So, yesterday the NFL, & NFLPA agreed to have the 2022 salary cap have a ceiling of $208.2 million, if you want to more about this, please head over to this link at OverTheCap.com, as Jason Fitzgerald broke it down the best that it could be.
But for this article, I want to take a look at what it means for the 49ers 2022 salary cap, I’ve updated the 2022 cap page to reflect the new $208.2 million cap ceiling, which can be found here.
As you can see the 49ers will have 36 players signed once Weston Richburg officially retires in June, which would leave the team with $13,850,512 in cap room once 1st-round pick Trey Lance, and 3rd-round picks Trey Sermon & Ambry Thomas sign their rookie deals.
But that number is deceiving, as it only takes into account the 36 players, and not the entire top 51, which would then leave the team with $3,275,512 in cap room for 2022.
It’s obvious that All-Pro MLB Fred Warner will be extended before the season begins, most likely sometime between the beginning of training camp, and mid August.
And then there is Jimmy Garoppolo and his $27 million cap hit for 2022, which he won’t be back at, so whether the 49ers release, or are able to trade Garoppolo by the time the new league year begins in March 2022, the team will save, after factoring in the top 51 rule, $24.895 million, which would give the team $28,170,512 in salary cap room for 2022.
Also I need to mention that both Dre Greenlaw & Mitch Wishnowsky’s base salaries will escalate from the minimum up to the expected RFA original round tender of $2.396 million, while it’s possible that Deebo Samuel’s base salary will also escalate to the $2.396 million, which would be $3,263,360 less in salary cap room, which would put the team at $24,907,152.
But as I mentioned, Warner will be extended this year, which, if we use a modest $5.5 million cap hit for 2022, as I’m basing his potential deal to what George Kittle received last August, Warner will have a small year 1 cap number.
So, if it is indeed $5.5 million, that would leave the 49ers with $19,407,152 in salary cap room for 2022, with 36 players signed, of course not all of these 36 players will be under contract, as we have the teams 5 UDFAs, WR Austin Watkins Jr., TE Josh Pederson, OT Alfredo Gutierrez, & SLBs Justin Hilliar, & Elijah Sullivan, who are signed through 2023.
Also it’s unknown if Tackle Justin Skule will make the 2021 roster, right now I do have the team keeping Skule, since he’s versatile, and is on a rookie contract.
But back the the 49ers salary cap, the team will have several free agents after this season, that they may want to bring back, below are the current projected free agents, note that most won’t even make the roster.
UFAs:
QB Nate Sudfeld
QB Josh Johnson
RB Raheem Mostert
RB Jeff Wilson Jr.
RB Wayne Gallman Jr.
WR Trent Sherfield
WR Mohamed Sanu Sr.
WR Richie James Jr.
WR Kevin White
WR Travis Benjamin
WR Bennie Fowler
TE Ross Dwelley
C Jake Brendel
LG Laken Tomlinson
RG Tom Compton
LT Shon Coleman
DE Arden Key
DE Jordan Willis
DE Daeshon Hall
DT Maurice Hurst Jr.
NT D.J. Jones
NT Zach Kerr
MLB Fred Warner
MLB Nathan Gerry
CB Jason Verrett
CB K’Waun Williams
CB Dontae Johnson
CB Briean Boddy-Calhoun
FS Tarvarius Moore
FS Tavon Wilson
SS Jaquiski Tartt
SS Marcell Harris
RFAs:
QB Josh Rosen
WR River Cracraft
TE Daniel Helm
C Daniel Brunskill
DT Kentavius Street
SLB Azeez Al-Shaair
CB Ken Webster
FS Kai Nacua
ERFAs:
RB JaMycal Hasty
FB Josh Hokit
WR Jauan Jennings
RG Dakoda Shepley
RG Isaiah Williams
LT Corbin Kaufusi
DE Alex Barrett
DT Kevin Givens
NT Darrion Daniels
WLB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles
MLB Jonas Griffith
CB Tim Harris Jr.
CB Mark Fields II
FS Jared Mayden
Like I said, most of these guys won’t even make the 53, in my current roster projection, post Jeff Wilson Jr. injury I have the following making the opening day roster.
QB Nate Sudfeld – UFA
RB Raheem Mostert – UFA
RB Jeff Wilson Jr. – UFA (on PUP)
RB Wayne Gallman Jr. – UFA
WR Trent Sherfield – UFA
WR Richie James Jr. – UFA
TE Ross Dwelley – UFA
C Daniel Brunskill – RFA
LG Laken Tomlinson – UFA
DE Arden Key – UFA
DE Jordan Willis – UFA
DT Maruice Hurst Jr. – UFA
DT Kevin Givens – EFFA (Likely Suspended to begin 2021)
NT D.J. Jones – UFA
NT Zach Kerr – UFA
SLB Azeez Al-Shaair – RFA
MLB Fred Warner – UFA
CB Jason Verrett – UFA
CB K’Waun Williams – UFA
CB Dontae Johnson – UFA
FS Tarvarius Moore – UFA
SS Jaquiski Tartt – UFA
SS Marcell Harris – UFA
So, that’s a total of 23 players, 20 of which would be UFAs, 2 RFAs, and 1 ERFA.
Of the above 21 players, I think it’s safe to assume the 49ers will want to bring back one of the running backs, either Raheem Mostert or Jeff Wilson Jr., plus they’d likely want to bring back tight end Ross Dwelley, they’ll definitely either tender or re-sign center Daniel Brunskill, kind of in the way they did with Wilson, Dwelley & Marcell Harris, who all got less than the original round RFA tender, but got some guaranteed money.
I can see the team deciding not to bring back left guard Laken Tomlinson, and instead inserting either Colton McKivitz, or 2021 5th-rounder Jaylon Moore at left guard.
I also can see the team wanting to bring back one of the two defensive ends, either Arden Key or Jordan Willis, also defensive tackles Maurice Hurst Jr., and Kevin Givens, while Givens’s legal issues are still up in the air, if he isn’t convicted, he will be on the 49ers roster this season, thus all they’ll need to do is tender him at the 3rd-year minimum, which would be $895,000.
I can see the 49ers making it a priority to retain nose tackle D.J. Jones, as well as fellow nose tackle Zach Kerr, depending on how well he does. I can see the 49ers doing the same with linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, as they they did with Wilson, Dwelley, & Harris this offseason.
As for the secondary, I think the 49ers top priority, right after extending Fred Warner, will be to re-sign cornerback Jason Verrett. I also can see the 49ers wanting to retain nickelback K’Waun Williams, but if rookie Deommodore Lenoir looks good, he might make Williams expendable.
As for the safeties, I don’t see the need to retain Tartt, especially if 2021 5th-rounder Talanoa Hufanga plays well, he could be ear marked as the teams new strong safety. I also can see the team bringing back Tarvarius Moore to start at free safety, in which they’d cut Jimmie Ward, saving the team $6.795 million in cap room. As for Marcell Harris, I think they would bring him back on a similar deal that he signed this offseason to compete for a backup safety role, or even linebacker role.
But, people will still want to know about Julio Jones, well, again, unless he takes a pay cut in exchange for a new deal, it’s still not really feasible, as the increase in the cap, if it does get to the $208.2 million, is just $5.2 million more than the current $203 million projection, while some inside the NFL feel the cap might come in lower, somewhere between $195 million to $200 million per team.
But, hypothetically, if the team were to deal for Jones, his $11.513 million base salary would be his cap number for 2022, which would bring their cap room down from $19,407,152 to $7,894,152, which isn’t enough to bring back the players that the 49ers will likely try to retain, nor will it be enough to go into free agency, fill holes, plus sign their draft class.
So unless Julio takes a pay cut, I just don’t see it being a realistic thing, as the 49ers will have, after signing their practice squad, but before a Warner extension, around $6 million to $8 million in cap room, depending on how the roster shapes out, the team may need to restructure someone’s contract, Arik Armstead would give them $4.528 million, while Laken Tomlinson would give them $2.808 million, but Armstead’s cap numbers for 2022-2025 would go up by $1.132 million, while Tomlinson’s dead m0ney hit would go up by $2.808 million in 2022, as his deal voids after the 2021 season.
If they did these, the 49ers cap room for 2022 would go down to $15,467,152, which would be enough to try and re-sign their own, but they’d be in the same position as they’ll be in for 2021, where they’ll be less than $10 million under the begin 2022.
And if they did the Julio Jones deal, that $15,467,152 goes down to $3,954,152, which again is not enough to re-sign anyone, or go into free agency, or even sign their draft class, or have money for the 2022 season.
As always, you can follow me on Twitter @49erscap, or leave a reply, and I’ll get back to you.
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