49ers pick up options for two underrated contributors
By Justin Fried
The San Francisco 49ers have officially picked up the options for two of the team’s most underrated contributors from 2019, Kyle Juszczyk and K’Waun Williams.
The San Francisco 49ers and the rest of the NFL are just two weeks away from the start of the new league year and the beginning of the free agency period.
But before teams could start looking at making external additions, they must first handle business internally. And that’s exactly what the 49ers have done making a flurry of roster moves over the past two days.
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It was originally reported on Wednesday that the team had exercised fullback Kyle Juszczyk‘s option for the 2020 season. And on Thursday, they followed that up by doing the same for standout nickel cornerback K’Waun Williams.
Both Juszczyk and Williams served key roles on last season’s Super Bowl roster and even though they may not be as high-profile as others on the team, they remain incredibly vital to the future of the organization.
Juszczyk was Pro Football Focus‘ No. 1 rated fullback finishing with an excellent grade of 73.3. On top of that, PFF noted that his 124.5 passer rating while targeted was sixth among all fullbacks and running backs.
He was an incredibly efficient pass-catcher and a crucial part of one of the most dynamic and successful running games in football. And as a result, the 49ers weren’t going to let him walk.
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Meanwhile, San Francisco also brought back the aforementioned Williams who put together a career year in 2019, establishing himself as one of the very best nickel cornerbacks in the NFL.
Williams finished with a 77.2 PFF grade and was perhaps the most unheralded piece on a dominant 49ers defense. With with team’s outside cornerback position facing a bit of a crossroads, it’s nice to have Williams locking down the slot for the time being.
The 49ers also reportedly tendered one-year contracts to five of their six exclusive-rights free agents, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Those five players are offensive lineman Daniel Brunskill, tight end Ross Dwelley, cornerback Emmanuel Moseley, quarterback Nick Mullens, and running back Jeff Wilson.
Interestingly enough, all five of those players served important roles or saw extended playing time in 2019 speaking to the value of the 49ers’ young depth players.
The only exclusive-rights free agent who wasn’t tendered was 26-year-old offensive tackle Andrew Lauderdale who spent the entire year on the injured reserve.
With Juszczyk and Williams back in 2020, joined by the likes of Moseley and the others, the 49ers have solidified some solid depth and locked down two key starters ahead of next season for rather cheap.
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And given the little wiggle room the team has this offseason, the 49ers need all the bargains they could get.