The 49ers haven’t had a loud free agency, but what they’ve been quietly doing is reconstructing the roster that took them to the Super Bowl last season.
Their two biggest moves both happened the first day the free agent negotiating window opened when they traded DeForest Buckner to the Colts and signed Arik Armstead to a big extension.
Outside of that, their moves haven’t been more than small blips on the larger NFL radar.
We went through all of their moves so far and gave them a grade from a 49ers perspective, because some of the acquisitions that’ll be inconsequential to the rest of the NFL, could wind up being the difference in another deep playoff run for San Francisco.
Re-signed DE Arik Armstead
Armstead was a candidate to get the franchise tag, but instead he inked a five-year, $85 million deal with the 49ers. The structure of the deal gives the team small salary cap hits in each of the first two years, giving them added flexibility to maneuver under the cap.
They also retained a versatile defensive lineman who’s a stout run defender and led the team with 10.0 sacks last season. While Armstead may not be the singularly dominant player DeForest Buckner is (more on him later), he’s still a very good defensive lineman who fits well within the framework of the 49ers’ defensive front. If Armstead continues rushing the passer like he did in 2019, this deal may wind up being a bargain down the line when the cap inflates.
Grade: B+