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This is an ongoing analysis of the San Francisco 49ers’ key moves and departures during this free agency season. 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 Wednesday.
Live updates: Free agent news from around the NFL
AF Tracker: New teams and contract details for the top 150 free agents
Best players available: Who is still on the market?
Grades: The best and worst of free agent deals
March 11th: New York Jets coach Robert Saleh was the 49ers’ defensive coordinator when they drafted Kinlaw in the first round in 2020. Four years later, Saleh will coach Kinlaw again after he agreed to a one-year contract with New York. 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 will be interesting to see where the 49ers turn to complement Javon Hargrave at defensive tackle.
March 11th: The 49ers plan to sign the defensive lineman to a two-year contract worth up to $18 million. according to the athletic one Jeff Howe. A significant portion of Gross-Matos’ contract could be incentive-based, as he was primarily a rotational lineman for four seasons with the Carolina Panthers. But Gross-Matos has shown the same versatility in the pros that the 49ers liked when he came out of college in 2020. He’s been versatile enough to line up inside for some plays, even with his long body. And that flexibility could prove valuable for a 49ers team looking for quality depth on the edges of its defensive line. Position coach Kris Kocurek wants his unit to attack in waves.
March 11th: The 49ers offered a one-year contract to Jauan Jennings, who will become a restricted free agent. The 49ers offered Jennings at the second-round level, meaning his offer is worth $4.89 million. Jennings can negotiate with other teams, but the 49ers have the right of first refusal. If Jennings goes looking 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 could offer a useful parameter for a possible agreement.
March 11th: The 49ers found a capstone for Nick Bosa in Floyd, who is coming off a career-high 10 1/2 sack season with the Bills. Floyd is 31 years old 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 is familiar with Kyle Shanahan and offensive line coach Chris Foerster, who coached against Floyd for three seasons when he was with the Los Angeles Rams, and also spent time with new assistant Brandon Staley with the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams. The 49ers agreed to a two-year contract with Floyd.
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March 11th: The Atlanta Falcons signed the tight end to a three-year contract worth up to $12 million. His agent, Alex Essex, confirmed the news. He said six teams offered a contract to Woerner, who grew up about two hours away from Atlanta. The 49ers selected Woerner in the sixth round of the 2020 draft. He became a solid run blocker and a good special teams player, but he caught just 11 passes for 120 yards over the past four seasons. The 49ers have long been searching for a tight end who is more of a receiving threat to pair with George Kittle. Woerner’s departure could be a factor in the compensatory formula to help the 49ers land a late-round pick in the 2025 draft.
March 11th: The 49ers re-signed Allen, who was their third quarterback at age 31 in 2023. A league source confirmed the news. The team is presumably still interested in strengthening the backup quarterback spot behind Brock Purdy, although it’s unclear if Sam Darnold, who filled that role in 2023, will remain in their price range. Allen fits that cost structure, and the 49ers are happy to have a strong veteran presence in the room to continue supporting Purdy. Allen previously backed up Joe Burrow in Cincinnati.
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Arik Armstead will be released after he and the 49ers could not come to an agreement on a reduced salary. (Ryan Kang/Getty Images)
March 10th: The 49ers are prepared to move on from their longest-serving player after the two sides could not reach an agreement to reduce Armstead’s salary, the third-highest on the team in 2024. Armstead, 30, will has lost 13 games in the last two. seasons and played on an injured knee in the 2023 postseason. However, the 49ers’ roster is short on defensive tackles and a reunion with Armstead is possible if he doesn’t receive a better offer on the open market.
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March 10th: 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, from the Jacksonville Jaguars’ practice squad midseason and he appeared in five games (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 will compete with Nick Zakelj and others this offseason. Bartch suffered a serious knee injury in 2022 and Foerster said the offensive lineman was still in shape last season.
March 10th: The New York Jets reached an agreement with Oliver for one year. The 49ers had signed Oliver last year to be their nickel cornerback, but he began to lose that role late in training camp. By the end of the season, he was practicing a lot at safety, which is where the Jets envision him playing. The 49ers released Oliver last month, freeing up $2.4 million in cap space.
Colton McKivitz, a 17-game starter at right tackle last season, is now locked up through the 2025 season. (Ryan Kang/Getty Images)
March 8: The 49ers signed McKivitz, a 17-game starter at right tackle in 2023, to a one-year contract worth up to $7 million, his agent said. That means 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 in the draft, but his extension gives San Francisco some protection in position.
Congratulations @CMcKivitz 🎉🎉 @49ers 📈📈 #AMDG pic.twitter.com/1EYZUy3N9r
– AMDG Sports (@SportsAmdg) March 8, 2024
(Leonard Floyd top photo: Ryan Kang/Getty Images)