Your daily San Francisco 49ers news for Tuesday, March 4th, 2025
49ers’ spending spree has caught up with them. How will it affect roster building? (paywall)
“In the NFL, cash spending is different from salary cap dollars because the cap can be manipulated, often by restructuring contracts to push money into future years. Last year, for example, when the salary cap was $255.4 million, the 49ers spent $334 million in cash, most in the NFL.
In 2023 the 49ers ranked sixth in cash spending. They were fifth in 2021, fifth in 2020 and third in 2019, when they launched a five-season run that included four trips to the NFC Championship Game and two Super Bowls (2023 was the exception, when they ranked 17th).
They are now coming off a 6-11 season that was preceded by extensions for McCaffrey, Williams and Aiyuk, who received a total of $62.98 million in paid-up-front signing bonuses.”
One-time 49ers star Deebo Samuel comes to Washington with a weight on his shoulders (paywall)
“A big issue was Samuel’s weight. He had pneumonia in Week 7, and an array of injuries — calf, ribs, oblique and wrist — throughout the year kept him out of practices. And when Samuel didn’t practice, he gained weight. A lot of weight. Let’s just say he crossed that 220-pound threshold with gusto and at one point tipped the scales at what you might want your starting tight end to be.
The performances and statistics reflected it, especially in the second half of the season.”
49ers met with Virginia Tech DT Aeneas Peebles, who earned a standout pass rush grade
“Virginia Tech defensive tackle Aeneas Peebles is among the most tenacious and technically savvy prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft,” Melo wrote. “Peebles is a flat-out game-wrecker.”
Peebles played one season at Virginia Tech after transferring from Duke. In 2024, he recorded 31 tackles (seven for loss), three sacks, and three passes defensed, according to Pro Football Reference.
Peebles earned 37 pressures and a 91.2 pass rush grade from Pro Football Focus, the highest among all qualifying interior defenders last season. His 89.1 defensive grade marked a career high.
Deebo Samuel says ‘no bad blood’ with 49ers, addresses weight reports
“49ers know where I stand with them and it’s nothing but love,” Samuel wrote. “Love [GM] John [Lynch] and [head coach] Kyle [Shanahan] to death no bad blood no way shape or form. They know I’m more than appreciative of everything they done for me as a player and a man nothing but love [love].”
Kawakami: 7 things we’ve learned from the 49ers’ Deebo Samuel discarding (paywall)
“I asked a few NFL people when the tide really changed for Deebo inside 49ers HQ and the answer I kept getting: the Super Bowl in February 2024, when Kyle Shanahan repeatedly tried to get the ball to Deebo, who failed to produce much of anything. He caught 3 passes for 33 yards, ran it 3 times for 8 yards, and was a complete non-factor — when one big play might’ve won it all.
A great 2024 season from Deebo could’ve changed the mood.”
Potential 49ers draft target shines as one of the Combine’s biggest risers
“Kiper also highlighted concerns about LSU’s Will Campbell due to arm length and Ohio State’s Josh Simmons, who is recovering from a knee injury, which could boost Membou’s stock.
Several mock drafts have linked Membou and Texas’ Kelvin Banks Jr. to the 49ers at No. 11 overall. If San Francisco hopes to land Membou, they’ll need to hope his standout Combine performance doesn’t push him out of reach.
“[Membou] showed his quickness Sunday with a 4.91-second 40 time,” Kiper wrote. “He showed his power with a 9-foot, 7-inch broad jump (tops among offensive linemen) and a 34-inch vertical (fourth). And we already know he has the experience that teams like to see, with 30 career starts.”