The 2026 Free Agency Thread

[HTTR]

I would prefer to be adding talent rather than subtracting. Might be different if we needed cap room but we don’t. And I doubt anyone is willing to give up a pick anyway for an underachieving player with an overpaid contract.

 

[ES1974]

And I doubt anyone is willing to give up a pick anyway for an underachieving player with an overpaid contract.

Underachieving player with an overpaid contract.

Ok you’ve convinced me, let’s keep him.

 

[HTTR]

Underachieving player with an overpaid contract.

Ok you’ve convinced me, let’s keep him.

Underachieving a big contract doesn’t mean he sucks. He is a useful piece who happens to be overpaid. Who is it you want to replace him with?

 

[ES1974]

Underachieving a big contract doesn’t mean he sucks. He is a useful piece who happens to be overpaid. Who is it you want to replace him with?

I think Tim Settle is answer already.

We’d just bring Goldman or Day back for depth, assuming the are set to play in 2026.

Payne looks like he’s had a $5m roster bonus from us, but saving $16m+ in cash and cap still seems very logical.

Maybe get a mid rounder. Could draft a later round IDL.

 

[Ashburn Dave]

How about moving Daron Payne out ?

No. Let's plan on him having a career year since he's in a contract year. Next year is a different matter.

 

[ES1974]

No. Let's plan on him having a career year since he's in a contract year. Next year is a different matter.

Well I guess if we’re getting 60 combined tackles and 12 sacks, you would be right.

Or we get what he did in the other 7 seasons.

 

[HTTR]

I think Tim Settle is answer already.

We’d just bring Goldman or Day back for depth, assuming the are set to play in 2026.

Payne looks like he’s had a $5m roster bonus from us, but saving $16m+ in cash and cap still seems very logical.

Maybe get a mid rounder. Could draft a later round IDL.

He’s a better player than those guys, we don’t need the cap savings, and nobody is giving us a mid rounder. Just my opinion we can agree to disagree. 🙂

 

[Ashburn Dave]

Well I guess if we’re getting 60 combined tackles and 12 sacks, you would be right.

Or we get what he did in the other 7 seasons.

Payne appears to be a contract warrior, so I doubt we'll see what he did in the other 7 seasons.

 

[ES1974]

Payne appears to be a contract warrior, so I doubt we'll see what he did in the other 7 seasons.

Maybe so, up there in age now, not sure what contract he’d be looking at post a great season. But if we get that great season, hopefully it would be difference making for the team with a successful end result.

 

[HTTR]

So if Settle is starting at nose tackle, and Kinlaw and Newton are the 3-4 ends… i’m not so sure Newton is ready to start over Payne, in the very least it seems like they should be splitting time. And also Payne seems like the next best option at nose if Settle goes down. Am I forgetting someone? If not, then Daron doesn’t seem so expendable to me. Quality depth is important.


edit: can Omenihu maybe play 3-4 end for us? I don’t know much about him

 

[Anselmheifer]

I don't expect him to shit on them. But I don't like a sweeping generalization about how the whole room could end up working and selling the how it would. Quinn seemed to expound his point and dive into it. He's honest sometimes to a fault.

So him selling how this could work -- sounded honest. And it would be one thing if this is a new game for this regime how to deal with a mediocre WR room and make the best of it -- but its nothing new, its how they lived so far. So them explaining a new variation of how this could work doesn't feel out of place. It's been their song so far.

What do I personally think they are thinking? My best guess is:

A. they want to sign Aiyuk. they are willing to ride what's next on that and if it doesn't happen so be it and there is always a chance they can take a WR in the draft. So the odds of something being added are good.
B. They are riding McCaffrey and Lane in the slot -- Quinn doubled down on that in the interview.
C. They have sold themselves if what's next doesn't happen -- No Aiyuk, no Tate, etc, its going to be fine and hence we got Quinn explanation for how it will be fine.

Sort of like hey you want to eat at a high end restaurant, lets do it, if we get there and the place is full -- no problem the local pizzeria is fine, we will have a couple of slices and a coke and it will all be fine, too.

I think, if we are putting all of our eggs I. The Aiyuk basket, we should just give up a 7th. If he is plan A, we need him in mini camp etc. I low key hate how we are managing the WR issue.

One more thought on the Biadasz situation, how certain are we it's not just a run ofnthe mill HR situation? For example, have you ever worked with 2 people who just didn't get along or work well together? Maybe they are both fine people, just not together...or sometimes somebody who is otherwise a great employee just does something against corporate rules. For example, I had an employee i supervised come to work drunk. It sucked because she was a fantastic employee, and I know she went on to do great work (still friends more than a decade later), but that day was the beginning of her end in our office...and she is brilliant and hard working. Sometimes, things dont work out, and we, as fans on the outside, may rightfully never know why a given employee/player is let go.

One of the only explanations that makes sense to me is that it was a personal issue, like the alcohol, i. your example.

 

[skinsinparadise]

 

[ES1974]

Wow we signed a depth DL, come on please ship Payne out purely for great timing if nothing else 😂

 

[Bulldog]

Davidson at 6'3 and 330 looks like a guy that can get some reps at NT.

New York didn't use him in that role.

He isn't a replacement for Payne, he's the traditional one gapper you need in a base formation.

Payne and Newton are not strong run defenders, whatever Jones has in mind to make them famous as inside rushers may come to pass but we need one or two guys that can just line up and stuff things inside.

 

[Higskin]

Good read about Jennings....

Why Former 49ers WR Jauan Jennings is Still a Free Agent

Bringing back Jauan Jennings in free agency was never a real option for the San Francisco 49ers. They made that decision to let him walk before the 2025 season.

www.si.com

Why Jennings is still available​

He was supposed to be signed to a new team by now and had received a fairly sweet deal. But that sweet deal is never coming with free agency at its end.

That could mean Jennings is viewed more as a proponent of playing in Kyle Shanahan's offense. It's not a far-fetched idea. Jennings doesn't necessarily have any great traits.

He's not fast, his route-running isn't clean, and he's not as good as he should be at winning possession throws given his physique. Still, he's a solid receiver, but not worth close to the $20 million annual salary he probably was looking for.

All of the teams across the league are essentially telling him he's not that good a player. Otherwise, if he were, he would've been signed by now.

I had imagined the Las Vegas Raiders or the Tennessee Titans would go after him. They had ample salary cap space and desperately needed to boost their wide receiver position.

Instead, the Raiders cashed out Jalen Nailor, and the Titans cashed out Wan'Dale Robinson. This has to sting Jennings' ego. It's a reality check for him, and it makes sense why he wanted an extension from the 49ers before the 2025 season.

He needed to act upon his impressive 2024 season, knowing full well he was never touching those numbers (77 catches, 975 yards, six touchdowns) again.

At this point, Jennings will need to settle for a one-year deal with incentives. The league doesn't view him as a necessary talent, so he has to take a cheap deal to change everyone's minds for free agency in 2027.

 

[HTTR]

Wow we signed a depth DL, come on please ship Payne out purely for great timing if nothing else 😂

This does seem to grease the skids for a Payne exit. You may get ur wish after all.

 

[HTTR]

I think, if we are putting all of our eggs I. The Aiyuk basket, we should just give up a 7th. If he is plan A, we need him in mini camp etc. I low key hate how we are managing the WR issue.

I’ve been thinking the same thing. Maybe even a swap of picks just to throw San Fran a bone so they don’t feel so bad about helping us out. I know people have their heart set on getting him super cheap on a “prove it deal“ but I’m not so sure he’ll be happy with that and that other teams won’t be willing to do a little better. We have a lot of unused cap room anyway, and let’s face it we need him more now after striking out in free agency. Considering he wants to play here, you would think we could hammer out something that’s semi-respectful to the player, but still team friendly.

 

[Bulldog]

It would be a lot better for us long-term to take a WR in the draft or move down and get a receiver and then pick up multiple other picks to continue to build.

I see folks talking about taking an edge because we only have two guys signed for next year but right now we may not have McLaurin in 2027 so that means a COMPLETE RESET at the position of WR.

Given that Daniels is the team's most important player getting him the necessary depth and talent to see him grow and succeed is Job #1.

We likely won't have a pick as high as #7 again any time soon, so let's make the most of it to benefit #5.

If we need to go with our current edges and then draft someone at #1 in 2027 then so be it.

What I see with Aiyuk is more intrigue where the argument has gone from whether we should take a chance on a cheap one year deal, to now one where we should give San Francisco a draft pick and take on a $25M bonus Aiyuk is due in September for the 2026 season.

I am not a cap expert but I believe that puts the $25M on this year's cap and would significantly reduce our available monies to fill out the roster.

Of course, we might be able to convince Aiyuk to be reasonable and re-do his deal for us, and I am sure he would be glad to take on a 2 year deal and defer some of that hit for additional guarantees.

 

[BayouBrave86]

Wonder what the Rams were looking for compensation wise for Adams.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

Hey! Don’t besmirch their honor like that. Have some respect.

It might be that they’re high. Or both drunk and high.