49ers mailbag: Where do things stand at receiver, D-line?
Have you been wearing sweatpants and slippers for two straight weeks? Are you running low on Netflix shows to binge? Have you suddenly transformed into a Michelin star chef after being unable to order takeout from your favorite food spots?
If you answered yes to any of those questions, and you also happen to enjoy the San Francisco 49ers, we have a mailbag for all you social distancing professionals out there. To your questions!
Jerod Brown asks: Let’s say the 49ers don’t draft any defensive players or receivers in upcoming draft. Free agent signings aren’t options either. Who are the starters among receivers, the defensive line and the secondary?
At receiver, Deebo Samuel would likely start at the “X” receiver spot with Kendrick Bourne at the “Z.” Then Trent Taylor, Jalen Hurd, Richie James Jr. would likely rotate in at the “F” in the slot. Dante Pettis and Marquise Goodwin would be in the mix as well, though both would have to make significant strides to displace Samuel or Bourne after they became full-time players in 2019.
Along the defensive line, from right to left: Nick Bosa, D.J. Jones, Arik Armstead and Dee Ford with Solomon Thomas working in for Jones or Ford depending on down and distance. DeForest Buckner’s absence looms large here.
The secondary should be the same as last season. Richard Sherman, Jimmie Ward and Jaquiski Tartt are surefire starters. The other cornerback spot would go to Emmanuel Moseley or Ahekllo Witherspoon, depending who has a better training camp. The 49ers like both players.
Are there starting roles at these positions that could be directly impacted by the draft? Absolutely.
Receivers Jerry Jeudy, CeeDee Lamb and Henry Ruggs III are all good enough to start from the jump and are expected to go in the neighborhood of San Francisco’s selection at No. 13. The same is true for South Carolina defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw. Would they take an offensive tackle that would start at guard before Joe Staley retires? It has to be considered.
In the secondary, keep an eye on Alabama’s Trevon Diggs or Bryce Hall for Virginia, two zone-centric corners who have size and length. They should be part of the discussion at pick No. 31.
Jimson asks: Would you rather trade for a star receiver like Odell Beckham Jr. Julio Jones, etc... or take the chance to draft a rookie wideout?
Sitting in the general manager’s chair, I’d rather find a player in the draft.
The 49ers are up against the salary cap and likely will be as long as their championship window remains open. As we outlined this week, San Francisco has more players that need new contracts heading into 2021 and is currently among the bottom three teams in projected cap space next offseason, according to Overthecap.com.
Getting a high-priced player like Beckham or Jones would come at the cost of long-term stability at other positions. And the 49ers would rather be the team that rewards their own players with hefty contracts for developing under their watch. The reason why they parted with Buckner was because they had one-too-many players they needed to pay, with George Kittle due for a massive extension next.
Remember, salary cap space rolls over year after year. So any decision to limit spending now will allow for more flexibility down the road.
How about the conversation about trading the No. 2 pick in last year’s draft for Beckham? The 49ers clearly made the right decision by going with Nick Bosa on a smaller, rookie contract, then trading it for the right to pay Beckham $77 million over five seasons. Bosa’s first four seasons total $34 million.
The same logic applies here, only if you can find a quality receiver in the draft. If San Francisco lands a star at No. 13 overall, going the draft route is the right decision most of the time. The key is not missing on that pick.
Richard Beyer asks: If 49ers surprise us by packaging 13 and 31 to move up in the draft, they did it to get which player? Assume trade is based on Pro Football Reference trade chart, which gets them as high as fifth overall.
At this point, the most surprising move of the offseason would be the 49ers going a different direction at quarterback. They’ve operated as though Jimmy Garoppolo is their starter for at least the next season, and likely many years beyond that, so trading up as high as pick No. 5 doesn’t look like it’s in the cards.
But they could move to snag a player that they like. Particularly if they feel like they have to leapfrog the receiver-needy Raiders, picking at no. 12, or the New York Jets at No. 10.
The problem, of course, is they don’t have any selections on Day 2 this year, which means they’ll likely be judicious when it comes to trading away assets from next year’s war chest.
The players I’ve circled (in pencil) that fit for San Francisco start with Jeudy. His route running is exactly what Shanahan covets in receivers. He could be a star from the jump in the right scheme.
Another is Iowa offensive lineman Tristan Wirfs. He’s an uber athletic tackle who is strong enough to play guard. The 49ers, of course, love their Hawkeyes. They transition to San Francisco more easily because the blocking schemes in the running game are basically the same. Wirfs could slide in and start at right guard right away and kick out to right tackle if and when Mike McGlinchey went to the left side to replace Joe Staley.
The third player here is Kinlaw, the pass rushing defensive tackle from South Carolina. He’s not quite as polished as Buckner was coming out of Oregon, but he has similar physical tools. He might be the closest thing to Buckner in the draft for his ability to push the pocket on throwing downs. Getting a pared-down version of Buckner at a quarter of the price would be a similar line of thinking the team used when it traded away Trent Brown after drafting McGlinchey in 2018.
Macho Man Rodney Savage asks: What are the chances we sign Ndamukong Suh on a cheap veteran contract?
It would have to be an affordable deal relative to what Suh has made in the past. San Francisco has an estimated $10-12 million in cap room after the first week of free agency while Suh played for $9.25 million last season with Tampa Bay.
Would join the 49ers for half that? It seems unlikely, and that’s probably all they could afford.
