The 49ers are approaching a crucial offseason. They're coming off their second NFC Championship Game berth in three years, losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Rams. Jimmy Garoppolo's future is uncertain, ,
Bill Lee Jersey and Deebo Samuel and Nick Bosa are entering extension territory. Bosa is on the fourth year of his rookie contract (the 49ers already picked up his fifth-year option), and Samuel would be a free agent after this season.San Francisco general manager John Lynch is going to have to balance all of these situations, with salary space as of Thursday sitting at slightly over $2 million. While some of that money will immediately get cleared once the Garoppolo dust settles, it isn't going to be easy to lock up two of the 49ers' most important players before Lynch has to make some tough choices. However, Lynch did not mince words talking about Bosa and Samuel on Wednesday at the NFL Combine. Lynch said of the two foundational players:Two special players - a good i sue to have. We do have good communication and good relationships with their representatives as well as both the players. What I've learned in my going on six years in this busine s is when all sides have the motivation, deals can get done. So, the timing, I have no idea. But we'll go
Johnny Pesky Jersey to work here and have been working to try to do something.MOCK DRAFTS:What will a Nick Bosa extension look like?Bosa's agent is Brian Ayrault, who also represents Bosa's brother Joey and Aaron Donald. With that in mind, Bosa will likely be pursuing a T.J. Watt-sized contract. Watt is currently on a four-year deal worth just over $112 million, with $80 million guaranteed. In the NFL, it's about who gets paid last, and with 15.5 sacks last year, Bosa will likely be right around Watt's number. that Bosa could be the first $30 million non-quarterback in the NFL, leap-frogging Watt's $28 million per year. While this is a daunting prospect for the 49ers, they ostensibly have four years of Trey Lance on a cheap contract if they go that direction at quarterback, so it doesn't preclude them from making other moves moving forward.What will a Deebo
Enrique Hernandez Jersey Samuel extension look like?Samuel's extension is a bit harder to figure out. While he's one of the most important players to his current offense in the NFL, he's actually more analogous to Taysom Hill than he is to DeAndre Hopkins. While Hill is currently on a $40 million deal -- $10 million per year -- Hopkins took a shorter contract worth $27.25 million per year. With that in mind, Samuel may split the difference between the two, as he should be paid like a No. 1 receiver but his usage is so versatile it may actually work against him. An $80 million contract over four years or so seems like a feasible number for the star, with saying in January that around $20 million per year could be his ceiling.Samuel led the league in total yards last season at 1,770. He's an e sential cog in the 49ers offense, and he's a perfect fit for a coach like Kyle Shanahan. His extension may well be even higher priority than Bosa's even if the fifth-year option wasn't
Nick Yorke Jersey in play.MORE:The final thing to note is the franchise tag, which could loom large for the 49ers and change their timetable for either Bosa or Samuel. Now that they've picked up Bosa's option, which is around $17 million in his fifth season, if they tag Samuel, the tag projects to run the 49ers a hair over $19 million, That would lead to Bosa and Samuel getting paid $36 million in 2022, just under 18 percent of the 49ers' total cap space.An extension with Samuel would allow the 49ers to be more creative with said cap space, something that Lynch hasn't done a ton of yet. This offseason will tell us a lot about his priorities and goals as a general manager. Moving Garoppolo helps the situation, but that's only a suming a team fully absorbs his contract. It's more likely Garoppolo goes somewhere with a team hedging its bets, as
Rick Porcello Jersey he continues to recover from a shoulder sprain that will require surgery.It's a luxury to have a rookie quarterback contract if the 49ers continue to roll with Lance, but it's hard to navigate two major contract extensions in the same offseason.If there's one thing we've learned over the years, it's that the cap can be manipulated. At this point, we have to see what San Francisco does to retain two of its most e sential players heading into the 2023 offseason, but if Lynch is to be believed, Bosa and Samuel will both be 49ers for the foreseeable future.
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