The NFL new year has begun, and the San Francisco 49ers have made a few moves. In addition to adding a few players, they've lost a few of their own free agents and are expected to release wayward receiver Brandon Aiyuk at some point. Reportedly, they're in no hurry to do so, however.
Their biggest move so far was signing Mike Evans, a future Hall of Fame wide receiver. Some fans loved the signing, while others aren't crazy about it. Ultimately, Evans' health and age will play a major role in determining whether or not this is a good pick-up.
The 49ers also traded their 2026 third-round pick to the Dallas Cowboys for DT Osa Odighizuwa. This move will give DC Raheem Morris a solid pass rusher from the interior. And as a bonus, Cowboys fans don't seem happy about this. So, there's that.
We opened the 49ers Webzone Mailbag this week to see what was on your mind in this new (NFL) year. You came through with some excellent questions. Let's take a look.
Should the 49ers give in to Trent Williams? - Jen C.
The 49ers love Trent Williams and want to keep him. But at this point, you have to wonder if it is better to give in and pay him what he wants to make sure your future Hall of Fame left tackle is on the team in 2026, or if it's best to cut your losses and move on? Personally, I'd lean toward bringing him back. But I do have some concerns. Williams was healthy last season, but he's missed a lot of games in recent years. Will he be healthy in 2026?
If Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch believe they can compete for a Super Bowl this season, they need to make sure Williams is on the team. If not, don't mortgage the future by overspending on an aging player who isn't playing at quite the level we've seen him play.
Still, I hope he's back. The 49ers need him. And so does the boom box guy.
Does Mike Evans have anything left? He missed most of last season, right? - Chuck P.
I'm excited to see what Evans brings to the 49ers' offense. But I'll admit, I would be more excited if this were five years ago. Evens is a beast, but he's getting older, and aging players don't get faster and healthier.
Last season was an injury-plagued one for Evans. But he's been relatively healthy and very consistent throughout his career. I'm going to take the optimistic route and believe he will be healthy this season. If he is, he will have a big impact on the team and make things easier on Ricky Pearsall and Christian McCaffrey.
Just keep him away from that electrical substation. (I'm joking…sort of.)
I'm looking for good mid-level free agents. Name a few likely candidates who are not with the current Falcons. Thanks in advance. - Lowbridge
If they don't bring back Brian Robinson, I think Najee Harris would be a solid pick-up at running back. The 49ers need a strong back that can complement McCaffrey and take some of the load off him. Maybe they see Jordan James as that guy. I wouldn't know—we barely saw him last season.
San Francisco is bringing back Patrick Taylor, Jr., so he'll factor into this as well, but he has mostly been a special-teams player. The 49ers may choose not to add any running backs in free agency.
Darnell Mooney would be a good option at wide receiver. He can get open, has speed, and can play in the slot.
I asked my "Red and Bold Show" co-host, Anthony Robertson, for some mid-tier free agents he'd suggest. He knows the NFL as well as anyone. Here are the names he gave me:
WR - Christian Kirk & John Metchie
OG - Joel Bitonio & Wyatt Teller
CB - Cam Taylor-Britt
DT - A'Shawn Robinson & Jonathan Allen
S - Andre Cisco & Nick Cross
LB - Dre Greenlaw
Now that the 49ers have traded for Odighizuwa, they're not likely to add Robinson or Allen, but I'd love to have either one play for the 49ers.
I'd welcome Greenlaw back for the right price.
Any more info on this WR situation? Because Doubs is the best FA available still doesn't mean we should go after him. We need a true #1. Not all these backups trying to mesh them all together. If we aren't trading for a top WR, then just stick with what we got, iMHo. - Mr.G
I have heard no wide receiver news other than the Evans signing. Signing him likely rules out any big WR additions. But they could still bring in a mid to lower-tier wide receiver like Kirk or Metchie.
I believe they'll draft a wide receiver. In what round? Maybe the first, but I'm leaning toward offensive tackle this year. But I think that every year, so they probably won't go that route. If they end up trading Williams, which I don't believe they will do, then the chances of taking a tackle increase.
For most of the offseason, I've been saying the 49ers need to bring in a WR1. Some think they have done that in Evans. I'm not sure he's still a number one, though.
But I'm also not certain Shanahan needs a number-one wide receiver. Yes, we've seen what he can do with a true WR1 when he had Andre Johnson and Julio Jones. But those guys don't come along very often, and Shanahan has done well without having a top guy. He is the king of scheming receivers open. Perhaps the 49ers only need a couple of legit WR2 types. If Pearsall and Evans can stay healthy, and I know that's a big 'if,' Shanahan will terrorize defenses.
With the 49ers "seriously" looking at trading for Jalen Carter and trying to sign John Franklin-Myers, who are your favorite players in the draft that fit that 3T they seem focused on acquiring? - Scott B.
The signing of Odighizuwa almost certainly kills the Jalen Carter trade talk. So, if we turn our attention to the draft, Peter Woods from Clemson is one of the top defensive tackles in the draft. I also like Florida's Caleb Banks, Oklahoma's Gracen Halton, Ohio State's Kayden McDonald, and Domonique Orange from Iowa State.
Woods could make it to pick 27, but it's also possible that he and Banks will be drafted before the 49ers pick. The others will most likely be taken after the first round, so if the 49ers miss out on Banks and Woods, they could still draft a solid defensive tackle. But now that they have Odighizuwa to go along with Alfred Collins and C.J. West, they may focus on other needs, especially since they currently have only six draft picks.
With Skyy Moore signing with the Green Bay Packers, is it finally my time to shine? - Junior B.
Sorry, Junior. But, no. I think Jacob Cowing has a better shot at returning punts and kicks for the 49ers than you do. And he's a downgrade from Skyy Moore. I hope the 49ers can find someone else to handle punts and kickoffs. Moore was excellent last season, and it made a noticeable difference. They can't afford to go backward in the return game.
That said, we've heard that Special Teams Coordinator Brant Boyer likes you, so I won't count you out just yet.
So, is it considered in bad taste to have a legal tampering watch party for the next few days? - Ed H.
Bad taste? Not at all. Odd? Maybe. Are you asking for a friend, Ed? Or is this a cry for help? Blink twice if it's the latter.
I'm not judging. But if you're having legal tampering/free agency watch parties, and you're married, you may need to start Googling, "Divorce Attorneys near me." Just a thought!
We're here for you, though. Call us at 1-888-GET-HELP.
Who has to go and why is it John Lynch? - TRad
Wow, TRad woke up and chose violence today. I like Lynch a lot, but the 49ers have to do better at drafting. Is Lynch even the one calling the shots? We just don't know. He and Shanahan say it's a collective effort, but someone has to make the final decision. Wouldn't you love to know who chose Trey Lance over the other QBs in 2021? Many believe Shanahan wanted Mac Jones, but Lynch and Adam Peters talked him into Lance. But we may never know the truth until this regime has moved on.
Shanahan isn't going anywhere. He's an excellent coach. But there will come a day when someone will get the axe if San Francisco doesn't win a Super Bowl. I believe it will be more likely Lynch than Shanahan. But again, we don't know the decision-making hierarchy. I'm certain Jed York does, though.
That's all we have for this edition of the 49ers Webzone Mailbag. Thank you for all your questions. We'll be back in a few weeks with a brand-new one. In the meantime, I have to go memorize how to spell "Odighizuwa."
Comments