Good Morning Faithful,
The start of the 2020 NFL league year is almost upon us. With many headlines to monitor, here are the top storylines for Monday, March 16.
Free Agency Negotiations Begin Today
After a season that led the 49ers to Super Bowl LIV, the team headed into the offseason with some uncertainty about who will return to San Francisco in 2020. Currently, the 49ers have 15 unrestricted free agents and three restricted free agents who can begin discussions with other clubs today. Stay up to date with the latest free agency news and signings on the 49ers.com Free Agency Tracker.
On the flip side, some of the biggest names in the NFL including Tom Brady, A.J. Green and Jadeveon Clowney are becoming free agents. Last year, John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan brought in several key assets in free agency with Kwon Alexander, Tevin Coleman and Daniel Brunskill, who each played pivotal roles in the 49ers 2019 success. Could Lynch and Co. look to replicate that success in 2020? Check out the top 25 upcoming free agents according to NFL.com and their impact in 2019 here.
17 players are set to become free agents this spring. View all of them in one place.
DL Arik Armstead
WR Emmanuel Sanders
DB Jimmie Ward
WR Kendrick Bourne
RB Matt Breida
DL Ronald Blair III
DB Jason Verrett
DL Sheldon Day
T Shon Coleman
OL Ben Garland
TE Levine Toilolo
DL Damontre Moore
CB Dontae Johnson
DL Anthony Zettel
TE Garrett Celek
LB Elijah Lee
The Compensatory Picks Are In
The 49ers draft order is set barring any trades that could happen between now and April 23. The NFL awarded 32 compensatory picks for the 2020 draft, however, San Francisco was not one of the 15 teams to receive an additional pick. Therefore, the team will head into April's draft with six picks in total spread out over Days 1 and 3. As it stands, San Francisco does not have a pick in Rounds 2-4. With a limited number of selections, the team will need to maximize the impact of their picks by filling holes left after free agency. Analysts have targeted a few position groups the 49ers could look to in the first round.
Here are breakdowns of prospects linked to the team by position:
Take a look at some of the names being associated with the San Francisco 49ers in various mock drafts.
S Grant Delpit, LSU
S Grant Delpit, LSU
WR Laviska Shenault Jr., Colorado
WR Laviska Shenault Jr., Colorado
C Cesar Ruiz, Michigan
C Cesar Ruiz, Michigan
CB CJ Henderson, Florida
CB CJ Henderson, Florida
S Antoine Winfield Jr., Minnesota
S Antoine Winfield Jr., Minnesota
S Ashtyn Davis, Cal
S Ashtyn Davis, Cal
CB Kristian Fulton, LSU
CB Kristian Fulton, LSU
LB Kenneth Murray, Oklahoma
LB Kenneth Murray, Oklahoma
T Austin Jackson, USC
T Austin Jackson, USC
LB Zack Baun, Wisconsin
LB Zack Baun, Wisconsin
CB Damon Arnette, Ohio State
CB Damon Arnette, Ohio State
S Xavier McKinney, Alabama
S Xavier McKinney, Alabama
CB Cameron Dantzler, Mississippi State
CB Cameron Dantzler, Mississippi State
CB Trevon Diggs, Alabama
CB Trevon Diggs, Alabama
DL Derrick Brown, Auburn
DL Derrick Brown, Auburn
CB A.J. Terrell, Clemson
CB A.J. Terrell, Clemson
WR Henry Ruggs III, Alabama
WR Henry Ruggs III, Alabama
T Jedrick Wills, Alabama
T Jedrick Wills, Alabama
WR Jerry Jeudy, Alabama
WR Jerry Jeudy, Alabama
WR CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma
WR CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma
DL Javon Kinlaw, South Carolina
DL Javon Kinlaw, South Carolina
WR Tee Higgins, Clemson
WR Tee Higgins, Clemson
J.K. Dobbins, Ohio State
J.K. Dobbins, Ohio State
CB Jeff Gladney, TCU
CB Jeff Gladney, TCU
WR Brandon Aiyuk, Arizona State
WR Brandon Aiyuk, Arizona State
DL Ross Blacklock, TCU
DL Ross Blacklock, TCU
WR Justin Jefferson, LSU
WR Justin Jefferson, LSU
DL Raekwon Davis, Alabama
DL Raekwon Davis, Alabama
WR Denzel Mims, Baylor
WR Denzel Mims, Baylor
WR Jalen Reagor, TCU
WR Jalen Reagor, TCU
What A New CBA Means for 2020 and Beyond
The NFLPA voted to pass a new Collective Bargaining Agreement that is set to take effect this season. While a few of the proposals will be rolled out over time, including the expansion to a 17-game season, the 49ers will see some immediate changes starting in 2020. With free agency looming, the headline at the forefront for the 49ers will be a heightened salary cap. Under the new agreement, teams' salary cap will increase by $10 million. Fans will also see an immediate impact with expanded roster numbers and an amended playoff bracket. Read how the new changes will impact San Francisco for the next 10 years here.
