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The San Francisco 49ers nearly shocked the football world last season. Entering the playoffs as the sixth seed in the NFC, San Francisco upset both Dallas and Green Bay to make the NFC championship game. Unfortunately for the 49ers, their Cinderella run met its end at the hands of the eventual champion Rams.
Key players such as Nick Bosa and Fred Warner remain, but San Francisco made a high amount of moves for a team of its caliber. Most notably, Jimmy Garoppolo is probably on the way out with second-year quarterback Trey Lance set to take his place.
However, not all of these moves helped the 49ers get closer to a Super Bowl. Some of these moves are risky and may end up costing San Francisco in the future.
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49ers Worst 2022 Offseason Moves
2. Letting Jaquiski Tartt walk
San Francisco took a chance on Tartt and selected him in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft out of Samford. Tartt rewarded the 49ers by being a consistent part of their sturdy defense for seven seasons. In 2021, he enjoyed one of his best seasons with a career-high 66 tackles, the fourth-most on the team.
Tartt played a key role in helping San Francisco become the third-best total defense in the league. The season ended on a sour note, however. Tartt dropped a sure interception in the fourth quarter of the NFC Championship that likely would've won the 49ers the game.
“That's a play I should make in my sleep and I didn't make it,” Tartt said after the game.
San Francisco elected not to re-sign Tartt after the season, and he eventually landed a one-year deal with Philadelphia. The 49ers not resigning Tartt is understandable by itself, he has injury concerns and the missed pick still leaves a bad taste in fans' mouths. The true problem is that they failed to find an adequate replacement.
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The 49ers now lack any sense of depth at the safety position. Jimmie Ward and George Odum, the two projected starters, are solid, but the only players behind them are either career backups or undrafted rookies. If one of their starters gets injured, the 49ers won't be able to match their strong defense from last year.
1. Not locking up Deebo Samuel
Samuel established himself as one of the league's premier receivers last season. The third-year wideout caught 77 balls for 1,405 yards and six touchdowns. He also rushed 59 times for 365 yards and eight touchdowns, proving himself to be a dual-threat option.
However, that success came at a cost to San Francisco. Samuel wanted a new contract that the 49ers couldn't afford with their cap, and even requested a trade. While he reported to the team's mandatory minicamp, the relationship remains precarious.
Samuel is entering the final year of his rookie deal. While he costs less than $5 million against the salary cap, leaving him on that deal means he can walk after the season.
The 49ers must sign Samuel to an extension before he gets the chance to leave. Other young receivers such as A.J. Brown and Terry McLaurin signed for around $25 million annually this offseason, so Samuel will likely command a similar deal. San Francisco doesn't have the cap space needed right now, but trading Garoppolo's near $27 million cap hit will make it easier to swallow.
If the relationship between Samuel and the 49ers is truly irreparable, then they have to trade him before he hits free agency. Tyreek Hill and Davante Adams both fetched big hauls in trades this offseason, so the 49ers would likely need a similar haul to consider trading Samuel. San Francisco obviously wants to sign Samuel long-term but they can afford to lose him for nothing in return.
