The San Francisco 49ers wasted little time in getting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo under a new contract by hammering out a five-year, $137.5 million deal.
This quickly stabilized the quarterback position, as the 49ers still have plenty of salary cap space to use this offseason to improve the roster around Garoppolo. According to Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group, general manager John Lynch hopes having the 26-year-old in place over the next several seasons can be used to help convince free agents to sign with the 49ers.
#49ers John Lynch on Garoppolo effect on free agency recruiting:
We're fully aware of all the work we have to do. This was a big piece. Heading into free agency this is a big deal. It's 75 degrees and sunny outside. we have this guy. Who wouldn't want to be here.— Cam Inman (@CamInman) February 9, 2018
There is no question that Garoppolo has made a positive impact on the 49ers in his brief time in San Francisco, as optimism swirls around the organization heading into next year. This massive contract officially makes him the new face of the franchise as their star quarterback.
Article Continues BelowThe 49ers are expected to have over $80 million in salary cap space to make moves, which should include bringing back running back Carlos Hyde on a new deal. Meanwhile, Lynch has made it clear that the team will be aggressive in free agency to address many of the needs on the roster.
John Lynch on #49ers free agency plan: "We're going to be aggressively prudent, always make wise decisions and do things we feel are a fit and give us an opportunity to be a better organization."
— Cam Inman (@CamInman) February 9, 2018
The 49ers are in a unique position to vastly improve the team drastically this offseason and possibly compete for a playoff spot in 2018. The front office must work wise'y in free agency to avoid making any rash decisions to commit to a huge contract that could backtrack their efforts.
With the free agency period still just over a month away, the 49ers still have plenty of time to put together a plan of action on how they want to approach free agency and which players to target on the open market. All of this should make for a busy offseason in San Francisco.