On Monday, we asked which move in free agency so far by the San Francisco 49ers was the worst to date. Answers varied. Today, we’re expecting more of the same, but are turning around and asking the opposite.
There will always be different points of view. For example, ESPN looked at which teams improved the most and which got worse. One analyst listed the 49ers in the latter category after saying the following:
Miller: The 49ers. Adding a 33-year-old wide receiver (Mike Evans) doesn’t solve any of the
team’s problems on the offensive line, defensive line or secondary. This is another move that reeks of trying to fill holes instead of building for the future. With Trent Williams‘ future uncertain, the weaknesses on both lines will soon be exposed in San Francisco. Drafting a left tackle of the future in the first round is the right move, and I like Utah’s Caleb Lomu or Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor as fits.
That is coming from a 49ers fan and was written on Tuesday morning. My counter to that statement—outside of the obvious addition of Osa Odighizuwa— would be that the lone need along the offensive line is left guard. If you watched the offensive line play last season, they are much lower in the pecking order of needs than wide receiver was.
Brock Purdy was holding onto the ball and scrambling because of the skill players, not the ones in the trenches. The 49ers are going from Jauan Jennings and Kendrick Bourne to Mike Evans. He is a legitimate No. 1 wideout that will take pressure off Ricky Pearsall while still allowing you to draft one.
Let’s get to the question of the day
What was the best move in free agency so far by the 49ers?
My answer: Acquiring Osa Odighizuwa from the Cowboys for a third-round pick. Raheem Morris is going to have his defensive lineman on the move and shooting gaps. He needs speed and length. The 49ers have the length part down, but they didn’t have a defensive tackle anywhere close to the caliber of Odighizuwa. They traded for the defensive tackle who has the 13th-most guarantees in his contract at his position.
In terms of upgrades, you go from Jordan Elliott and Kalia Davis to a player making $20 million, and do it by parting ways with a draft pick in the 90s.
This was a need. That’s why it’s the best move. The 49ers addressed a need with one of the top players at his position in the second year of his contract.
The 49ers were at their best when they had an interior disruptor like DeForest Buckner and Arik Armstead. Odighizuwa finished tied for seventh in pass rush win rate–with John Franklin-Myers and Armstead–and seventh in run stop win rate. Odighizuwa was also fourth in the NFL in quarterback knockdowns.
Best of all, the Niners added a top player with little to no injury history. The 28-year-old to be saw his role reduced this past season, but that was because of a trade. Prior to this season, Odighizuwa started every game in the previous three years.
The sack numbers may not be there, but Osa has proven to be chaotic enough year in and year out to make you believe he will make the players around him better. That bodes well for the rookie class of 2025 and Nick Bosa. Odighizuwa’s addition was necessary to keep the 49ers competitive with the Rams and the Seahawks.
