Editor’s note: The 49ers break for the bye week with a 2-8 record. This is part of a series that recaps the first 10 games with an eye to the future. In this installment, we look at the 49ers’ early shopping list for 2019.
There have been few surprises, according to 49ers general manager John Lynch.
The obvious issues through 10 games of the season have not exactly prompted the team to rip up its plan for the future and re-organize its list of needs. Instead, the 49ers appear to have confirmed what it already suspected.
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SIGN UP HERE “I think it’s just been crystalized,” Lynch told NBC Sports Bay Area on the 49ers Insider Podcast, which you can download Tuesday.
“One thing these struggles have shown us very clearly, and what leaves me very encouraged where we’re going because we have a great understanding where we’re a little bit short, where we need to improve the talent of this team.”
The team’s most glaring weakness is with the pass rush, where the 49ers have DeForest Buckner as one of the NFL’s top interior players. The 49ers have generated no consistent pressure from their edge rushers.
The team’s personnel department is currently working on evaluations of the potential free-agent class at all positions, Lynch said.
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“We’ve been focused on what’s going to be the free-agent class in 2019,” Lynch said. “We’ll be aggressive in that. And then we got to continue to make our draft choices matter and have an impact.”
[MORE 49ERS: Mike McGlinchey, Fred Warner lead way for 49ers' 2018 rookie class]
The 49ers are currently $36.5 million under the salary cap. That unspent cap money will roll over into next year, where the 49ers are expected to have nearly $70 million in cap space, according to overthecap.com.
The Kansas City Chiefs' Dee Ford could be the top edge rusher on the unrestricted market, if he is not locked up before the start of the March signing period. Ford, 27, has nine sacks, one of which came in Week 3 against the 49ers.
Ziggy Ansah (Detroit Lions), Jadeveon Clowney (Houston Texans), Demarcus Lawrence (Dallas Cowboys) and Dante Fowler (Los Angeles Rams) are among a list of other pass rushers who are scheduled for free agency. The 49ers made a recent bid to sign Bruce Irvin, a source told NBC Sports Bay Area, before he signed a deal for the remainder of the season with the Atlanta Falcons.
Nearly two months after the start of NFL free agency, the 49ers will have the opportunity to add some young talent in the draft.
If the 49ers’ slide continues, they will have the No. 1 overall pick. The top selection could be former Ohio State pass rusher Nick Bosa, who opted not to play this season in order to allow an injury to his core to fully heal before entering the 2019 NFL draft.
Edge rushers Clelin Ferrell (Clemson) and Josh Allen (Kentucky) could also be options within the top five or 10 of the NFL draft.
The 49ers could also seek big-money help at other areas of need, including the defensive backfield and wide receiver, where the options do not appear as plentiful.
Cornerbacks Bradley Roby (Denver) and Ronald Darby (Philadelphia) could be attractive on the free-agent market.
One big name who could be available for a trade is cornerback Jalen Ramsey, whom the Jacksonville Jaguars are likely to shop on the trade market, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. But Ramsey would come at considerable risk, along with the price tag of draft picks and a possible new contract.