The 49ers have several key free agents of their own heading into the offseason, but what other NFL stars could the front office be targeting when free agency opens March 16?
The 49ers face a crucial offseason as they look to round out their roster for the true beginning of the Trey Lance era.
The 49ers' first move of the offseason likely will be to find a trade destination for veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Offloading Garoppolo will give the 49ers around $25 million more in salary cap space. San Francisco will have 21 unrestricted free agents, including guard Laken Tomlinson, safety Jaquiski Tartt, nickel back K'Waun Williams, defensive tackle D.J. Jones and cornerback Jason Verrett.
San Francisco also has a decision to make on edge rusher Dee Ford. Ford has missed 29 of the 49ers' last 36 games due to a back injury. Should the 49ers move on from Ford before June 1, they can save about $2 million in cap space while being hit with a $9.8 million dead cap charge. If they cut Ford after June 1, they will save $7 million in cap space and get a $4.4 million dead cap hit.
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This year's NFL free-agent market has several interesting options for a 49ers team that would like to round out the secondary, add to the offensive line depth, find another weapon at wide receiver and perhaps get another body on the defensive line.
I'd imagine the 49ers would like to re-sign Tomlinson, Williams, and Jones if possible. For the purpose of this exercise, I didn't include any pending 49ers free agents. To be clear, I'm not saying the 49ers should sign these players or will. I'm only saying that the following five players could be intriguing options for the 49ers depending on how the offseason and initial free-agent flurry plays out.
Casey Hayward, CB
Hayward, who will turn 33 in September, had a tremendous season for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021.
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The veteran corner started all 18 games for the Silver and Black, notching 46 tackles with nine pass breakups and one interception. In coverage, Hayward allowed completions on just 57.1 percent of the 56 targets he faced, and opposing quarterbacks registered a passer rating of 91.9 when targeting him.
The 49ers will have Emmanuel Mosely and Ambry Thomas back in the secondary, but San Francisco should add a veteran corner to that group. Hayward, should he choose to play for an 11th season, is a quality corner who should fit well in San Francisco's system. He shouldn't break the bank as most projections have Hayward garnering a one-year deal in the $6-7 million range.
D.J. Reed, CB
This one makes a lot of sense if the Seattle Seahawks let Reed walk. The 49ers didn't want to let Reed go in 2020 and surely would welcome the versatile corner back to the Bay Area.
Reed was one of the best right cornerbacks in the NFL in 2021. From Week 4 to Week 18, Reed logged 10 passes defensed and two interceptions while allowing a passer rating of 66.0, per Pro Football Focus.
Reed has logged time at right corner, left corner, and in the nickel. He became the Seahawks' best cornerback this past season and would be a good option for the 49ers, especially if they lose K'Waun Williams.
Austin Corbett, OG
I expect the 49ers to make re-signing Laken Tomlinson a priority. The veteran offensive guard has excellent chemistry on the left side with Trent Williams, knows Kyle Shanahan's system, and has been extremely durable.
But if Tomlinson heads elsewhere, the 49ers will have to shore up the interior of their offensive line and could do so by signing Corbett away from the division-rival Los Angeles Rams.
Corbett, 26, has turned his career around since joining the Rams. He was the 22nd ranked guard in the NFL last season, per PFF. He graded in the top half of all guards in true pass sets and graded above 50 percentile in zone and gap rushing schemes.
The 49ers could also deal a blow to the Rams' title defense if they can lure Corbett to Santa Clara.
Jadeveon Clowney, EDGE
This would, admittedly, be a massive swing the 49ers probably won't take.
But Clowney was fantastic last season in Cleveland opposite Myles Garrett. Clowney logged nine sacks and 19 quarterback hits in 14 games and was a half-sack shy of tying his career-high. Clowney also finished fourth in ESPN's pass rush win rate metric.
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Clowney likes to take his time in free agency. If he doesn't return to Cleveland, the 49ers could pair Clowney with Nick Bosa and take their pass rush to the next level.
Rob Gronkowski, Tight End
The last one is based on one thing and one thing only: Thomas Edward Patrick Brady.
Ever since Brady retired, noise about the seven-time Super Bowl legend unretiring for one last run with his hometown team has permeated the internet. We know that if Brady does come back, Gronk will follow.
Even at age 32, Gronkowski was still very productive in Tampa Bay. He is a good red-zone target who thrives in multiple tight end sets that use play-action and middle-of-the-field throws. If Brady does unretire and join the 49ers, expect Gronkowski to follow the only quarterback he has ever played for and create a terrifying tight end tandem with George Kittle.
But Brady is indeed done, there's a good chance Gronk is as well.