The San Francisco 49ers were among the quieter teams to start free agency on Wednesday. They signed defensive tackle Ian Williams to a 5-year contract, and also added quarterback Thad Lewis on a one-year deal. They are rumored to be interested in CB Sean Smith and WR Marc Mariani, and are expected to bring in OG Ted Larsen and RB Lance Dunbar for visits.
The team will eventually sign players, but the question is who. Trent Baalke has never been one to spend a ton of money in free agency, so it is not surprising to see things start so quietly this year. It's more frustrating given how bad the team was last year and the various holes that remain to be filled, but it's not a surprise.
Prior to the start of free agency, NFL.com put together a rundown of the top 99 free agents available. They've updated the list with news on players signing, but below are the top 20 remaining free agents. Rotoworld put together their own list of the top 50 free agents. There are differing opinions, but a lot of the same players listed. Rotoworld lists Ryan Fitzpatrick as the best remaining free agent, followed by Russell Okung, Prince Amumakara, and Sean Smith.
1. Eric Weddle, S
2. Jaye Howard, DT
3. Russell Okung, OT
4. Prince Amukamara, CB
5. Reggie Nelson, S
6. Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB
7. Chris Long, DE
8. Nick Fairley, DT
9. Arian Foster, RB
10. Robert Ayers, DE
11. Andre Smith, OT
12. Kelvin Beachum, OT
13. Walter Thurmond, DB
14. Jerrell Freeman, ILB
15. Donald Penn, OT
16. Casey Heyward, CB
17. Aldon Smith, OLB
18. B.J. Raji, NT
19. Greg Hardy, DE
20. Anquan Boldin, WR
21. Terrance Knighton, DT
22. Rashad Johnson, S
23. Alfred Morris, RB
24. Evan Mathis, OG
25. Mike Wallace, WR
26. Cedric Thornton, DE
27. Jermaine Kearse, WR
28. Jahri Evans, OG
29. Mike Neal, OLB/DE
30. Junior Galette, OLB