Apparently only an exit door exists for the 49ers.
That is if you’re only looking at them through the lens of free agency. The 49ers have let countless starters and key players walk during free agency while abstaining from replacing them.
So many players are exiting, while hardly any are entering. A mass exodus occurred for the 49ers ever since they traded Deebo Samuel to the Commanders.
This mass exodus has caused panic, especially since the 49ers are hardly participating in free agency. They seem asleep at the wheel and it’s because of their cash spending pullback.
The knee-jerk reaction is to panic and be concerned with this. However, the 49ers free agent mass exodus isn’t cause for concern.
All of the players who have walked are ones the 49ers will not come to regret. Regardless of limiting cash spending or not, there is not a single player worth re-signing that the 49ers let depart.
Look at the contracts practically every player who has departed signed to. Aaron Banks signed for $77 million with the Packers. Talanoa Hufanga signed for $45 million with the Broncos.
Dre Greenlaw signed for $35 million with the Broncos. Charvarius Ward signed for $60 million with the Colts. These are high value deals that the 49ers weren’t going to meet regardless of their financials.
Only Greenlaw was the one I could see the 49ers willing to spend more on if they weren’t reeling it in this offseason. Besides him, everyone who walked is easy to stomach.
Ward essentially acknowledged at his exit interview in January that he is leaving the 49ers. He is another departure that stings but was expected the whole time.
I don’t fully grasp the panic on the 49ers’ lack of re-signing players. You can also point to the lack of signing new players, but this year’s free agency pool stinks.
Should the 49ers spend money on players just because?
Not at all. That is largely why they are limiting spend this offseason because of that mindset.
So many contracts that have been dished out already look insane. D.J. Reed, who was linked to the 49ers because of Robert Saleh, signed a lucrative deal with the Lions.
Again, the 49ers were never reaching that number even if they didn’t place cash restrictions this offseason. The same goes with almost every big name free agent signed.
This is a situation where the reaction is caused by what it looks like versus what it actually is. It’s all about the superficial and not the true meaning.
Now, you can point out to the cuts the 49ers have made with Kyle Juszczyk, Maliek Collins, and Leonard Floyd. All three were solid players last season.
However, it appears that the 49ers are making a clear shift to getting younger and resetting their books. If there is any offseason for the 49ers to do it, it is this one.
At the end of the day, the 49ers still have a handful of excellent players that will make them a viable playoff contender in 2025.
Patience is the name of the game right now until the 49ers’ moves or lack thereof give a legitimate reason for it. For now, it isn’t warranted.