After advancing to the NFC title game in each of the past two seasons, the San Francisco 49ers are back for another playoff run in 2023. Most of the training camp focus in the Bay Area will be centered around quarterback Brock Purdy, who appears likely to be available for the start of the regular season as he recovers from a torn ACL.
But what else is on San Francisco’s docket? Let’s break down three moves they could make before Week 1 of the NFL season.
3 Final Moves for the San Francisco 49ers
Extend Nick Bosa
The 49ers could have extended Nick Bosa as soon as the 2021 campaign ended, but they’ve instead taken a more methodical approach. That strategy will likely end up costing them, as Bosa posted 18 more sacks in 2022 and won the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award.
Without a contract in place, Bosa could stage a “hold-in” during San Francisco’s training camp. While a true holdout would result in daily $50,000 fines, Bosa could report to the 49ers’ facility but decline to take part in any workouts until his extension is settled.
A deal appears all but certain to be completed this summer. In early June, Bosa expressed confidence that his contract would be worked out by the time training camp begins, adding, “I think I’ll get what I deserve.”
There’s no question Bosa will surpass the Steelers’ T.J. Watt — who earns $28 million per year — as the NFL’s highest-paid edge rusher. But can he top Aaron Donald to become the league’s top-paid defensive player?
Bosa said in January that he “doesn’t necessarily” need to pass Donald, who collects $31.67 million annually from the Rams. But a five-year, $160 million extension ($32 million average annual value) could be the value Bosa is searching for this offseason. With Purdy on a rookie contract for the next three seasons, the 49ers can afford to frontload any deal they offer Bosa.
Sign Another Pass Rusher
Bosa is one of the league’s best pass rushers, but the 49ers have a bit of uncertainty at their other defensive end spot. After losing Charles Omenihu and Samson Ebukam to free agency, San Francisco is counting on 2022 second-rounder Drake Jackson to step into a larger role.
The Niners also signed former Raiders first-round pick Clelin Ferrell and ex-Lions Austin Bryant, brought back Kerry Hyder, and drafted Robert Beal Jr. in the fifth round of April’s draft. Kris Kocurek is arguably the NFL’s top defensive line coach, and he can coax top-end performance from the depth chart he’s presented. But San Francisco could also stand to add another body up front.
The edge-rushing market has fallen in such a way that the 49ers — who currently have $9.6 million in cap space — should be able to find a veteran on the (relative) cheap. Leonard Floyd and Frank Clark recently signed free agent contracts with base values between $5.5 million and $7 million, which should set a cap for the players still available on the open market.
Yannick Ngakoue, Jadeveon Clowney, Justin Houston, Carlos Dunlap, and Melvin Ingram are just a few of the pass rushers the 49ers could consider in the coming weeks. Many of those veterans might be waiting for an injury to strike, allowing them to join a team with a clear need. But if no vacancies open up, joining an obvious contender like the 49ers would make for a decent backup plan.
Try To Trade Zane Gonzalez
The 49ers have one of the most complete rosters in the league, so there might not be much else they can do to augment their squad during training camp. But they could try to “undo” a trade they completed earlier in the offseason.
In March, San Francisco acquired kicker Zane Gonzalez from the Panthers. They hardly gave up anything of value, as the price tag was just a conditional 2025 seventh-round pick — essentially the least the 49ers could have sacrificed.
Gonzalez quickly became redundant in April, when the 49ers used the 99th overall pick on Michigan kicker Jake Moody. Any hint of a training camp battle will be a facade — teams don’t draft kickers in the third round and then make them fight for their jobs.
The best San Francisco can do is wait and see if another team either suffers a kicker injury or becomes dissatisfied with their kicking situation. At that point, the 49ers could hope to swap Gonzalez — who spent all of 2022 on injured reserve with a quad issue — for something similar to what they gave the Panthers.
