49ers’ new reality without Sanders, Buckner creates challenging path to the Super Bowl
The 49ers wanted to keep the band together.
But they quickly realized that would be impossible.
“This is the first time that I want every single person on our team back because I think we have a team that could win a Super Bowl. I think we showed that last year,” head coach Kyle Shanahan at the scouting combine last month.
As Shanahan found out, the salary cap restrictions for the defending NFC champs were tight, particularly with a number of important young players coming up on pay days over the next few seasons. The 49ers are paying the tax for having one of the NFL’s most talented rosters while the league thrives on parity.
“Are you just trying to (contend) for one year, and just try to sell the farm for one year or have your best chance over a two- or three-year span?” Shanahan continued. “You can’t just decide that and say that’s the way we’re going. It has to do with how’s this guy feel, how’s that guy feel, how’s that guy feel? And I’m talking about, players, agents, everything. There’s so much stuff that goes on, there’s a lot of big decisions we make.”
The biggest decisions of the offseason so far involved the league’s best defensive line.
49ers defensive line changes
San Francisco traded star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the Colts for the No. 13 pick in next month’s draft, instead opting to give Arik Armstead a five-year contract worth up to $85 million, averaging $17 million per season, ahead of his looming free agency. Buckner inked a deal with Indy averaging about $21 million through 2024 as it entered the offseason among the league leaders with about $85 million in room to spend.
One of the 49ers’ biggest hurdles for 2020 is already becoming clear: maintaining a high level of production on defense without one of its best players.
“It has truly been a privilege to work with DeFo these last three years and he deserves a great deal of credit for helping us to build the foundation of this team and reestablish a championship culture,” general manager John Lynch wrote in a statement announcing the trade.
Buckner was an essential piece and reason why the 49ers made their dramatic return to contention in the first place. He turned 26 last Tuesday, a day after the trade, but was firmly established as the leader of the defensive line room. Buckner always practiced intensity and set the example for his fellow pass rushers, which was evident by the way the defensive line played while serving as the team’s backbone in 2019.
“It all starts in practice. I practice how I wanna play in the games,” Buckner told Indianapolis reporters after the trade was announced. “Whether it’ll piss somebody off … I’m just trying to perfect my craft. If I’m not getting better, I’m getting worse.”
Much was made of the fact San Francisco had five first-round picks along the defensive line last season. The pass rush was an important component in allowing just 169 passing yards per game, the fewest in the pass-happy NFL since 2009. The unsustainable level of elite talent along that defensive line meant the 49ers are going to have a significantly different look next season.
Sanders joins Saints, leaves a hole
Then, late Friday, ESPN reported receiver Emmanuel Sanders will join the New Orleans Saints on a two-year, $16 million contract that could be worth up to $19 million with incentives. It leaves San Francisco without its most trusted receiver from last season, and the target of Jimmy Garoppolo on the 49ers’ most important throw of the Super Bowl.
The upcoming draft class is expected to be loaded with quality receivers and the 49ers could secure one with their pair of first-round picks (they still have their original selection at pick No. 31). But a rookie won’t provide the veteran leadership that expedited the development of Deebo Samuel and Kendrick Bourne.
How big was Sanders’ impact on the passing game’s production?
Garoppolo’s numbers were significantly better after Sanders’ arrival in the trade than before. His passer rating over the final 10 regular season games jumped from 90.8 to 108.1, the third-best mark in the NFL over that span.
Sanders caught a touchdown pass to cap his first series with San Francisco. In his second game, a Thursday night in Arizona, Sanders caught seven of nine for 112 yards and touchdown that came on a fourth and goal with four seconds remaining in the first half. Sanders finished the season with 502 yards on 36 catches in 10 games.
Shanahan said last month he was hoping the 49ers would be able to bring Sanders back. But that proved difficult with salary cap space tightening.
“He did everything we hoped for and more,” Shanahan said. “I do not think we would have gotten to where we got to without Emmanuel and I would love for anything to have him back, bad.”
The 49ers traded the Broncos third- and fourth-round draft picks to get Sanders and a fifth-rounder in return, selections they don’t have to continue replenishing the roster through the draft.
49ers bring back key players
However, also as Shanahan hoped, the front office has brought back a number of contributors who were slated for free agency. Armstead returns after he led the team in sacks last season. Safety Jimmie Ward, arguably one of the best free safeties in the NFL last season, is back on a three-year deal. Reserve defensive end Ronald Blair III will be back on a one-year contract, though it remains to be seen when he’ll return after tearing his ACL in November.
Under-the-radar playmakers on offense, receiver Kendrick Bourne and running back Matt Breida, were given second-round tenders, making it likely they’ll be back in a critical season for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who will need to take a significant step forward to carry the offense if the defense takes its predictable step back.
For now, the 49ers will enter 2020 as the team to beat in the NFC. They were well compensated for Buckner with the No. 13 pick in the draft, which could yield an elite player. The team recently has done well in the middle rounds of the draft, where it found standouts such as George Kittle, Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw and D.J. Jones. But it likely requires trading away the No. 31 pick to get multiple bites of the apple to make up for not having picks in Rounds 2 through 4.
It took three seasons to go from 2-14 to the Super Bowl, but maintaining that level of excellence might be the biggest challenge facing Shanahan and Lynch yet.
Gone
DT DeForest Buckner (Colts)
TE Levin Toilolo (Giants)
OG Mike Person (released)
WR Emmanuel Sanders (Saints)
Brought back
DL Arik Armstead
S Jimmie Ward
WR Kendrick Bourne (tendered)
RB Matt Breida (tendered)
DL Ronald Blair III
OL Ben Garland
OL Shon Coleman
RB Jerick McKinnon (new contract)
Outside free agents added
OL Tom Compton
Unsigned free agents
DL Sheldon Day
CB Dontae Johnson
WR Jordan Matthews
NT Earl Mitchell
DL Damontre Moore
CB Jason Verrett
DL Anthony Zettel
This story was originally published March 23, 2020 at 4:00 AM.