2011 Free Agents That Could Make an Immediate Impact for the 49ers

The main goal for the San Francisco 49ers is to fix their weaknesses and a majority of the problems started on defense. From a coordinator who wasn't aggressive enough to poor tackling. Also, what will be interesting to see is if the 49ers bring back some of their own free agents as well. 

Aubrayo Franklin, Ray McDonald, Demetric Evans, Manny Lawson, Takeo Spikes, Dashon Goldson, and Tarell Brown are the free agents the 49ers could lose on defense. On the offensive side the 49ers free agents are Alex Smith and Troy Smith.

For the 49ers the weakness on offense is on the offensive line as Chilo Rachal was manhandled last year and the quarterback position. David Carr currently is the only quarterback under contract for the 49ers and that doesn't bode well for the 49ers. 

So, there definitely could be options at free agents for the quarterback position and for offensive line help. Here's a look at free agents on the offensive side that the 49ers could look to go after. I'm excluding running backs, tight ends, kicker, and punter as the 49ers are set at those positions. 

Quarterbacks:

Trent Edwards: Could be an interesting option after being released by the Bills signed with the Jaguars to backup David Garrard. Though he has battled injuries in his young career with Jim Harbaugh as the 49ers coach he could be given a shot. 

Alex Smith: For whatever reason the 49ers could still bring back Smith, but if the 49ers do make a trade he would likely become the teams backup. If the NBC Sports article is accurate, then Smith may just find his way back to the starting position. Harbaugh has said  "So excited, yeah, I’m going to say it, I’ve been studying Alex Smith and watching him and I believe that Alex Smith can be a winning quarterback in the National Football League."

The article can be found here

Offensive Line: 

Harvey Dahl has started 43 of 48 games the past three seasons for the Atlanta Falcons. 

Logan Mankins has started 89 of 96 games for the New England Patriots has made three Pro-Bowls and been an All-Pro. Missed time due to contract dispute this past season. 

Davin Joseph missed time with an injury with the Buccaneers this past season, but is their best offensive linemen so may not be easy to pry away. He has made one Pro-Bowl. Has started 68 of 80 games as well.

Carl Nicks has made one Pro-Bowl in his three year career for the New Orleans Saints, has played in every game of his young career. At 6'5" 343 would add size to the offensive line. 

Fullbacks: 

Le'Ron McClain may want to carry the ball a little more than what teams would like, but proved in 2008 that he can be used as a primary running back even though his primary position is fullback. He ran for 902 yards and 10 touchdowns while making the Pro-Bowl. He doesn't get to touch the ball as often with Ray Rice the primary ball carrier in Baltimore. Being the best fullback available will give him a quite a bit of leverage and he may price himself out of the 49ers league and the 49ers could look to the draft for a fullback. Specifically the Henry Hynoski out of Pittsburgh. 

Vonta Leach is the polar opposite of McClain he doesn't need to carry the ball to be effective and he has one Pro-Bowl appearance. He can catch the ball out of the backfield as he has 76 receptions in seven seasons, but he's mostly in the game to be a lead blocker. 

 Wide Receiver:

Steve Breaston could come in as a valuable third receiver for the 49ers or even push Josh Morgan for the number two spot. Though it's likely Arizona will try to resign him. He has one season with 1,000 yards and in that season he had a career high 77 receptions, and three touchdowns. Also, he is a valuable return man as well. 

Mark Clayton he could be interesting as he was having a tremendous season before ending his season on injured reserve. His best season came in 2006 when he caught 67 passes for 939 yards and five touchdowns. This season before the injury in five games he had 23 catches for 306 yards, and two touchdowns. 

Malcolm Floyd came into his own this past season and had some tremendous games. Though he did miss some time with injuries he would be a big target for the 49ers at 6'5" but it's more likely the San Diego Chargers will go after him especially if Vincent Jackson leaves also. This past season he caught 37 passes for 717 yards and six touchdowns.

Vincent Jackson like Mankins held out but he was also suspended for the first four games of the season as well. Like Floyd he's a tall receiver and in just five games he caught 14 passes for 248 yards and five touchdowns. He's had two seasons of over 1,000 yards receiving and in 2009 caught nine touchdown passes. 

Sidney Rice he came on in 2009, but missed most of this past season due to injury. He appeared in six games catching 17 passes for 280 yards and two touchdowns. His 2009 season saw him catch 83 passes for 1,312 yards and eight touchdowns. 

Steve Smith the ultimate possession receiver of the free agent class of 2011. There's no doubt the New York Giants are going to want to resign him. He did miss some time with injury but in 2009 he caught 107 passes for 1,220 yards and seven touchdowns.

Mike Sims-Walker  had a frustrating season for the Jaguars. He was hoping to capitalize on his 2009 success where he caught 63 passes for 869 yards and seven touchdowns. This season he still had seven touchdowns but managed 43 catches for 562 yards. 

Defensive Tackle:

Haloti Ngata there's no question if he were to be signed the 49ers defense would improve immediately. The Ravens no doubt will make a play to keep him in Baltimore, so to pry him away a team will have to over spend to get him. For the season he had 47 tackles and 5.5 sacks. He's made two Pro-Bowls and an All-Pro team. 

Brandon Mebane maybe the next best thing to Ngata, always under appreciated even while playing at California, Mebane knows how to make plays. His best season came in 2008 when he had 29 tackles and 5.5 sacks. 

Aubrayo Franklin: Franklin held out as he wanted a long term contract extension. He was not as effective as he was in 2009, but still had a solid season and posted 38 tackles. 

Daniel Muir takes up space inside the past two seasons he has recorded 72 tackles and .5 a sack. Could be an inexpensive replacement for Franklin. 

Paul Soliai could definitely make up for the loss of Franklin as he is a space eater at 6'4 345 pounds. Recorded 33 tackles and 2 sacks last year for the Dolphins. 

Barry Cofield may not attract the attention of a Mebane, Franklin, or Ngata but he's a solid defensive tackle and still is relatively young in 79 games with New York Giants he has 155 tackles, 10.5 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles. 

Defensive End:

Cullen Jenkins has had an injury history and may price himself out of Green Bay's range when he becomes a free agent. Would immediately up grade the end position for the 49ers as his primary responsibility for the Packers has been to get after the quarterback. Over the past two seasons in 27 games he has recorded 11.5 sacks. 

Mathias Kiwanuka like Jenkins, Kiwanuka would be a definitive upgrade at defensive end. Was out most of the season in 2010, but prior to that had been durable as he played all 16 games in 2009 and 2008. In the 35 games that he has played the past three seasons he's recorded 15 sacks, with a career high 8 in 2008. 

Jason Babin could be a one year wonder as he is most likely to resign with the Tennessee Titans, but with the departure of Jeff Fisher it could mean he would be willing to play someplace else. 2010 was by far his best season as he recorded 12.5 sacks, 44 tackles, and forced two fumbles. 

Cliff Avril is the youngest of the group of defensive ends as he has played three seasons for the Detroit Lions. Played in 13 games last year for the Lions and recorded 8.5 sacks, he'll most likely resign with Lions, but if the 49ers throw enough money at him and with his youth could definitely improve the end position playing next to Justin Smith. 

Turk McBride another Lion that could be had could take the place of Ray McDonald, he's a bigger defensive end at 6'4" 285, but did record 5 sacks in 2010 for the Lions and forced three fumbles. 

Ray McDonald made a few nice plays for the 49ers in 2010, but his inconsistency will more than likely mean he will not be resigned. He did not record a sack last year, but did intercept a pass for a touchdown. In 56 games for the 49ers he recorded 5 sacks, and 3 of those sacks came in 2009. Just not enough production from McDonald to stay on could use a fresh start. 

Mark Anderson could also take the place of McDonald if he could regain the form of his rookie year where he recorded 12 sacks, last year he played in 15 games with the Houston Texans and Chicago Bears and recorded 4 sacks. In 77 career games he has recorded 25.5 sacks and has forced 5 fumbles. 

Wallace Gilberry produced last season for the Chiefs and recorded 7 sacks, he like Avril is only in his third year and it's likely that he'll stay in Kansas City. Could be another solid candidate to replace McDonald.

Dave Ball like Gilberry recorded 7 sacks but for the Titans again with Fisher gone he could easily take his services elsewhere. He did miss five games last year, but still is relatively young and would add some size at the end position and again could take the place of McDonald. 

Linebackers: 

LaMarr Woodley could price himself out of Pittsburgh's league and if the York's are serious about getting the 49ers back to the playoffs adding Woodley would be a start especially if the 49ers select Von Miller in the first round as he could be a tremendous influence on Miller and even Manny Lawson also a free agent this year. He's played four seasons and has 39 sacks in 60 games as well as 141 tackles and 7 forced fumbles. 

Tamba Hali switched from defensive end to outside linebacker and had a break out season in 2010, didn't do too badly in 2009 either after the switch. In two seasons at the position he has recorded 23 sacks, 8 forced fumbles, and has recorded 84 tackles. Also, could be a very good acquisition for the 49ers if Woodley is too expensive.

James Anderson had a breakout season for the Carolina Panthers and could take the place of Takeo Spikes if he's not resigned. He recorded 98 tackles, forced 2 fumbles, had 3.5 sacks, and 1 interception. 

D'Qwell Jackson suffered an injury that had him miss 10 games last year with the Browns. The season before that he recorded 95 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 interceptions, and 6 passes defended. Could replace Spikes if he is not resigned. 

Justin Durant a former second round pick that had a relatively disappointing season. Can play in a 3-4 system and in 2009 recorded 81 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception, and 1 forced fumble. 

Kevin Burnett another Charger that could be had. Made huge contributions to the Chargers last year with 80 tackles, 6 sacks, 2 interceptions, an interception returned for a touchdown, and 1 forced fumble. 

Travis LaBoy: May be resigned by the 49ers his skills as an outside linebacker is to get to the quarterback, last season for the 49ers he had 5 sacks which was one of the higher totals for the team, but he also battled injuries and does not play well against the run. 

Manny Lawson the 49ers could use the franchise tag on him as he plays the run extremely well and is a decent pass rusher with his athleticism. The only knock on him is that he doesn't always come up with the sack when he gets into the backfield, if the 49ers are able to sign Woodley or Hali and draft Miller, Lawson either will be pushed to new heights or be used as trade bait. In just over four seasons Lawson has 14.5 sacks and 181 tackles.

Cornerback: 

Champ Bailey has made 10 Pro-Bowls at the corner position and with the Broncos struggling the 49ers could pounce and sign him for years. Though he's aged he's still one of the best corners in the NFL, but his injury history may keep the team from signing him. He has played in 31 games the past two seasons though and has 5 interceptions, 1 sack, and 102 tackles. 

Nnamdi Asomugha is in the top two corners in the league it was rather shocking to see that the Raiders would actually terminate his contract, but Al Davis did. Now he's free to sign where ever he wants, and he'll still command a lot of money. At 6'3 he possesses excellent size and although his numbers don't seem impressive the past few seasons it's because no team is willing to throw his way. 

Brent Grimes has raised his game up for the Falcons and with him being a restricted free agent he may not be worth going after as the Falcons will more than likely match any offer to him. This past season he had 70 tackles, 5 interceptions, and 23 passes defended. 

Johnathan Joseph was the Bengals best cornerback and teams did not throw his way much either. He recorded 37 tackles, 3 interceptions with one being returned for a touchdown, and had 8 passes defended. 

Antonio Cromartie if the New York Jets are looking to sign Asomugha, Cromartie could be left in the dust as there would be no way for the Jets to pay Cromartie. So, the 49ers could jump at the chance to bring in a corner that is physical and is tall at 6'2." The big issue for Cromartie is his mouth, but in 2010 he recorded 41 tackles, 3 interceptions, and 17 passes defended. His best season came in 2007 with the Chargers when he had 39 tackles, 10 interceptions, and 18 passes defended. 

Richard Marshall may not get the recognition of the other big name corners, but he is a solid corner and last year for the Panthers he recorded 74 tackles, 3 interceptions, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, and 8 passes defended. 

Eric Wright of the Browns could replace Tarell Brown as a nickel cornerback and on special teams. He's still young at 25 years of age and has plenty of experience. In 59 games he has 9 interceptions including one returned for a touchdown, 2 forced fumbles, and 45 passes defended. 

Chris Houston may not cost as much as any other corner on the free agent market. He has started 59 games in his career and has 4 interceptions, 196 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, and 46 passes defended. Again could be a replacement for Brown. 

Jason Allen another interesting free agent played on two teams last year Miami and Houston, yet combined he had 46 tackles, 6 interceptions, and 12 passes defended. Could possibly be on his third team if the 49ers go after him. 

Kyle Arrington 2011 will be his third year in the league and he got some valuable experience in his second season with the Patriots he recorded 49 tackles, 1 interception which was returned for a touchdown, and 5 passes defended. Could be the third or fourth corner for the 49ers. 

William Gay: another chance to bring in a solid corner and at 25 is young enough to make a big difference in the lineup. The past two seasons Gay has 101 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 21 passes defended. 

Safeties:

Roman Harper a play-maker in the secondary the 49ers desperately need and young enough to be worth a multi-year contract. Last season Harper had 72 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 interception, and 6 forced fumbles. 

Eric Weddle besides Woodley, Weddle should be the only player the 49ers over spend on. He's an outstanding safety and at 25 years of age he'll be one for a while. The Charges of course will not let him go without a fight. For 2010 he had 79 tackles, .5 sack, 2 interceptions including one returned for a touchdown, and 10 passes defended. 

Dawan Landry he is one of the better safeties that is a free agent and is the same age as Harper, he recorded 83 tackles, 1 interception which was returned for a touchdown, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, and 4 passes defended. 

Tanard Jackson he is the same age as Weddle, but last year missed 14 games which may be beneficial for any team looking to sign him as he won't be as expensive. In 2009 he had 59 tackles, 5 interceptions with two being returned for touchdowns, 2 forced fumbles, and 8 passes defended. 

Bernard Pollard has great size for a safety at 6'2" and is a big hitter. In 15 games last year had 81 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and 5 passes defended. The only disappointment to his season last year was that he didn't record an interception after interception 4 in 2009. 

Gerald Sensabaugh maybe the most inexpensive free agent at safety, came on strong for the Cowboys last year as he had 57 tackles, 5 interceptions, 2 sacks, and 10 passes defended. 

Husain Abdullah another inexpensive option who can on strong last season for the Vikings. Recorded 50 tackles, 3 interceptions, and 7 passes defended. 

Dashon Goldson according to him struggled through injury last year with the 49ers. Did look better towards the end of last season, but it was nothing to write home about. He constantly gets burned in the passing game, but is good against the run and will make a big hit. In 2010 he had 59 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception, and 5 passes defended. More than likely Goldson will be replaced whether it's having Nate Clements moving into the safety position, drafting a safety in the draft, or the 49ers signing a free agent. 

Too look at all 2011 NFL free agents you can find the information here or here