Kyle Madson
March 24, 2024 12:00 pm PT
The 49ers’ offense fell just short in the Super Bowl, posting just 22 points in four quarters plus an overtime possession. With the margins for error as slim as they are in close losses like the one they suffered in the final game of the 2023 season it’s not necessarily required that they make major changes to their team. Offensively they were a juggernaut last year. A couple of tweaks would definitely be helpful, but they’ve put themselves in position to be a high-quality offensive team again in 2024.
Have they gotten better this offseason though? Most of their moves through free agency have come on the defensive side, leaving the offense in mostly the same spot it was on February 11.
Here’s a quick rundown of each position and whether the 49ers are better, worse or neutral at that spot after the first couple free agency waves:
Quarterback: Neutral
(Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
There could be arguments that the 49ers got worse under center since Sam Darnold is probably better than Josh Dobbs, but the gap isn’t wide enough to say San Francisco is worse off at quarterback. Brock Purdy will get a full offseason to work on being a quarterback instead of rehabbing his elbow, which bodes well for the 49ers.
Running back: Neutral
(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
The running back room hasn’t changed, although this could be a spot the 49ers attack in the draft with Elijah Mitchell entering the final year of his rookie contract and Christian McCaffrey approaching 30.
Fullback: Neutral
(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
The team retained Kyle Juszczyk thanks to a pay cut taken by the veteran fullback. Losing him would have required a pretty dramatic shift in offensive philosophy by head coach Kyle Shanahan this offseason.
Wide receiver: Neutral for now
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For now we’ll say the 49ers WR room is neutral. Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk still top the depth chart. Aiyuk’s long-term status is very much up in the air though and it’s hard to conceive of this offseason being anything short of a disaster if the 49ers can’t come to an agreement on a long-term deal with the former first-round pick. Jauan Jennings received a second-round tender, but he’s yet to sign it and could conceivably wind up with another club. Chris Conley returned and Ray-Ray McCloud left to join the Falcons. Second-year WR Ronnie Bell and third-year WR Danny Gray are still around as well. The 49ers might go into the year with every key piece of its receiving corps intact. They might also lose two of their top pass catchers and run blockers at the position. For now though they’ve moved laterally at the position.
Tight end: Worse
Darren Yamash*ta-USA TODAY Sports
The good news is George Kittle is still playing at an All-Pro level. The bad news is Charlie Woerner left in free agency to join the Falcons and Ross Dwelley is still unsigned. That leaves second-year players Cameron Latu and Brayden Willis to do the heavy lifting required of backup TEs in the 49ers offense. Both players could certainly contribute more in their sophom*ore campaigns, but neither is a proven commodity of any sort in the NFL.
Offensive line: Neutral (ostensibly worse)
Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Neutral on the offensive line is not good enough for the 49ers. They need to shore up the right side of their offensive line. It wouldn’t be a catastrophe if they go into the year with the same starting five they had last season, but it would be a pretty major disappointment given how glaring the need is. They extended Colton McKivitz at one-year for up to $7 million, which leaves the door open financially for a move to the interior. There’s plenty of room for the 49ers to improve up front. They’ll likely use at least one of their trio of Day 1 and 2 picks to draft some offensive line help. San Francisco can’t go into 2024 without trying to make some significant upgrades on the OL.
Overall: Neutral with less depth
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The key pieces of the 49ers offense are still in place. That the starting unit remains intact is good news. Their depth at tight end is worse though and their lack of significant movement on the offensive line doesn’t bode well for some kind of step forward for the offense in the 2024 season. We’ll say neutral for now, but one injury on the OL or at TE could derail San Francisco in a big way.
