San Francisco 49ers may not have done enough in free agency

The San Francisco 49ers have added very few players during the free agency period, making it fair to ask whether or not they’ve added enough pieces.

The San Francisco 49ers, given the tremendous amount of salary cap space at their disposal, entered free agency with most expecting them to be big players. And yet, for the most part, they’ve been relatively quiet.

During the NFL offseason, there is no greater frenzy than free agency. It’s the time when fans tend to go berserk when they hear their team not signing the players that they want. Or even more berserk when they do.

The 49ers though, have been very selective in their free agent signings, seeming to be looking for quality over quantity.

So far, they have signed only five players, with former All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman headlining that short list.

Given their needs, and considering the massive amount of cap space at their disposal, it seems far to ask — did the 49ers add enough players in free agency?

The simple answer to that question is — yes, the 49ers have done enough to improve the team via free agency. Just because they have a lot of cap space doesn’t mean they should be blowing it all on free agents.

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Wide receiver Allen Robinson and cornerback Malcolm Butler were free agent dream signings for a lot of fans, but those players were well overpaid by the Chicago Bears and Tennessee Titans, their new teams, respectively.

There is no need to be giving non-elite players elite money just because you have it. The 49ers were wise to stay away from the first tier of free agents.

You don’t build a championship team through free agency. You build it through the draft and an elite coaching staff — which looks like it might be the case with head coach Kyle Shanahan in control.

With just the five players the 49ers signed, they have already improved. The team signed Sherman to what is essentially, a “prove it” deal.

So, if he comes close to what he was in Seattle that signing already becomes a home run. The signing of running back Jerick McKinnon from the Minnesota Vikings is the sexiest of signings for the team.

While he did was a little overpaid, the 49ers can easily justify that this upcoming season. McKinnon’s versatility is what landed him his big contract. His quickness and vision as runner is overlooked, as well as his stellar ability as a receiver.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan can use him in a plethora of ways. He might not be the feature, every down running back, but the 49ers don’t need him to be.

Here though, is what the 49ers do need. They need their newly acquired center Weston Richburg to outperform their former center Daniel Kilgore. They pretty much swapped one for the other with the belief that Richburg is the better player.

That says a lot considering the injuries that plagued him last season. Whatever the 49ers saw in him, they didn’t see in Kilgore.

The 49ers played free agency well. While there are still players out there who could further benefit the team, they have done enough to improve. The best part is they didn’t have to drain their cap just to get a few big name players.

Next: 49ers Can And Should Upgrade The WR Corps

Shanahan and GM John Lynch seem to understand that the draft is where they will make the most improvements to the team, and that solid free agent signings are just the icing on the cake.