This is a running analysis of the San Francisco 49ers’ moves and key departures during this season of free agency. The legal tampering window began Monday at 9 a.m. PT and the NFL’s new league year, when teams can formally sign free agents who played elsewhere in 2023, begins on Wednesday.
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March 12: Ferrell, who signed a one-year deal with the 49ers last offseason, is expected to sign with the Washington Commanders, league sources told The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. Ferrell, the No. 4 pick in the 2019 draft by the Raiders, started all 17 games of the regular season for the 49ers in 2023. His numbers weren’t flashy — he finished with 28 tackles and 3 1/2 sacks — but he was a sturdy presence at defensive end opposite Nick Bosa. He suffered a torn meniscus in the team’s Week 18 game that required surgery and forced him to miss the postseason.
March 11: Late on the first night of the legal tampering period, the Minnesota Vikings were expected to sign Darnold to a one-year deal worth $10 million, according to the NFL Network. Team sources confirmed the agreement to The Athletic on Tuesday morning. Darnold joined the 49ers last season on a one-year deal and won the backup job in training camp over Trey Lance. He saw action in 10 games last season for San Francisco, mostly mop-up duty late in lopsided contests. His lone start came in Week 18 after the 49ers had clinched the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. In that game, he completed 16 of 26 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown. The 49ers had long expected him to be too expensive to retain as a backup for a second season. Early on Monday, they agreed to terms with Brandon Allen — the team’s No. 3 quarterback last season — on a one-year deal.
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March 11: New York Jets coach Robert Saleh was the 49ers’ defensive coordinator back when they drafted Kinlaw in 2020’s first round. Four years later, Saleh will get to coach Kinlaw again after he agreed to a one-year deal with New York, a league source confirmed. The defensive tackle overcame a tumultuous, injury-laden start to his career by delivering a solid 2023 season. His best football came late to earn this opportunity with the Jets. It’ll be interesting to see where the 49ers turn to supplement Javon Hargrave at defensive tackle.
The 49ers added Yetur Gross-Matos to be part of their edge rusher rotation. (Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
March 11: The 49ers plan to sign the defensive lineman to a two-year contract worth up to $18 million, according to The Athletic’s Jeff Howe. A significant chunk of Gross-Matos’ contract might be incentive-based, as he was mainly a rotational lineman over four seasons with the Carolina Panthers. But Gross-Matos has showcased the same versatility in the pros that the 49ers liked about him coming out of college in 2020. He’s been versatile enough to line up inside for a chunk of snaps, even with his long frame. And that flexibility can prove valuable for a 49ers team that’s looking for quality depth at the margins of its defensive line. Position coach Kris Kocurek wants his unit to attack in waves.
March 11: The 49ers tendered a one-year contract to Jauan Jennings, who’s set to be a restricted free agent. The 49ers tendered Jennings at the second-round level, which means their offer is worth $4.89 million. Jennings can negotiate with other teams, but the 49ers own a right of first refusal. If Jennings departs for more money elsewhere, the 49ers will receive a second-round pick. At the recent NFL Scouting Combine, 49ers general manager John Lynch said the team was interested in bypassing the tender process and signing Jennings to a long-term extension. The 49ers can still do that. The official extension of this tender might offer a handy parameter for a potential deal.
March 11: The 49ers found a bookend to Nick Bosa in Floyd, who’s coming off a career-high 10 1/2-sack season with the Bills. Floyd is 31 and will be one of the 49ers’ oldest defenders in 2024. But he hasn’t missed a game in six seasons and has had at least nine sacks in each of the last four seasons. He’s familiar to Kyle Shanahan and offensive line coach Chris Foerster, who coached against Floyd for three seasons when he was with the Los Angeles Rams, and he also spent time under new assistant Brandon Staley with the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams. The 49ers agreed to a two-year deal with Floyd.
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March 11: The Atlanta Falcons signed the tight end to a three-year deal worth up to $12 million. His agent, Alex Essex, confirmed the news. He said that six teams offered Woerner, who grew up about two hours outside of Atlanta, a contract. The 49ers picked Woerner in the sixth round of the 2020 draft. He developed into a solid run blocker and good special teams player but caught only 11 passes for 120 yards over the past four seasons. The 49ers have long been looking for a tight end who’s a bigger receiving threat to pair with George Kittle. Woerner’s departure might factor into the compensatory formula to help the 49ers gain a later-round pick in the 2025 draft.
QB Brandon Allen
March 11: The 49ers re-signed Allen, who was their 31-year-old third-string quarterback in 2023. A league source confirmed the news. The team is presumably still interested in fortifying the backup QB spot behind Brock Purdy, though it’s unclear if Sam Darnold — who held that role in 2023 — will remain in their price range. Allen does fit into that cost structure, and the 49ers are happy to have a strong veteran presence back in the room to continue supporting Purdy. Allen previously backed up Joe Burrow in Cincinnati.
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Arik Armstead is set to be released after he and the 49ers couldn’t come to an agreement on a reduced salary. (Ryan Kang / Getty Images)
DL Arik Armstead
March 10: The 49ers are poised to move on from their longest-tenured player after the two sides could not agree to a deal to reduce Armstead’s salary, the third-highest on the team in 2024. Armstead, 30, has missed 13 games in the last two seasons and played on an injured knee in the 2023 postseason. However, the 49ers’ roster is wafer thin at defensive tackle and a reunion with Armstead is possible if he doesn’t get a better offer on the open market.
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49ers plan to release DT Arik Armstead
March 10: The 49ers agreed to a one-year deal with Bartch, who was set to become a free agent on Wednesday. The team signed Bartch, 25, off the Jacksonville Jaguars’ practice squad at midseason and he appeared in five game (28 offensive snaps). Offensive line coach Chris Foerster said he liked Bartch’s quickness and his potential at guard and center, which is where he’ll compete with Nick Zakelj and others this offseason. Bartch suffered a serious knee injury in 2022 and Foerster said the offensive lineman still was rounding into form last season.
March 10: The New York Jets agreed to terms with Oliver on a one-year deal. The 49ers had signed Oliver last year to be their nickel cornerback, but he began to lose his grip on that role by the end of training camp. At season’s end, he was practicing a lot at safety, which is where the Jets envision him playing. The 49ers cut Oliver last month, freeing up $2.4 million in salary cap space.
Colton McKivitz, a 17-game starter at right tackle last season, is now locked up through the 2025 campaign. (Ryan Kang / Getty Images)
March 8: The 49ers signed McKivitz, a 17-game starter at right tackle in 2023, to a one-year deal worth as much as $7 million, his agent said. That means that McKivitz, 27, is now signed through the 2025 season. This doesn’t necessarily preclude the team from making a move on a tackle in free agency or especially the draft but his extension gives San Francisco some cushion at the position.
Congrats @CMcKivitz 🎉🎉 @49ers 📈📈 #AMDG pic.twitter.com/1EYZUy3N9r
— AMDG Sports (@SportsAmdg) March 8, 2024
(Top photo of Leonard Floyd: Ryan Kang / Getty Images)
