New DC: David Merritt (external hire; maintains a similar scheme, but offers new ideas just like Lynch indicated in his combine interview)
Sr. Defensive Asst / Run Game Coordinator: Brandon Staley (adds DC experience to the staff)
Personnel Moves -
Salary Reduction: Juice ($3M savings)
*Juice does us a solid and takes a cut that can be earned back via incentives
Extend: Warner, Ward, Aiyuk ($28M savings)
*Warner is a no brainer. Ward is a solid #1 CB, and we should lock him in for 2 additional years. Aiyuk is a no brainer.
Resign: Jennings ($35M/4 yr; backloaded), Darnold ($12M/2 yr), Feliciano ($3.5M/1 yr), Farrell ($7M/2 yr), Allen, Conley, Snead, Gipson (vet mins)
*Jennings will play a more prominent role in 2024. You'll see why later in this mock.
Free Agency Targets - Mid-tier and below targets
D.J. Jones - DT - Broncos (2 years)
*Likely to be released by DEN, Jones is the ideal scheme fit in our 4-3 system. Solves a huge need at a bargain price.
Willie Gay Jr - LB - Chiefs (1 yr)
*Insurance for Greenlaw, Gay will be our #2 until Greenlaw recovers.
Josh Uche - EDGE - Patriots (1 yr)
*Puts Jackson on notice. Uche had a great 2022 year, but down 2023. We got the DL coach to turn it around.
Budget Buys: Peart (T, Giants), Wharton (DL, Chiefs), Moseley (CB, DET), Hooper (TE, LVR)
*Vet mins for a variety of reason. Peart is a former 3rd rounder that will compete for for a roster spot. Wharton has Chiefs ties and can play inside and out. Moseley returns home taking Oliver's spot. Hooper comes back to Shanahan and the bay area.
NFL Draft -
49ers trade 1st for Vikings 2nd, 5th, and 2025 2nd round pick. Vikes trade up for Bo Nix - QB.
R2: Malachi Corley - WR - Western Kentucky (via MIN)
*Deebo 2.0. Rounds out a good unit with Jennings and Aiyuk extended.
R2: McKinnley Jackson - DT - Texas A&M
*Monster iDL that can play 0-2 tech in our scheme. Potential replacement for Armstead in 2025.
49ers trade 3rd (comp), 6th, and 7th (via DEN) for higher 3rd round pick
R3: Zach Frazier - C - WVU (via trade)
*Slides down here due to his smaller build and frame (not as high on him as OTC). Could be a day 1 starter in our scheme.
R3: Blake Fisher - T - Notre Dame
*Competes with McKivitz to be the starter at RT. Upside to potentially be our LT of the future. That's how deep this tackle class is in '24.
R4: Nehemiah Pritchett - CB - Auburn (via DAL)
*Outside developing corner. We now have a solid group of CBs to compete at the 3 spots.
R4: Sataoa Laumea - T/G - Utah
*Competes with Feliciano and Burford for the starting RG position. Otherwise, good swing depth that can play 4 out of 5 OL positions.
R5: Aaron Casey - LB - Indiana (via MIN thru JAX)
*More of a thumper with size as a MLB in our scheme. I can see him also playing SAM on base downs. Rotational and ST player.
R5: Ainias Smith - WR/RB/ST - Texas A&M (comp)
*Replaces McCloud's role on the roster. Shanahan dream type gadget guy.
R6: Mark Perry - S - TCU (comp)
*Depth at safety. Likely will be a PS candidate.
R7: Frank Gore Jr. - RB - Southern Miss (comp)
*Does iron strike twice? Symbolic depth signing. Will compete for a depth roster spot.
Post-Draft Moves -
- Ambry Thomas for Commanders conditional 2025 pick (4th thru 6th rounder; saves $1.5M)
- Deebo Samuel for Falcons 2025 2nd and conditional 2026 draft pick (2nd thru 4th rounder; saves $20M)
- Jake Brendel for Raiders 2025 conditional pick (4th thru 6th rounder; saves $4M)
- Extend Lenior and Banks (additional ~$12M in 2024 cap used)
Projected Depth Chart -
QB: Purdy/Darnold/Allen (PS: UDFA)
RB: CMC/Mitchell/Mason (PS: Gore Jr)
FB: Juice
TE: Kittle/Hooper*/Latu (PS: Willis)
WR: Aiyuk/Gray (PS: Conley, Martin)
WR: Jennings/Bell
WR: Corley*/Smith*
LT: Williams/Moore
LG: Banks/Burford
C: Frazier*/Feliciano
RG: Laumea*
RT: Fisher*/Mckivitz (PS: Peart*, Zakelj, Luciano)
DE: Ferrell/Uche*/Beal Jr
DT: Armstead/Jones*
DT: Hargrave/Jackson*
DE: Bosa/Jackson (PS: Davis, Wharton*, Okuayinonu)
LB: Warner/Casey* (PS: Robinson, UDFA)
LB: Gay Jr.*/Winters/Graham (PUP: Greenlaw)
CB: Ward/Pritchett*
NB: Lenior/Warmack
FS: Brown/Gipson
SS: Hufanga/Odom (PS: Perry*)
CB: Moseley*/Luter (PS: Hall, UDFA)
ST: Moody, Wishnowsky, Pepper
[ Edited by GEEK on Feb 28, 2024 at 6:04 PM ]