The San Francisco 49ers have been active in free agency. They signed Mike Evans to a deal that was effectively a bet on himself. Offensive line depth was addressed by bringing in veterans with starting experience in Brett Toth and Vederian Lowe. Dre Greenlaw is back like he never left.
We’ll get to the best move in free agency later in the week. Moving on from Thomas Morstead was a no-brainer on paper. The 49ers go from the punter who was 32nd in net yards per punt to Corliss Waitman, who finished
15th last season. Morstead’s punts had the sixth-highest average of return yardage, while Waitman had the 8th-fewest.
Cornerback Nate Hobbs came over from the Packers, while the splash move was trading for Osa Odighizuwa from Dallas.
Today, we ask which move was the worst so far in free agency for the 49ers. It doesn’t have to be a signing. Maybe you wanted the team to bring back a player like Jauan Jennings or Brian Robinson Jr. Perhaps you think the team should sign another pass rusher.
We all know a safety will be selected sooner than later in the NFL Draft next month. That would be the biggest surprise if the 49ers headed into the 2026 season with the safety group unchanged.
What has been your least favorite 49ers free agency move so far?
My answer: Nate Hobbs 1 year, $4 million
It’s less about the contract and the player and more about the plan for Hobbs. Hobbs played 29 special teams snaps last season for the Packers. He spent 232 of his 358 snaps playing cornerback out wide, while the rest were at nickel.
When Hobbs was lined up at cornerback, he allowed 12 of his 19 targets to be completed for 190 yards, a 131.5 quarterback rating, with an EPA of +15.4. Two of those targets resulted in touchdowns.
OK, so how did he fare against the one NFC West team the Packers played last season? Hobbs allowed three first downs on five targets and gave up receptions of 24 and 35 yards against the Cardinals in Week 7.
The most concerning part about Hobbs’ last season when targeted was the separation. George Pickens got the best of him on three targets. One was a 50/50 ball, but Hobbs was about five yards away on a 15-yard touchdown pass he surrendered. In that Week 4 matchup, Hobbs allowed two touchdowns and three first downs for an average of 13.8 yards on six targets. One of those targets was dropped.
In Hobbs’ defense, he didn’t exactly have the easiest of matchups. Terry McLaurin, Ja’Marr Chase, Pickens, Marvin Harrison Jr., Tet McMillian, the Ben Johnson offense. But that’s the NFL today. There’s nowhere to hide.
Hobbs average separation this past season on his targets was 2.6 yards. With the Raiders last year, it was 3.6 yards, and 4.1 the year prior. Hobbs lack of special teams usage is what makes this move peculiar. Is he a Renardo Green hedge? Does Hobbs play nickel, and Upton Stout moves to safety? Or do they look at the quality athlete Hobbs is and say, “Hey, if you wanna play in the league, you’re gonna have to cover kicks.”
The 49ers aren’t paying Hobbs like a starter. Again, the critique is more about the unknown(from the outside looking in) than anything else.
What is your answer? What should the 49ers have done differently through the first week of free agency?
