The San Francisco 49ers have a ton of cap space money at their disposal this spring, and plenty of holes to fill. There are going to be high profile players available, and I would not be surprised if the 49ers make a play for one or two of them. However, in building this team for the long haul, I would like to think the team will take their time and look for long-term plays, rather than just throw cap space at the big names.
A lot of teams have a lot of cap space, so even under-the-radar guys could prove expensive, but nuance would be a good approach to this year’s free agency. The 49ers are not going to be competing for a championship in 2017, so patience will be the name of the game in some manner.
Bleacher Report NFL analyst Brent Sobleski put together a look at ten of the most underrated names set to hit the open market.
1. NT Brandon Williams
2. CB Micah Hyde
3. CB Logan Ryan
4. DE Karl Klug
5. LB Lorenzo Alexander
6. S Duron Harmon
7. WR Robert Woods
8. TE Mychal Rivera
9. OT Austin Pasztor
10. QB Mike Glennon
Obviously not all of these positions are areas the 49ers will heavily invest in this offseason, but there are plenty of areas for improvement. Glennon is an intriguing name at quarterback. We have heard plenty about the Jimmy Garoppolo’s and Kirk Cousins of the world. And of course, Jay Cutler has been thrown in the mix.
But if the 49ers do not find a veteran they are prepared to invest in as a cornerstone player, Glennon could make some sense. If they draft a rookie to groom, or decide to wait until next year, Glennon could be an adequate guy to bridge to the future. Guys like Glennon and Brian Hoyer are not long-term solutions, but they are adequate enough to buy time while the team finds more significant options.
We’ll be going through free agent position rankings in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, who are some of the under-the-radar free agents you’ll be keeping an eye on?