There’s no doubt that the start of free agency has been painful, at least from a sentimental standpoint, for the [49ers](https://www.ninersnation.com/) as they have let a host of veteran players walk in a clear effort to deliver on their desire to get younger and make their roster more affordable.
The trade of Deebo Samuel to the Commanders and the post-June 1 release of Javon Hargrave will become official on Wednesday. In addition to that duo, at the time of writing, the 49ers had bid farewell to the following players across the first two days of free agency:
Kyle Juszczyk (released)Maliek Collins (released)Dre Greenlaw (signed with Broncos: three years, $35 million)Charvarius Ward (signed with Colts: three years, $60 million)Talanoa Hufanga (signed with Broncos: three years, $45 million)Aaron Banks (signed with Packers: four years, $77 million)Jaylon Moore (signed with Chiefs: two years, $30 million)Elijah Mitchell (signed with Chiefs)
Leonard Floyd (released, signed with Falcons: one year, $10 million)
It is a long list and the 49ers have a lot of work to do to restock the roster, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
The departures of Samuel, Juszczyk and Greenlaw – whom the 49ers had hoped to keep – are especially difficult ones to take because of their status as cornerstones of San Francisco’s success under Kyle Shanahan, all three having played in both Super Bowl 54 and Super Bowl 58.
But when looking at that list of exits, it’s important to ask the question, how many of those players were actual difference-makers for the 49ers in their dismal, injury-riddled 2024 season?
Ward is a premier cornerback when at his best and it’s worth removing him from this discussion given the tragic circumstances he endured in 2024 and that were understandably a massive factor in his desire for a fresh start.
Of the remaining 10, the lone player who could claim to have been a clear positive for San Francisco in 2024 is Juszczyk. Floyd had 8.5 sacks but a pass rush win rate of just 8.4 percent. Hargrave might have had a strong 2024 had he not suffered a torn bicep in Week 3 and, though Greenlaw played extremely well in his brief time on the field after returning from his torn Achilles, the reality is that the 49ers were always going to put a relatively limited ceiling on what they were prepared to pay a player with that significant injury in his recent history.
The point here is not to disparage the players that have left, but to counter the overreactions regarding a disastrous start to free agency for the 49ers.
Yes, the 49ers have seen a lot of talented players leave this week, but their exits are not reason for criticism. Instead, I would contend that the Niners are worthy of at least some credit for their approach to free agency to this point.
Short-term pain for long-term gain
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Following the Samuel trade, which saw the 49ers take on a $31 million dead cap hit, the 49ers’ cap space for 2025 dropped to $34 million. Not a pittance by any stretch, but also not a huge amount when you consider the likely contract extensions for Brock Purdy and George Kittle and the need to sign a full draft class and undrafted free agents.
Right now, the 49ers are projected by [Over The Cap](https://overthecap.com/salary-cap-space) to have $64 million in cap space for 2026. So when asking the question: ‘what are the Niners doing in free agency?’ The answer is showing an acute understanding of their financial situation and where they are as a franchise.
Could they have matched the deal Greenlaw received from the Broncos? Possibly, but there’s no denying it would have been a risky investment that would have limited their room for maneuver at other spots on the roster. Attempting to pay Hufanga and Banks what they received from the Broncos and Packers respectively would have been a fool’s errand.
Similarly, the 49ers could have kept Floyd and Collins on the roster, but the calculation was clearly made to take the dead money pain associated with both their releases, rather than continuing to pay for average-starter level play. That decision theoretically will allow San Francisco to bring in several young players on the defensive side of the trenches and give them the opportunity to develop without veteran progress stoppers taking away valuable snaps.
For the long-term health of a position group that became a huge problem in 2024, it’s an understandable course of action to take.
Of course, a purge of veterans on the D-Line does leave the 49ers with a lot of holes to fill in that area, and they will have been disappointed not to land Nick Bosa’s brother Joey after he signed with the Bills. However, an unwillingness to go above $10 million to acquire a player who has missed 23 games in the last three seasons is a clear indication that the 49ers are done compromising themselves financially for veterans who are more likely to fail to live up to their contracts.
Still, it’s understandable to look at the list of departures and the comparatively short list of incomings – which features two backup safeties, a special teams ace and solid additions at wide receiver and cornerback in Demarcus Robinson and Tre Brown – and feel disappointed.
But by sticking to their word and refusing to get into a bidding war to retain beloved players while pressing the hard reset button on the defensive line, the 49ers are putting themselves in a situation whereby they can have sustainable long-term success even with Purdy tied to a lucrative deal.
That success, however, is contingent on the 49ers correctly evaluating the prospects they will task with helping deliver that success. With their free agency departures, the 49ers are currently projected to receive four compensatory picks in 2026, giving them 21 draft selections across the next two drafts.
The steps taken by San Francisco so far in free agency have been the correct ones. However, the short-term pain will only prove worth it if the 49ers nail those next two drafts.
Should they do so, these early days of free agency will be forgotten. Fail, and the start of the 2025 league year could come to be viewed as the turning point that sparked the downfall of this regime.