BB.BREAKING NEWS: The 49ers are plotting a Black Friday takeover that could flip the entire NFC on its head
Hopefully the Niners won’t have to wake up at 4 a.m. to do some free-agent shopping.
It’s almost a mystery how the San Francisco 49ers have managed an 8-4 record heading into the Thanksgiving holiday despite yet another massive swarm of injuries that have resulted in them spending more on players on injured lists than any other team by a wide margin.
Yet that puts general manager John Lynch and Co. into an interesting spot for the final stretch of the regular season in advance of the playoffs.
With the NFL trade deadline in the rearview mirror, Lynch and the Niners can only turn the slim pickings of free agents who are still available and waiting for a phone call. Thankfully, at this point of the year, none of these players would cost too much against San Francisco’s bank statement, meaning there’d be some bargains to be had.
Especially if it helped assure the 49ers could get into the playoffs amid all those injury setbacks.
Free-agent bargains 49ers can pursue right now
No. 1: Edge Yannick Ngakoue
The Niners currently boast the league’s worst number of sacks at 13, amplified by season-ending losses of defensive ends Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams to ACL tears.
While adding a veteran like Yannick Ngakoue wouldn’t dramatically alter coordinator Robert Saleh’s pass rush, grabbing a well-traveled defender of Ngakoue’s ilk would at least beef up the depth chart and provide a proven option to pair with San Francisco’s best remaining pass-rusher, Bryce Huff.
Ngakoue, 30 years old, hasn’t been a featured defender since his 9.5-sack campaign with the Indianapolis Colts in 2022, but he’d be a clear upgrade over someone like Robert Beal Jr.
No. 2: LB Kwon Alexander
Unlike Ngakoue, linebacker Kwon Alexander has plenty of experience within Saleh’s defense, stemming with his first stint with San Francisco from 2019 through the first half of 2020.
Injury prone and on the wrong side of 30 years old, Alexander isn’t a massive upgrade over the preferred starters for the 49ers’ linebacker room, Dee Winters and Tatum Bethune. But, considering those two have also dealt with injuries in the wake of All-Pro Fred Warner’s season-endig ankle injury, getting someone back like Alexander would not only upgrade the depth chart over a perennial practice squad body like Curtis Robinson, but it would also infuse some energy into a very questionable part of the Niners defense.
No. 3: DT Christian Wilkins
Remember in 2024 when San Francisco aggressively pursued defensive tackle Christian Wilkins in free agency, only to lose him to the Las Vegas Raiders?
Wilkins’ Raiders release wasn’t without controversy, of course, but it’s not as if we’re discussing a player well beyond his prime. Heck, in 2023 with the Miami Dolphins, the 2019 first-round draftee notched a career-best nine sacks.
And the 49ers would love some interior pass-rushing thump.
No. 4: CB Emmanuel Moseley
As is the case with Alexander, reuniting with another former defender who thrived under Saleh, cornerback Emmanuel Moseley, wouldn’t be the worst idea the Niners could muster to beef up the back end of their secondary.
Moseley, of course, hasn’t been close to healthy since 2021 and saw multiple years with the Detroit Lions cut short by serious injuries, meaning San Francisco would be taking a substantial risk if he was signed and then asked to shoulder any significant duties.
But the 49ers wouldn’t be tasking him with doing that right away, at least not while Deommodore Lenoir, Renardo Green, Upton Stout and Chase Lucas are healthy and available.
If anything, Moseley would merely be a veteran insurance policy and contingency plan if one or more of the Niners’ crop of corners suffered a significant injury.
No. 5: WR Odell Beckham Jr.
No one has seemingly said it about him yet this season, but let’s kickstart the chatter of San Francisco eyeing veteran wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. for another late-season push.
OBJ has turned into a late-season mercenary in recent years, joining squads late in the year to aid with playoff pushes, including the Los Angeles Rams in 2021, the Baltimore Ravens in 2023 and the Dolphins a year ago. And while the 33 year old is a mere shadow of his former self, his name recognition alone is enough to make opposing defensive coordinators think about where he’s at on the field at any given time.
The 49ers have dealt with plenty of receiver issues this season, not just limited to Brandon Aiyuk missing the entire year because of 2024’s ACL and MCL tears. Ricky Pearsall has been hampered by knee issues, and the remaining depth has been questionable, at best.
Beckham wouldn’t immediately turn the Niners offense into an unstoppable force, no.
But, he’d provide one more established name for San Francisco’s opponents to deal with.
