We are coming to the end of the first weekend of free agency, and the San Francisco 49ers are holding steady for the moment. I suspect we’ll see some more additions in the coming weeks, but the big money moves appear to be finished.
We’ve had some time to digest the moves thus far, and I thought now was a good time to see how people rate the additions. We’ll start with new running back Jerick McKinnon.
The team signed McKinnon to a four year contract worth up to $30 million. The number surprised us, but a deeper dive into the structure revealed a different look. The 49ers are effectively paying him $11.7 million in 2018, and nothing beyond that is fully guaranteed. The $11.7 million includes a $2 million signing bonus, his $4.2 million base salary, and a $5.5 million roster bonus that is paid out today.
Kyle Shanahan said they brought in McKinnon to be their starter. We can expect plenty of complementary work for Matt Breida and/or Joe Williams, but McKinnon appears to be the guy who ends up with the most touches. McKinnon has excelled primarily in the passing game, although his first two years he did show some signs of life in the run game.
Below is an approval poll, where you can rate McKinnon on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the worst and 10 being the best. I’m curious how much people’s opinions come down to the trust they place in Kyle Shanahan and running backs coach Bobby Turner, and their previous work with running backs.
So, how do you rate this signing? If you don’t see the poll below, click here.
Poll
Rate the Jerick McKinnon signing on a scale of 1 to 10?
This poll is closed
-
1%
1 (worst)
(60 votes) -
1%
2
(50 votes) -
2%
3
(110 votes) -
3%
4
(124 votes) -
8%
5
(307 votes) -
12%
6
(469 votes) -
26%
7
(983 votes) -
26%
8
(981 votes) -
8%
9
(322 votes) -
8%
10 (best)
(324 votes)