The San Francisco 49ers have added the following players via free agency:
WR Mike Evans
DT Osa Odighizuwa
WR Christian Kirk
CB Nate Hobbs
LB Dre Greenlaw
OT Vederian Lowe
IOL Brett Toth
P Corliss Waitman
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Evans and Odighizuwa were brought in to be difference-makers who would impact the game tangibly while making it easier for their teammates.
As of today, Toth is the most experienced left guard on the roster. The NFL Draft is about a month away. Things could change. But, if they don’t, Toth is the likely starter at left guard. If that were the case, and Toth gave the offense replacement-level with a cap number of $2.5 million, that’d be the definition of value.
Greenlaw got $13.5 million to come home and help get the run defense on track. The Niners finished 31st in rushing success rate last season. If there was something the defensive line could hang their hats on, it was being competitive against the run.
That tells us the linebacker play was subpar. That isn’t breaking news. The Niners replaced a Hall of Famer with a 7th-rounder. At one point in Week 18, the linebackers on the field weren’t on the roster before Thanksgiving. Greenlaw always brought the best out of Fred Warner, who will return from an injury that knocked him out for over half the season.
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If the 49ers offense can get 50+ targets out of Kirk, one has to believe he’s catching more than 53 percent of those and going for more than 378 yards. That’s what Kirk did during his one season in Houston. It was also the lowest target share of his career. It was also by far the lowest average depth of target and yards per catch by two yards. A regression to his career average makes Kirk seem like the biggest steal of the free agency class, provided he stays on the field.
It remains unclear from an outsider’s perspective what Hobbs’ role will be. Lowe figures to be a swing tackle, while the less we talk about Waitmann, the better.
Of the players listed above, who will we look back on a year from now and say they provided the most value compared to what they signed for? I’ll say Kirk. What say you?
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