49ers free agent signings earning pretty good grades around the Internet

The San Francisco 49ers have made three official moves in acquiring other players in free agency. The first was the signing of former Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, to a very team-friendly deal. The second saw the team sign guard Weston Richburg, whose contract was much more generous than Sherman’s.

Jerick McKinnon, formerly of the Minnesota Vikings, was then signed to a deal that is ... slightly more generous than Sherman’s. Anyway, the INTERNET has weighed in on things, and by that I mean people are posting all kinds of grades.

So below, we’re going to look at some of those grades, and I have included my very personal and perfect grades as well. I put a lot of thought into them, and have concluded that I am exceptionally correct and everyone else is very wrong, but that’s my burden to bear. Onto the grades.

Richard Sherman signing

Pro Football Focus loved the Sherman signing, especially given the contract specifics. They love what Sherman can do going forward and note that he’s gone 94 consecutive games without surrendering 100 yards in coverage.

In fact, pretty much all the grades I found had the signing as good to great. ESPN gave them a B, which is the lowest of the top outlets as far as I can see. Barnwell calls it a fair deal for both sides, but cited Sherman’s age and injuries in the knock. He concedes that the fit is nice for Robert Saleh and the defense.

SB Nation: A
Pro Football Focus: A+
ESPN: B
Sporting News:A-
James’ Definitely The Best One Here Not A Homer At All Screw You Grade: A++

Jerick McKinnon signing

While PFF liked the Sherman signing a whole lot — they weren’t big on the McKinnon signing. They gave the deal a C+, and say that the grade has “everything to do with the numbers in the contract.” Of course, they also note that while his rushing efficiency isn’t the greatest and is dependent on a strong supporting cast, the 49ers will likely use him a whole ton in the passing game, and there’s value there.

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell hates the McKinnon signing. He notes a lacking yards-per-carry, and mentions a lacking offensive line but then doesn’t seem to consider it in his final grade. He says that McKinnon shouldn’t be asked to run the ball “more than five or six times per game.” He then goes on to talk about what he considers a very bad contract for Kyle Juszczyk, and said he only got to the Pro Bowl because he’s “the most famous fullback.”

Meanwhile, over SI.com, they say in McKnnon’s writeup that “the initial confusion surrounding John Lynch’s rise to general manager has washed away.” They also say that Lynch’s decision-making makes it clear how much the general manager understands Kyle Shanahan’s offense.

SB Nation: C
Pro Football Focus: C+
ESPN: F
Sporting News: A-
SI.com: A-
James’ Definitely The Best One Here Not A Homer At All Screw You Grade: A++

Weston Richburg signing

My colleagues at SB Nation referred to the Richburg signing as the 49ers making smart moves to invest in keeping Jimmy Garoppolo upright, and that it’s “money well spent.” Pete Prisco of CBS Sports gave the 49ers a ‘‘B’ for the move, noting that Richburg will probably play center with Daniel Kilgore playing guard. He said that it’s a nice signing “if he’s healthy.” Sporting News has the opposite take, rating it a ‘B-’ while suggesting that Richburg could move outside.

SB Nation: A
CBS Sports: B
Sporting News: B-
James’ Definitely The Best One Here Not A Homer At All Screw You Grade: A++