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49ers Notes: Farrell, Pinnock, Huff, Lenoir

June 15th, 2025 at 11:41am CST by Rory Parks

While the 49ers managed to work out new deals for QB Brock Purdy, LB Fred Warner, and TE George Kittle well in advance of training camp, the club was forced to part with a number of other talented players over the past several months due to its cap constraints (exacerbated by the impending extension for Purdy). Similarly, San Francisco was unable to make any major splashes in free agency, and its biggest offseason commitment to external talent is the three-year, $15.75MM deal it authorized for blocking tight end Luke Farrell.

Farrell, a 2021 fifth-rounder who just played out his rookie contract with the Jaguars, has never recorded more than 155 receiving yards in a season. Still, Niners HC Kyle Shanahan’s offense asks its tight ends to do a great deal of blocking, so it is not terribly surprising that the team ponied up a notable pact for a player like Farrell.

Farrell suggests the Niners were easily the most generous of his prospective suitors. 

“The Niners wanted to work fast,” Farrell said (via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle). “And they were far and away the best opportunity as far as what they were offering. So it was, at the end of the day, kind of a no-brainer.”

Farrell’s role may not be as extensive as it appeared when he signed his deal, as the 49ers reunited with fullback Kyle Juszczyk shortly after bringing Farrell aboard. Nonetheless, the former Jaguar should see considerable playing time, and the hope is that his presence will allow Kittle to spend less time blocking and more time running routes.

On the defensive side of the ball, rising second-year safety Malik Mustapha is unlikely to be on the field for the beginning of the 2025 campaign since he suffered a torn ACL in the Niner’s regular season finale in 2024. As such, free agent addition Jason Pinnock is a frontrunner to start at safety (perhaps alongside Ji’Ayir Brown), per Matt Barrows of The Athletic (subscription required). 

Barrows describes Pinnock as the most physically impressive safety San Francisco has rostered in some time, and the former Jets draftee is familiar with defensive coordinator Robert Saleh’s system since Saleh was New York’s head coach when Pinnock entered the league in 2021. Pinnock was waived in advance of the 2022 season, but Saleh said that was not a reflection of the player’s abilities. Pinnock — who was claimed by the Giants after being waived and then spent the next three seasons with Big Blue — had just converted to safety from corner, and he was simply unable to beat out the Jets’ other safeties at the time.

“But I’ve always been a fan of his athleticism, his length, his football IQ,” Saleh said. “He’s a really good football player, and just being with him over the course of the first couple of months, he’s grown significantly from a maturity standpoint, and he’s attacked the heck out of it. He’s going for it.”

Another former Jet, Bryce Huff, recently came to the Bay Area by way of a trade with the Eagles. Though Huff did not live up to expectations after signing a lucrative contract with Philadelphia last March, the Niners will not be taking him out of his comfort zone.

While Eagles DC Vic Fangio’s scheme requires a fair amount of versatility from its edge defenders, Huff thrived as a rotational pass rusher as part of Saleh’s Jets defense in 2023. Despite appearing in just 42% of the team’s snaps that year, Huff posted 10 sacks and 21 quarterback hits, which helped create his robust free agent market last offseason. According to Barrows, San Francisco will deploy Huff as a dedicated third-down pass rush specialist, which is how the team utilized Dee Ford in his first season with the 49ers in 2019.

That usage will mean less snaps for rookie Mykel Williams. However, Barrows believes Williams can make up for that loss of reps with more looks as an interior pass rusher.

Like Purdy, Warner, and Kittle, cornerback Deommodore Lenoir is a recent recipient of a healthy new contract, having landed a five-year, $92MM extension in November. The 2021 fifth-rounder (taken 27 picks after Farrell) has split time between boundary corner and nickel corner over the past two seasons, but he could be permitted to focus his efforts on the boundaries in 2025.

As Jerry McDonald of the Santa Cruz Sentinel writes, Lenoir primarily lined up outside the numbers during the practice reps that were open to the media this spring. If third-round rookie Upton Stout proves capable of manning the slot, Lenoir could continue to operate as an outside corner opposite 2024 second-rounder Renardo Green.

Eagles DC Vic Fangio On 49ers DE Bryce Huff

June 8th, 2025 at 10:08pm CST by Rory Parks

The Eagles’ free agent splurge on edge defender Bryce Huff in the 2024 offseason did not go as planned, and the reigning Super Bowl champions recently agreed to a trade sending Huff to the 49ers, cutting bait after just one season. While it was clear that Huff was not a good fit in defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s system, Fangio himself was gracious in his comments about his former charge.

Fangio recently told reporters, including PHLY’s Zach Berman, that he believed Huff was showing improvement before suffering a wrist injury that required him to play two games with a hard cast on his hand. Huff was placed on injured reserve in November so he could undergo a wrist procedure and was activated for the final two games of the regular season.

“I think the one thing is, he was getting better, and when he hurt his hand, he tried to play with it for a couple weeks,” Fangio said. “It wasn’t going good because he was reluctant to use his hand.”

Interestingly, though, Huff appeared in a season-low (to that point) six snaps the game before he began wearing a hard cast, and he notched one of his 2.5 sacks during his first game with the cast. When he returned to the field following the wrist operation, he still had to wear a cast, which Fangio says further limited his effectiveness.

“Then when they operated on it, he had to play with a big cast on his hand, which basically rendered his hand useless and then rendered his arm useless because you can’t use your hand,” Fangio added. “That really had an effect on him.”

Fangio went on to reiterate that Huff’s inability to properly use his hand and arm negatively impacted his performance before adding, “I think he’ll do fine in San Francisco.”

Of course, there is no reason for Fangio to offer anything but niceties for a player who was simply unable to meet expectations. The 49ers, though, hope there is at least some truth to Fangio’s words and that a return to full health will allow their trade acquisition to recapture the form that made him a desirable commodity on last year’s market.

Huff, 27, will be reunited with Robert Saleh, who served as the Jets’ head coach during Huff’s breakout platform campaign with Gang Green in 2023, in which he recorded 10 sacks and 21 quarterback hits despite appearing in just 42% of the team’s defensive snaps. Saleh, who was fired by the Jets during the 2024 season, returned to the 49ers this offseason to reprise his role as San Francisco’s defensive coordinator, a position he held from 2017-21.

Huff will certainly benefit from playing opposite Nick Bosa, though he will have to compete for reps with first-round draftee Mykel Williams.

49ers Announce Three Staff Promotions

June 7th, 2025 at 5:59pm CST by Ely Allen

Earlier this week, the 49ers announced the promotion of three members of their staff, according to Jonthan Jones of CBS Sports. In the personnel department, Tariq Ahmad and R.J. Gillen have both been promoted in the shared role of vice president of player personnel, and in analytics, Matt Ploenzke was elevated into the position of vice president of football research and development.

Ahmad joined the team in 2014 as a scouting assistant, after a collegiate career that saw him serve as an offensive graduate assistant coach at his alma mater, Ithaca College, and as director of football recruiting operations at Rutgers, where he earned his master’s degree. A year later, he was promoted to area scout, holding the role for five seasons before earning another promotion to assistant director of college scouting in 2020. Ahmad would only spend a year in that role, as well, before being named director and serving in that role for three years.

Where Ahmad’s experience is solidly in scouting, Gillen has experience in scouting, law, and technology. Following time as a walk-on athlete at LSU, where he was a part of the 2007 BCS National Championship team, Gillen earned his law degree from Marquette; he’s still a member of the bar in Texas and Wisconsin. His uniquely diverse background helps him in regard to personnel evaluation, roster management, and contract negotiation. Gillen even interned at the Shapiro Negotiations Institute where he assisted in consulting and coaching for NBA, NFL, and MLB front offices. He followed that with a front office internship with the San Antonio Spurs before joining the 49ers in 2015.

In San Francisco, Gillen started as a scouting assistant before getting promoted to pro personnel scout. After five years in that role, he was named director of pro personnel, while Ahmad served in the equal role for college scouting. The two shared the title of director of player personnel for a year last season before earning this joint promotion.

Ploenzke holds two bachelor’s degrees in statistics and economics from the University of Minnestoa, Duluth, and a Ph.D. in biostatistics from Harvard. He logged experience working for the Office of Institutional Research at Minnesota, Duluth, and as a head research analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York before turning to football.

After being a part of the winning team in the NFL’s 2020 Big Data Bowl, per Michael Lopez of the NFL’s data & analytics department, Ploenzke joined the 49ers as a football data scientist. He was elevated to manager of football research and development in 2022 and director in 2023. Like Ahmad and Gillen, he, too, now sports the vice president designation for his department.

Poll: Which WR Trade Will Prove Most Beneficial?

June 6th, 2025 at 10:09pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 2025 offseason has seen a number of high-profile receivers change teams via free agency. The likes of Davante Adams, Cooper Kupp and DeAndre Hopkins have undertaken a change of scenery so far. The same will also soon be true of Keenan Allen and Amari Cooper.

This spring has also provided notable moves at the position via trade, however. A total of four swaps including wideouts have taken place in 2025; in three of those cases, the player included in the deal changed teams for the first time in their career. For all squads involved, the outcome of the trades will be key in determining their success this season and beyond.

March began with the 49ers sending Deebo Samuel to the Commanders. That deal – which yielded a fifth-round pick in return – came when team and player mutually agreed a parting ways was in order. Samuel had previously requested a trade, but his 2022 extension allowed him to remain in San Francisco. The 29-year-old has been unable to duplicate the production from his All-Pro campaign in 2021 when he showcased his receiving and rushing abilities.

Between a downturn in output and the massive extension which was (eventually) worked out with Brandon Aiyuk last offseason, many expected 2024 would be Samuel’s final year in the Bay Area. Shortly after the season ended, it became clear the Commanders were among the teams pursuing the former Pro Bowler. For at least one year (since he is a pending 2026 free agent), Samuel will offer the Commanders a veteran secondary WR option to complement perennial 1,000-yard performer Terry McLaurin.

Samuel saw his base salary for this year guaranteed via a restructure upon arrival in Washington. $3MM in incentives are present as well, adding to his earning potential on a Commanders team looking to replicate its surprising offensive success from 2024. The 49ers, meanwhile, will move forward with Aiyuk. Jauan Jennings and a number of younger options capable of handling at least a depth receiver role.

Christian Kirk initially appeared to be a cap casualty for the Jaguars this offseason. Instead of cutting the former Cardinal, however, the team’s new regime traded him inside the division to the Texans. A seventh-round pick in next year’s draft prevented Houston from having to win a bidding war for his services. Just like Samuel, Kirk restructured his contract shortly after being acquired.

The 28-year-old is also a pending free agent, so he too could prove to be a rental. Nico Collins will remain WR1 for the Texans in 2025, but the loss of Stefon Diggs and the likelihood of Tank Dell missing considerable time while recovering from multiple knee surgeries will give Kirk a notable role on his new team. Mentioned as a Steelers trade deadline target last fall, the former second-rounder saw his production decline over each of his three Jaguars seasons. Kirk should nevertheless be able to operate as a useful deep threat as the Texans transition to new offensive coordinator Nick Caley.

The skill positions have undergone many changes in Jacksonville this offseason. Kirk’s trade was accompanied by the decision to cut wideout/returner Devin Duvernay, along with Gabe Davis. With Pro Bowl tight end Evan Engram also no longer in the picture, first-year head coach Liam Coen will have a number of new pass catchers in place for 2025. The success of that new group will be a key talking point.

Even before March, D.K. Metcalf’s Seahawks future was uncertain. A desire to land a second extension (putting him near the top of the position’s market) paved the way for a trade request. General manager John Schneider later said finances were not at the heart of the decision to pull off a trade, noting the two-time Pro Bowler’s strong desire to move on. Seattle’s asking price originally included a first-round pick, but that was soon lowered.

In the end, a second-round selection (in addition to a swap of Day 3 selections) proved to be sufficient for the Steelers to acquire Metcalf. The trade was immediately followed by a four-year, $132MM extension agreement. As a result of that pact, Metcalf, 27, met his known goal of joining the list of receivers earning at least $30MM per season on average. His AAV of $33MM ranks fourth at the position.

As Seattle moves forward with a receiver group centered on Kupp (who was added on a homecoming deal following his Rams release) and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Pittsburgh will rely heavily on Metcalf for 2025 and beyond. Questions loom about Pittsburgh’s 2025 quarterback starter and his upside, but expectations will be high for in Metcalf’s case as a player who has posted no fewer than 900 yards in each of his six NFL seasons.

At first, the Metcalf addition seemed to put the Steelers in place to pair him with George Pickens for at least one campaign. The latter found himself on the move one month ago, however. Pickens was dealt to the Cowboys in exchange for a third-round pick in next year’s draft (with late-round selections in the 2027 event being exchanged as well).

Pickens – who did not request to be moved – has one year remaining on his rookie contract. The 24-year-old is not aiming to sign a Cowboys extension at this point, so much will depend on his performance with his new team. Of course, this situation will also contain plenty of scrutiny in terms of maturity and locker room fit in Dallas. Issues on those fronts led to an ambivalence among many Steelers with respect to Pickens’ departure.

The Cowboys did not draft a first-round receiver as many thought they would, but adding Pickens will provide the team with a high-potential CeeDee Lamb counterpart. A strong showing from that tandem will help Pickens’ market value on a re-signing or a long-term arrangement with a third team. For Pittsburgh, meanwhile, Metcalf’s supporting cast faces questions (although another pass-catching addition is being explored). The Steelers’ decision to make one lucrative investment at any given time in a receiver is common enough, but the impact of replacing Pickens with Metcalf will be felt in 2025 as well as future years.

Keeping in mind the prices paid in these trades and the other receiver-related moves made by the teams who parted ways with those involved in the swaps, which do you think will work out the best? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and have your say in the comments section below.

2025 NFL Cap Space, By Team

June 4th, 2025 at 8:57am CST by Sam Robinson

This week started with a point on the NFL calendar that has been important for decades. Although teams have not needed to wait until June to make their most expensive cuts in many years, they do not see the funds from post-June 1 designations until that point.

With June 1 coming and going, a fourth of the league has seen the savings from post-June 1 releases arrive. That has affected the NFL’s cap-space hierarchy. Here is how every team stands (via OverTheCap) following June 2 changes:

  1. New England Patriots: $67.34MM
  2. San Francisco 49ers: $53.49MM
  3. Detroit Lions: $40.12MM
  4. New York Jets: $39.8MM
  5. Las Vegas Raiders: $36.16MM
  6. Arizona Cardinals: $32.11MM
  7. Dallas Cowboys: $32.11MM
  8. Pittsburgh Steelers: $31.88MM
  9. Seattle Seahawks: $31.21MM
  10. Tennessee Titans: $30.16MM
  11. Green Bay Packers: $28.94MM
  12. Cincinnati Bengals: $27.08MM
  13. Los Angeles Chargers: $26.83MM
  14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $26.63MM
  15. Jacksonville Jaguars: $26.54MM
  16. Philadelphia Eagles: $25.79MM
  17. New Orleans Saints: $22.62MM
  18. Washington Commanders: $21.13MM
  19. Indianapolis Colts: $20.09MM
  20. Los Angeles Rams: $19.44MM
  21. Baltimore Ravens: $18.95MM
  22. Carolina Panthers: $18.69MM
  23. Minnesota Vikings: $18.49MM
  24. Cleveland Browns: $18.2MM
  25. Houston Texans: $16.3MM
  26. Denver Broncos: $16.23MM
  27. Chicago Bears: $14.76MM
  28. Miami Dolphins: $13.81MM
  29. Kansas City Chiefs: $10.75MM
  30. Atlanta Falcons: $5.02MM
  31. New York Giants: $3.82MM
  32. Buffalo Bills: $1.69MM

The Jets saw their situation change the most from post-June 1 designations, as $13.5MM became available to the team after its Aaron Rodgers and C.J. Mosley cuts. Teams have up to two post-June 1 designations at their disposals. Five clubs — the Jets, Browns, Ravens, Eagles and 49ers — used both slots. Only three other teams made a post-June 1 cut before that seminal date. The eight that made these moves will have dead money split between 2025 and 2026.

Baltimore used the cost-defraying option to release Marcus Williams and Justin Tucker, while Cleveland — in Year 4 of the regrettable Deshaun Watson partnership — used it to move on from Juan Thornhill and Dalvin Tomlinson. As the Eagles’ option bonus-heavy payroll included two hefty bonus numbers for Darius Slay and James Bradberry, the reigning Super Bowl champions released both 30-something cornerbacks. Together, Slay and Bradberry will count more than $20MM on Philadelphia’s 2026 cap sheet. As for this year, though, the Browns, Eagles, Ravens and 49ers respectively saved $9.85MM, $9.4MM, $6.3MM, $6.4MM and $5.6MM, according to Spotrac.

The Jaguars made a mid-offseason decision to release Gabe Davis, doing so not long after trading up to draft Travis Hunter — with the plan to primarily play him at wide receiver — at No. 2 overall. Off-field issues, coupled with a down 2024 season, made Tucker expendable — after the Ravens drafted Tyler Loop in Round 6. The Vikings moved off Garrett Bradbury‘s contract and will replace him with free agency addition Ryan Kelly, while Mason lasted two seasons paired with C.J. Stroud‘s rookie deal. The 49ers made it known early they were moving on from Javon Hargrave, while 2024 trade addition Maliek Collins also exited the team’s D-tackle room.

Derek Carr‘s retirement being processed Tuesday also changed the Saints’ funding. The team will spread the dead money ($50.13MM) across two years. Even with the number being reduced this year, the Saints will be hit with the second-highest single-player dead money hit (behind only the Broncos’ Russell Wilson separation) in NFL history as a result of the Carr exit. The Saints will only be responsible for $19.21MM of that total in 2025. As they did with Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox‘s retirements last year, the Eagles will also process Brandon Graham‘s hit this way.

Eight of this year’s post-June 1 releases remain in free agency. The Patriots added Bradbury to replace the now-retired David Andrews, while the Vikings scooped up Hargrave. As the Steelers await Rodgers’ decision, they added two other post-June 1 releases in Slay and Thornhill. Tomlinson joined the Cardinals not long after his Browns release.

49ers Waive T Nicholas Petit-Frere, Place WR Trent Taylor On IR

June 3rd, 2025 at 4:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers have not yet brought in D.J. Humphries, despite spring reports to the contrary, but they will also take another tackle out of the equation ahead of minicamp. San Francisco waived recent addition Nicholas Petit-Frere on Tuesday.

A three-year Titans starter, Petit-Frere has now been cut by two teams this offseason. No one claimed the former third-round pick on waivers after his Tennessee exit, and without sufficient service time to pass straight to free agency, the young right tackle will head back to the wire.

San Francisco also placed wide receiver Trent Taylor on IR. Although teams now regularly activate players from IR, a placement on the injured list now will end Taylor’s season. Barring an injury settlement and subsequent return, Taylor is out of the picture for the 49ers in 2025. In a corresponding move, the team signed wide receiver Malik Knowles. Taylor suffered a back injury, per The Athletic’s Matt Barrows.

When the 49ers added Petit-Frere post-draft, they also signed one-year Titans left tackle Andre Dillard, who spent last season with the Packers. Dillard joins Spencer Burford as swing tackle options for the Niners. The team had shifted Burford from guard to tackle, giving the former inside starter reps behind the likes of Trent Williams, Colton McKivitz and the since-departed Jaylon Moore. Petit-Frere, 25, will look for another landing spot.

Petit-Frere beat out Dillon Radunz for the Titans’ RT job as a rookie in 2022, but his chances of stopping a revolving door at the position worsened in 2023 after a gambling suspension preceded a season-ending injury. The Ohio State product returned from injury to start 10 games last season, but he had arrived before respected O-line coach Bill Callahan. The elder of the two Callahans in key Titans positions now has 2024 first-round pick JC Latham at RT, after the Titans signed Dan Moore Jr. to man the blind side.

Taylor, 31, rejoined the 49ers in April 2024 and toggled between the practice squad and active roster last year. Though, the veteran receiver/return man played in just two games. The 49ers gave him a reserve/futures contract in January. Taylor spent four seasons in San Francisco to start his career, arriving during the Kyle Shanahan–John Lynch regime’s first offseason in charge. The former fifth-round pick served as a slot player and 49ers punt returner in that span, missing all of the 2019 Super Bowl LIV season due to injury. Taylor resurfaced in 2020 before moving to the Bengals (2021-22) and Bears (2023).

Eagles, 49ers Finalize Bryce Huff Trade

June 2nd, 2025 at 6:10pm CST by Adam La Rose

TODAY, 6:10pm: The two teams have officially announced the trade, pending a physical. The Eagles will receive a conditional fifth-round pick that could become a fourth-round selection based on performance conditions, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reports.

While the trade may represent one of the 49ers’ final big swings of the 2025 offseason, it didn’t come out of nowhere. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler recently reported that the organization had been sniffing around on Huff since March.

FRIDAY, 10:20pm: While the restructure to Huff’s contract and his subsequent trade will clear more than $15MM off the Eagles’ 2025 salary cap, the team is only receiving $2.4MM in practical savings, according to OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald. Originally, Huff would have counted for $7.4MM against the 2025 cap with his option bonus prorating out over the next five years. Now, the Eagles will have to absorb a $4.94MM dead cap charge this year with $16.6MM in dead money in 2026.

12:43pm: To little surprise, Bryce Huff will not remain with the Eagles for 2025. A trade agreement is in place for the veteran edge rusher.

After remaining away from the team during spring workouts, Huff is set to be on the move shortly. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports a trade has been worked out which will send him to the 49ers in return for a mid-round pick. The swap will officially take place after June 1. Schefter notes a Day 3 pick will change hands in this case.

Huff has restructured his contract to facilitate the trade. As Schefter’s colleague Field Yates details, Philadelphia declined Huff’s option bonus (which was worth a guaranteed $15.58MM), giving him a 2025 base salary of the same amount. The Eagles then converted $9.05MM of that salary into a signing bonus that they will absorb as dead money across the next two years. San Francisco will take on the remaining $7.95MM in base pay for the coming campaign. Philadelphia will save more than $15MM in cap space while the 49ers become responsible for the final two years of Huff’s contract.

Expectations were high for Huff upon his arrival in Philadelphia last year, but his $51MM pact did not work out as planned. This deal will allow him to reunite with Robert Saleh after the two worked together with the Jets. Saleh was the head coach for Huff’s final three years in New York and returned to the 49ers’ defensive coordinator position this offseason.

Returning to a Saleh-coached defense could help Huff return to his 2023 form, which featured 10 sacks and a league-high 21.3% pressure rate, per ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. The 27-year-old struggled to adapt to Vic Fangio‘s scheme in Philadelphia, which demanded more versatility out of its edge defenders. In San Francisco, Huff can focus on rushing the passer, which could free up No. 11 pick Mykel Williams to take on a more variable role on third downs.

For the Eagles, this is yet another smart bit of business by general manager Howie Roseman, who pursued Huff aggressively last offseason but wasn’t afraid to admit his mistake and move on this year. The restructured contract is an example of Roseman’s creative salary cap management that allowed Philadelphia to avoid paying out the full $34MM of guaranteed money in Huff’s contract.

After letting Josh Sweat walk in free agency, the Eagles will need another edge defender to step up as a starter alongside Nolan Smith. They have multiple options to choose from after re-signing Patrick Johnson and adding Azeez Ojulari and Josh Uche this offseason. 2024 third-rounder Jalyx Hunt could also earn a starting job after flashing his pass-rushing talent during the team’s playoff run last season.

49ers Reducing Christian McCaffrey’s Offseason Workload

May 31st, 2025 at 6:52pm CST by Adam La Rose

Achilles and knee injuries limited Christian McCaffrey to just four games last year. The 49ers have their lead back healthy now, but to no surprise they are taking a cautious approach with his offseason workload.

McCaffrey earned Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2023 after leading the NFL in a number of categories. That production helped earn him an extension and fresh set of guarantees but things did not go according to plan this past season. The two-time All-Pro will look to bounce back from an availability standpoint in 2025, joining other key 49ers in that regard.

“Right now, he’s as healthy as can be and we’ve got to protect him from himself,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said (via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle) when speaking about how McCaffrey would be managed this spring. “He’s doing a lot less than he normally would do. I know he’s excited about how healthy he feels and the fact that he can get out there.”

On an offense featuring a number of other notable skill-position players, McCaffrey was a focal point for the unit en route to a Super Bowl appearance in 2023. Expectations for a repeat of his production were high until it became clear his Achilles tendinitis would require an IR stint and several weeks of recovery during the season. Not long after making his season debut in Week 10, a PCL injury ended his campaign. Fortunately for the 49ers, the three-time Pro Bowler was fully cleared in time for the start of spring practices.

San Francisco leaned on Jordan Mason to a large extent during McCaffrey’s absence last year. Despite tendering him at the second-round level, though, the team traded Mason to Minnesota in March. That move was followed by the selection of Jordan James in the fifth round of the draft, leaving McCaffrey in place with he, Isaac Guerendo and Patrick Taylor in the backfield. The 49ers’ depth options are all cost effective, something which represents a stark contrast to McCaffrey’s $19MM AAV.

That figure ranks second to only Saquon Barkley – who signed a new Eagles deal in the wake of his historic debut season with the Super Bowl winners. McCaffrey will again be expected to perform at an elite level in 2025, and helping ensure he is capable of doing so will no doubt continue to involve an unusually lighter practice schedule for the time being.

49ers Hoping Rookie DT Alfred Collins Can Earn Starting Role

May 31st, 2025 at 2:46pm CST by Ely Allen

Many expected the 49ers to address the defensive line in the first round of this year’s draft, but the team surprised many when they addressed the edge instead of the interior, taking Georgia defensive end Mykel Williams on Day 1. Perhaps, they felt comfortable waiting until Day 2 to address the position because, with its next pick, San Francisco drafted Texas defensive tackle Alfred Collins, whom they hope can earn a starting role on the line as a rookie, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic.

Currently, the starting tackle spots on the defensive line are manned by Jordan Elliott and Kevin Givens. Elliott joined the team last year after playing out his rookie contract in Cleveland and started 13 of 15 appearances. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) has never graded Elliot favorably. The former third-round pick out of Missouri has only once graded in the top 100 players at his position in the NFL and that was this past year, when he ranked 97th out of 118.

Givens, too, has struggled in the eyes of PFF’s analytics throughout his six years with the team. His roles have been mostly rotational during that time, and although he earned a starting role in 2022 (11 starts in 13 appearances), he only has three starts in his career outside of that season. Last year, Givens was one of several 49ers to miss time with injuries, sitting for nine of the final 10 games of the season as he dealt with a pectoral tear.

Because of this, San Francisco is hoping to see not only Collins, but also fellow rookie CJ West and last year’s undrafted rookie Evan Anderson, earn significant roles on the line, as well. Anderson, signing with the team out of FAU last year, started one game in 12 appearances last season and graded out most favorably of the interior defenders on the 49ers, per PFF, ranking 49th out of 118 players graded at the position. West was extremely disruptive in four years as a starter in college — three at Kent State before transferring to Indiana. He had nine sacks and 27 tackles for loss in those four seasons. Although a bit undersized, West adds some pass rushing potential thanks to an impressive arsenal of ferocious moves.

Collins, though, is the player that was singled out by the staff with hopes of a starting role, per Barrows. What West lacks in ideal size, Collins makes up for with an exceptional 6-foot-5, 332-pound frame. His wide base and long arms give him impressive length, as well. His size doesn’t do him too many favors as a potential pass rusher, but he’s quick-footed enough at his size to erase gaps across the line in run defense. He’s a sure tackler who’s durable enough to handle the workload of a starter, even as a rookie.

We’ve got about two more months until training camp, but the next two weeks will see the team’s remaining Organized Team Activities workouts and mandatory minicamp. There’s plenty of time for the youngsters to earn more opportunities for bigger roles between now and the preseason. With hopes that Collins will break through as a strong run-defending starter, the team would ideally be looking to pair him with a defender with strong pass rushing potential like Givens, West, or Anderson.

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