As we near the conclusion of the NFL offseason by kicking off offseason team activities (OTAs), it's time to analyze the report cards some outlets have given to each team's work since last season ended.
This offseason was a fairly busy one for the San Francisco 49ers. Although free agency was a quiet period, the Niners front office remained productive by getting a slew of major contract extensions signed, bringing in the league's largest haul of drafted rookies, and assigning two new coordinators in Robert Saleh (defensive) and Klay Kubiak (offensive).
San Francisco was most active in how they spent money to retain their stars. Franchise quarterback Brock Purdy agreed to the largest contract in team history, and tight end George Kittle and linebacker Fred Warner became the highest-paid players at their positions in the NFL.
A report card, however, tells the entire story of the offseason. In the free agency period, the 49ers saw a dip in momentum thanks to a chunk of quality contributors signing elsewhere and no additions seeming to making up for those losses.
Here is a look at the player movement:
Notable Additions: WR Demarcus Robinson, QB Mac Jones, TE Luke Farrell, CB Tre Brown, S Jason Pinnock, EDGE Mykel Williams (R), LB Nick Martin, DT C.J. West (R), DT Alfred Collins (R), WR Jordan Watkins (R), RB Jordan James (R)
Notable Departures: WR Deebo Samuel Sr. (trade), RB Jordan Mason (trade), OT Jaylon Moore, G Aaron Banks, S Talanoa Hufanga, CB Charvarius Ward, LB Dre Greenlaw, DT Javon Hargrave, DT Maliek Collins, DE Leonard Floyd
All things considered, Pro Football Network was unimpressed with San Francisco's offseason, grading it a D.
"Locking up their quarterback long term was one of the few bright spots for San Francisco," the write up said.
"The front office allowed a lot of veteran talent to leave through free agency and trades, including Deebo Samuel Sr., Charvarius Ward, and Dre Greenlaw. With so many holes to fill, the Niners didn’t come away from free agency with nearly enough, Tre Brown and Demarcus Robinson being the highlights."
The 11-player draft class saw more split opinions.
"The 49ers’ 2025 draft class had its highs and lows. Mykel Williams was a polarizing prospect as he possesses elite physical traits, but his college production didn’t match. C.J. West and Alfred Collins could help fill the void left by Maliek Collins and Javon Hargrave, but they’ll have their work cut out to improve a defense that ranked 28th in EPA per rush and 25th in run defense success rate."
One can argue that the free agency spree - the biggest gripe on this report - was clearly not San Francisco's emphasis this offseason.
They prioritized exactly what they were praised most for: getting their biggest stars contract extensions.
Yes they lost a lot in, but there is an argument that they wouldn't have had a choice on who to replace them with in this relatively weak free agency cycle.
Greenlaw may be the biggest loss on the field, but the 49ers already saw how that could play out when he was sidelined last season with injury. Ward could've be considered the best defensive back in this year's market, so replacing him was going to be perceived as a downgrade anyway.
Aside from the grade, the 49ers have a lot more to fix - offseason moves or not - if they want to prove doubters wrong and climb themselves out of the basement of the NFC West this season.
