Through the first couple of months of the offseason, the San Francisco 49ers have made strong use of their large amount of salary cap space. It has helped them further solidify their roster ahead of the 2018 season.
This has also presented the chance to secure their core pieces under more structured deals. According to Ian Rapoport of The NFL Network, the 49ers have reworked the final two years of Pro Bowl offensive tackle Joe Staley's six-year, $44.6 million deal.
#49ers OT Joe Staley agreed to terms on a reworked contract for 2018 and beyond, source said. He was due to make $11M combined in ‘18-‘19, but he’ll now make $17.4M in all. He gets a raise in 2018, $8.72M instead of $5.5M.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 17, 2018
In his first 11 seasons in the league with the 49ers, Staley has established himself as one of the top offensive tackles in the league that has helped him earn six Pro Bowl selections and three Second-Team All-Pro nods. He has been an anchor on the offensive line and plays a critical spot protecting the blindside of promising quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
His presence will be key in helping Garoppolo fulfill his potential as possibly the next franchise quarterback that could lead San Francisco to much success. Staley only has two years left on his deal, but this increase could possibly be utilized as a tool to help keep him around after his current deal expires following the 2019 campaign.
What should also be taken away from this move is that the 49ers are making it clear that they want to build the team around Garoppolo. There is a tremendous amount of belief that he can take the team back to prominence in the NFL. This only makes decisions like this crucial to helping push the team forward in that direction by stabilizing the offensive line.
It has been a strong offseason that could be further strengthened later this month by what they do in the upcoming draft to add to their roster. The 49ers appear to be hedging toward being a team on the rise next season that could potentially be back in the mix for playoff contention.