warner, turn Bosa’s training camp roster bonus into a signing bonus, use around $1,694,775 to make his prorated portion $6 million, so a $30 million signing bonus, with $100 million in guaranteed money, with somewhere in the $80 million range being fully guaranteed, and by doing this, his cap number would only go up by the $1,694,775.
Of course, there are other ways for the 49ers to create cap room in 2022.
They could restructure George Kittle’s deal, which would save the team $8.332 million, or Arik Armstead’s deal, which would save the team $10.424 million, both would require the 49ers adding 1 voidable year to get these maximum savings.
Also, the 49ers have a few players with high base salaries, that, depending on their play, could either be extended, or released, notably Samson Ebukam, & Emmanuel Moseley.
If they extended them, they could save, based on the new deals being 4-year extensions to maximize savings, $3.892 million from a Ebukam extension, and $2.692 million from a Moseley extension.
If the team decided to part ways, they’d be able to save $6.5 million from releasing Ebukam, and $4,941,176 from releasing Moseley, who I need to note has a $4.4 million base salary will become guaranteed on April 1, 2022, but right now it is guaranteed for injury/skill, meaning if cut while hurt he gets that $4.4 million, similar to how Jimmy Garoppolo has a $7.5 million injury guarantee for both 2021 & 2022.
They can also save as much as $7,818,400 by extending Mike McGlinchey, who had his 5th-year option picked up, which fully guarantees him $10.808 million for 2022, but this depends on him having a tremendous season, where he improves his pass protection, while still being one of the best run blocking right tackles in the NFL.
Lastly, we also have to talk about Dee Ford, who has looked good, and looks to be back, he had a sack on Sunday, but in 2022, he is due a $4.6 million roster bonus, which is injury guaranteed, and the 49ers have to decide not long after the Super Bowl, as the roster bonus is due between the 2nd and 5th day of the waiver period, which begins right after the Super Bowl.
And, with all of this said, I thank everyone for reading article, as always you can follow me on Twitter @49erscap, or leave a comment below, and I’ll get back to you.
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