San Francisco 49ers Busy Making Moves, But Are They The Right Moves?

The San Francisco 49ers have been one of the busier teams this offseason, signing a number of free agents. But all the activity begs the question – are they making the right moves?

New San Francisco 49ers GM John Lynch and HC Kyle Shanahan certainly had their work cut out for them when they took control of the franchise. They had a roster that was, by and large, devoid of talent, a team coming off a miserable season, and a number of players that frankly, needed to go.

And after just three days of the free agency feeding frenzy, it seems pretty safe to say that Lynch and Shanahan have done a good job of shaking everything up.

But as we’ve seen with many a franchise before them, shaking things up simply for the sake of shaking things up seldom works out. Take a look at the Cleveland Browns to illustrate that point.

While they have certainly added some top notch – and sorely needed – talent to the roster, they’ve also made a few moves that have left some scratching their heads. Overall, the roster looks like it’s going to be in better shape than it has been the last couple of seasons. And this team will likely be a bit more competitive.

Sure, it’s easy to say that the San Francisco 49ers have oodles of cap space and hey, they need to spend it somewhere – right? And given the amount of cap space they have, they can afford to perhaps, slightly overpay for somebody like a Pierre Garcon – a player that will work wonders for this offense.

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But then you look at the signing of somebody like a Malcolm Smith to a five-year, $26.5 million dollar deal – with $11.5 million guaranteed at signing. The contract is structured in a way that it gives the team some outs, should his play be insufficient (the last two years of the deal are option years).

But after watching Smith as a member of the Oakland Raiders the last couple of seasons, the question has to be asked – with a number of other terrific options on the open market, was the deal for Smith a reach? (Spoiler alert – it was)

On the surface, in the right light, if you squint your eyes just so, it looks like it could be a solid pick up for this defense. After all, Smith did lead the Raiders in tackles the last two years – his first chance as a starter in the league.

But he also had some incredibly glaring weaknesses when it came to pass defense. He was a big part of a Raiders defense that was routinely eaten up by opposing tight ends. He was a big part of a defense that couldn’t defend passes at the second level with any sort of consistency or competency.

Should Lynch and Shanahan have jumped as quickly as they did at a player who’s proven himself to pretty much be a one-trick pony? Should they have thrown the pile of cash at him that they did? Yeah, probably not.

And speaking of contracts that boggle the mind, the deal handed out to fullback Kyle Juszcyk is one that can and should raise a few eyebrows. While Lynch and Shanahan obviously have plans for Juszcyk and making him a weapon in the offensive game plan, the fact of the matter is that they handed out a four-year deal worth an average of a little over $5 million to a guy who has a total of 25 carries and 97 receptions over his four-year career.

Sure, Juszcyk is tough. He’s gritty. He’s determined. But is he really worth $5 million dollars a year?

On the other end of that spectrum though, is the contract given to receiver Marquise Goodwin – a two-year pact worth up to $8 million if he hits all of his incentives. It’s a good deal that is going to make a player with a fairly sizeable injury history earn his cash.

Teamed with Jeremy Kerley and Garcon, the smaller, speedier Goodwin will fill a crucial role in Shanahan’s offense – a position many have likened to that of Taylor Gabriel when Shanahan was in Atlanta. And if Goodwin can produce like Gabriel, this offense is going to be in pretty good shape.

The first few days of free agency have been a mixed bag for the 49ers and their new regime. They’ve upgraded talent in some key areas and have added some solid pieces to this roster. Lynch and Shanahan are moving quickly to rebuild this team on the fly.

The process is far from complete, of course. But while some of the moves they’ve made should be applauded, some of the moves Lynch and Shanahan have made can only be viewed with skepticism and a raised eyebrow or two.