Niners Nation
The Niners didn’t make many major moves this offseason outside of the building.
The San Francisco 49ers had a relatively quiet offseason in comparison to previous years. They didn’t make any major free agent signings. They got extensions for stars done early. And they focused on the 2025 NFL Draft, taking advantage of having 11 selections.
As a result, they have a younger team for the upcoming year, placing more emphasis on the coaching staff and the stars of the squad.
Usually, when a team doesn’t make many moves in the offseason, it can be seen as a detriment, as they may not be getting better. But, in the 49ers case, perhaps the minimal moves were the right thing to do after a down year.
What grade should the 49ers receive for their offseason?
ESPN’s Seth Walder graded every NFL team’s offseason, pointing out the biggest move for each squad, as well as their best and worst moves.
The 49ers got an A- in the rankings, with Walder pointing out Brock Purdy’s extension as the team’s biggest move. As for the best move, the analyst noted the return of Robert Saleh as the team’s defensive coordinator, while not having any bad moves to note.
“After a disappointing 6-11 campaign, the 49ers opened their offseason by bringing back Saleh, their defensive coordinator from 2017 to 2020,” Walder wrote. “Though his head coaching tenure with the Jets was shaky, his defenses ranked in the top five in expected points added per play in 2022, 2023 and the first five weeks of 2024, before he was fired. After the firing, the Jets’ defense plummeted to 30th in EPA per play.
“But San Francisco’s biggest move came when Purdy’s long-awaited extension finally happened, as the 49ers gave their quarterback a deal worth $53 million per year, with $100 million fully guaranteed. There are mixed opinions about Purdy’s exact level of responsibility for the 49ers’ passing success, but he’s a perfect fit for what they want to do.
“San Francisco reached elite levels of passing efficiency with Purdy in 2023, performing at a higher level than it managed with Jimmy Garoppolo. The deal was also cheaper than I expected. If it had been $60 million per year, it would have been in line with Trevor Lawrence’s and Jordan Love’s 2024 deals when adjusting for salary cap inflation, and I wouldn’t have blinked.”
The salary cap inflation point is definitely worth noting, as the NFL has seen the cap continue to skyrocket in recent years. So, while $53 million per year is still a substantial sum for the quarterback, it may not be as much as initially expected when compared to his peers.
Saleh’s return should hopefully improve a defense that significantly struggled against the run in 2024. The renowned coordinator has authored strong defenses while with the New York Jets, and has a young crop of players at his disposal in San Francisco.
Other notable moves from the 49ers included the trade of wideout Deebo...
