With the 2019 season underway, and the first quarter over with, let’s take a look at the players who I believe should be on next years roster.
QB 10 Jimmy Garoppolo(2022)
QB 4 Nick Mullens(2019, ERFA)
RB 26 Tevin Coleman(2020)
RB 22 Matt Breida(2019, RFA)
RB 31 Raheem Mostert(2021)
RB 30 Jeff Wilson Jr.(2019, ERFA)
FB 44 Kyle Juszcyck(2020)
WR 11 Marquise Goodwin(2021)
WR 18 Dante Pettis(2021)
WR 19 Deebo Samuel(2022)
WR 17 Jalen Hurd(2022)
WR 13 Richie James Jr.(2021)
TE 85 George Kittle(2020)
TE 83 Levine Toilolo(2019, UFA)
TE 82 Ross Dwelley(2019, ERFA)
C 58 Weston Richburg(2022)
LG 75 Laken Tomlinson(2021)
RG 68 Mike Person(2021)
LT 74 Joe Staley(2021)
LT 67 Justin Skule(2022)
RT 69 Mike McGlinchey(2021)
DE 97 Nick Bosa(2022)
DE 91 Arik Armstead(2019, UFA)
DT 99 DeForest Buckner(2020)
DT 94 Solomon Thomas(2020)
DT 77 Jullian Taylor(2021)
DT 95 Kentavius Street(2021)
NT 93 D.J. Jones(2020)
LEO 55 Dee Ford(2023)
LEO 98 Ronald Blair III(2019, UFA)
SAM 57 Dre Greenlaw(2022)
SAM 53 Mark Nzeocha(2021)
MIKE 54 Fred Warner(2021)
MIKE 51 Azeez Al-Shaair(2021)
WILL 56 Kwon Alexander(2022)
CB 25 Richard Sherman(2020)
CB 23 Ahkello Witherspoon(2020)
CB 24 K’Waun Williams(2020)
CB 41 Emmanuel Moseley(2019, ERFA)
CB 32 D.J. Reed Jr.(2021)
FS 33 Tarvarius Moore(2021)
PK 9 Robbie Gould(2022)
P 6 Mitch Wishnowsky(2022)
LS 86 Kyle Nelson(2022)
Now the only pending UFAs I have on the list are Toilolo, Armstead, and Blair.
Toilolo can be had for another veteran minimum salary benefit deal, while I’m looking at $9 million a year for Armstead, and $5 million a year for Blair.
I also have Breida listed, but he’s a RFA, and should receive the 2nd-round tender, which would be $3.278 million according to OverTheCap.
Lastly I have several ERFAs, Mullens, who would cost $660,000, same for Wilson, and Dwelley, while Moseley would cost just $585,000.
Now let’s take a look at the list of players who are in danger of being let go, either via free agency, or cap casualties.
RB 28 Jerick McKinnon(2021)
WR 84 Kendrick Bourne(2019, RFA)
TE 88 Garrett Celek(2019, UFA)
C 63 Ben Garand(2019, UFA)
OG 60 Daniel Brunskill(2019, ERFA)
OT 78 Shon Coleman(2019, UFA)
NT 96 Sheldon Day(2019, UFA)
CB 27 Jason Verrett(2019, UFA)
FS 20 Jimmie Ward(2019, UFA)
SS 29 Jaquiski Tartt(2020)
If the 49ers were to cut ties with McKinnon, and Tartt, they’d save over $8 million in cap room.
As for the rest, the team will need an upgrade over Bourne, while Celek is out due to the numbers game.
Garland and Brunskill are solid backups, but the team needs to find better depth. Coleman is a casualty of Justin Skule.
I believe Kevin Givens, who is on the 49ers practice squad, can do what Day does, and for a lot less money.
Verrett hasn’t shown much, only playing 1 game, and being injured most of his career, again numbers game.
Ward, versatile as it may be, needs to be let go, it’s time for Tarvarius Moore to be the FS.
Now the players I’m torn on.
QB 3 C.J. Beathard(2020)
WR 15 Trent Taylor(2020)
WR 1 Shawn Poindexter(2021)
OG 64 Andrew Lauderdale(2019, ERFA)
CB 35 Tim Harris Jr.(2022)
SS 36 Marcell Harris(2019, ERFA)
Most of these players are due to the numbers game, except Beathard, as Kyle Shanahan likes him, and will likely keep him around.
Now, I expect the 49ers to extend DeForest Buckner, George Kittle, and Ahkello Witherspoon in the 2020 offseason, while making every effort to retain Arik Armstead, and Ronald Blair III, also Kyle Juszcyck, and Richard Sherman are in line for extensions.
And while the 2020 cap might be rough on the 49ers right now, I expect them to do everything in their power to keep the above players, and keep their cap flexibility.
As for past 2020, well, the 49ers will need to extend the likes of Mike McGliinchey, Dante Pettis, Fred Warner, Tarvarius Moore, but that’s still a few years away, and the 49ers should be in better salary cap health, as they can save $9.2 million by cutting Jerick McKinnon in 2020 pre June 1st, as they would take on all the remaining dead money($4 million) in 2020.
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