The 49ers should re-sign seven free agents………
The 49ers will undoubtedly address their offensive line in the draft, but re-signing Feliciano makes a lot of sense. He won’t cost a lot of money, and he was one of the team’s finest interior offensive linemen last year. Re-signing him and drafting a right tackle would provide San Francisco with a potential upgrade to its starting unit while also increasing depth through rearranging the depth chart. If they have a guy that outperforms Feliciano for the starting job, that’s even better.
We don’t generally think of the 49ers’ defensive line when we discuss their needs, but aside from Nick Bosa, they don’t have any truly solid choices on the defensive end. Ferrell started all 17 games last season, and his ability to set the edge against the run while also generating a small amount of pass rush was something the 49ers lacked when he wasn’t on the field. Perhaps he cashes out in free agency, but if the 49ers can bring Ferrell back at a low cost, they should do so.
It’s unknown whether Darnold will look for a starting job this offseason, but if he doesn’t, it makes a lot of sense for the 49ers to try to reunite. Brock Purdy remained healthy for all 17 games last year, but the team has battled with too many season-ending injuries under centre to stop avoiding the problem. If Purdy is unavailable, San Francisco will most certainly want a backup quarterback who they believe can win a few games, and Darnold meets the requirement, as would any prospective backup free agent quarterback.
With Dee Winters and Jalen Graham entering their second seasons, the 49ers linebacking corps may undergo a significant upheaval. However, Dre Greenlaw’s Achilles rupture in the Super Bowl throws a wrench in the works, making a veteran like Burks even more vital. His presence in the linebackers room would benefit a primarily youthful bunch, and he is an excellent special teams player when he is not on the field defensively. Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles is also considering a resignation. However, Burks is the better of the two possibilities.
If both of the 49ers’ 2023 tight end draft picks had been able to contribute as rookies, the team might have felt more comfortable letting Woerner depart in free agency. Since neither Brayden Willis nor Cameron Latu were able to make an impact, it raises serious questions about what the 49ers are doing behind George Kittle. Woerner hasn’t grown into a strong pass-catcher, but he’s improved as a blocker over the course of four seasons, and for the time being, he’d be an affordable, dependable TE2.
Kinlaw may want a change of scenery and choose to sign elsewhere. He’s been a little disappointing in San Francisco, but that’s due in part to injuries that prevented him from establishing his footing following a strong rookie season. The 49ers still need depth on the interior of their defensive line, and they may persuade themselves that Kinlaw will continue to progress now that he is healthy enough to play a full complement of snaps. Paying him on his large fifth-year option amount was never an option. A Kinlaw return, however, might be a potentially valuable offseason addition with a short extension or a low-cost one-year prove-it contract.
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