49ers: Complete grade and analysis of the 2020 offseason

The San Francisco 49ers’ 2020 offseason was overall a very successful one

With the conclusion of the NFL Draft last week, the bulk of offseason transactions are in the books. Now that we can reflect on the biggest moves by the San Francisco 49ers, we dive into the rationale and implications going forward.

In their fourth offseason at the helm in San Francisco, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch were happy to be facing a new challenge — maintaining an elite roster.

Instead of going into the offseason flush with cap space and a top-10 pick like in years past, coming off a trip to the Super Bowl, the team faced a cap crunch and a lack of draft capital.

The 49ers ended up trading one of their most valuable assets and losing their best receiver to the New Orleans Saints, but there are no easy tradeoffs for great NFL teams under the NFL’s salary-cap structure.

By prioritizing sustainability, Niners brass maintained a team capable of winning a title next season, while also easing the burden on extending their window.