Your daily San Francisco 49ers news for Wednesday, March 5th, 2025
Schefter: 49ers QB Brock Purdy’s extension might not cost as much as most expect
“So if you don’t get a deal done with Brock Purdy, and you’re the Niners, and again, this would not be what Brock Purdy would want, I would imagine, it’s not what his agent would want, he would play for $5 million this year, $41 [million] next year, $51 [million] the year after,” Schefter explained. “You’re talking about $97-plus million over the next three years, which, for most people, would be incredible money, but not for a quarterback who’s waiting to get paid.
“So the Niners have a bit of a cap issue, cash issue, and so they can’t put Brock Purdy necessarily where he might [want to] be. They can go to a certain level they’d want to pay him, but it’s not going to be, I would imagine, quite as high as most people think…..And then you’ll have a chance to hit free agency in four years,” Schefter continued. “You’ll be a true free agent. And at that point, who knows what quarterbacks are being paid? Maybe it’s $100 million a year.”
Why 49ers’ tone on trading Brandon Aiyuk has shifted significantly this year (paywall)
“A trade would give the 49ers more financial breathing room in future years. And that would be significant considering they are expected to sign quarterback Brock Purdy to a contract extension this offseason that will have a dramatic impact on their future salary cap.
Beyond the financial benefit, however, trading Aiyuk appears illogical. Unless, that is, the 49ers received compensation that would allow them to replace the production of a player who had 153 catches for 2,357 yards and 15 touchdowns from 2022-23.
And what team would offer such compensation for Aiyuk given his remaining contract and medical file? Aiyuk is still rehabbing from a multi-ligament knee injury that could sideline him for the start of the 2025 season and could conceivably have a lasting impact on his performance.
The 49ers traded Deebo Samuel to Washington on Saturday, meaning that, even with Aiyuk on the roster, they probably need to add a proven wideout this offseason. In addition, Purdy’s statistical regression last year was certainly partly tied to the absence of Aiyuk. It would be odd to subtract Aiyuk, who is perhaps the franchise QB’s most trusted target and one the few frontline players on an aging roster who is younger than 27.
The 49ers are coming off a six-win season, but that doesn’t mean they are positioned to trade Aiyuk in a salary dump move. They might be recalibrating their financial approach, but their still talented roster means they aren’t rebuilding.
The likely scenario is that the 49ers keep Aiyuk, who was almost traded to the Steelers last year on the day he signed his extension. With Lynch tied up on the phone speaking with Pittsburgh, Shanahan ran upstairs to the GM’s office to prevent a deal from being finalized after a clear-the-air conversation with Aiyuk.”
Dane Brugler mock draft: 49ers select Georgia DE Mykel Williams
“Although his 2024 season didn’t go as planned (mostly due to a nagging ankle injury), Williams has the length and physical traits that have teams excited about his NFL future,” Brugler wrote. “He is an outstanding run defender and holds a lot of promise as a pass rusher.”
PFF: Combine measurables could make Mason Graham attainable for 49ers
“Like Will Campbell, Graham’s measurables in Indianapolis did not help his case to be a top-10 pick,” Sikkema wrote. “He was 24 pounds lighter (296 pounds) than what Michigan listed him at, and his 32-inch arms place him in the 12th percentile for the position.”
“Graham earned elite PFF overall grades over the past two seasons, but the league doesn’t love drafting prospects with measurable limitations early. That would be to the 49ers’ delight, as they could get a starting-caliber 3-technique defensive tackle outside the top 10.”
Why Adams-to-49ers is unlikely but worth exploring after Jets release
“Therefore, Lynch spoke at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis last week about the need for the team to “recalibrate.”
So the question becomes whether the 49ers will want to extend financially to the level it would take to attract Adams to return to the Bay Area. Adams went to Palo Alto High and attended Fresno State before the Packers chose him with the 53rd overall pick in the 2014 draft.
He was scheduled to make $35.64 million in base salary from the Jets, a figure that never seemed remotely justifiable.
The 49ers have a little money to spend. They have more than $30 million in cap space, but a top priority is a new deal this offseason for quarterback Brock Purdy.
Adams would have to be flexible and work with the 49ers on a contract structure in order for the sides to get serious about teaming up in 2025.”
NFL combine wrap-up: 49ers looking at edge rushers; did the OTs measure up? (paywall)
“Fifteen years ago, for example, then-Iowa tackle Bryan Bulaga, was hammered with the short-arm label. And his weren’t all that short — 33 1/4 inches. Bulaga fell to the Green Bay Packers at pick No. 23 and played 12 years in the league.
Campbell’s other measurables were strong. The 49ers want tackles who are good on the hoof and Campbell moved well, running the 40-yard dash in 4.98 seconds at 319 pounds. Quick feet also help compensate for short arms in pass protection.
Another high-end tackle, Missouri’s Armand Membou, was even bigger and faster, covering his 40 in 4.91 seconds at 332 pounds. Membou also had an impressive broad jump — 9 feet, 7 inches, tops among the offensive linemen — and he bench-pressed 225 pounds 31 times, which also leads his position.
Two months ago, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler mocked Membou to the 49ers at pick No. 11, which many saw as a stretch. Now it’s possible he won’t make it out of the Top 10.
Membou’s arms, by the way, were 33 1/2 inches.”
Maiocco’s NFL mock draft 3.0: 49ers select Missouri OT Membou
“It has to be a rare talent for the 49ers to take an O-line with the No. 11 pick, and Membou might be that person.”