49ers among biggest free-agency spenders in new league year originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
The first wave of NFL free agency signings are in the books, and the 49ers have already doled out some major cash.
According to Over The Cap, San Francisco has agreed to contacts worth $201.9 million this offseason since the new league year started last Wednesday. The 49ers trail only the New England Patriots ($290.1025 million) in terms of raw dollar commitments, but San Francisco ranks seventh when it comes to fully guaranteed money ($67.5 million).
Trent Williams’ whopping six-year, $138.06 contract is at the center of the 49ers’ spending. But the team reportedly negotiated a three-year deal with a three-year option, so this figure could come down drastically from where it stands now if Williams doesn’t play out his backloaded contract.
The 49ers have also inked free agents like center Alex Mack and defensive lineman Samson Ekubam, while paying to retain the services of fullback Kyle Juszczyk and cornerback Jason Verrett.
Those moves don’t come for free.
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San Francisco has managed to successfully navigate the first portion of this offseason with a reduced salary cap at $182.5 million. The team could still use some receiver depth and a backup quarterback, but focus can start to shift to the 2021 NFL Draft, which will be held from April 29 to May 1.
The York family has held up its end of the deal so far, and the front office has moved aggressively to improve. Even if the contracts’ value have been inflated a bit for optics (cough, Williams, cough) the 49ers’ brass deserves credit for footing the bill and trying to put together a winning squad in 2021.
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