Free agency priorities
Quarterback
Colin Kaepernick has as much upside as any quarterback in this draft class, but he’s not ready to play next season. They need a veteran stopgap to play in his absence, which could be as easy as resigning incumbent Alex Smith, who Jim Harbaugh seems to like.
Nose Tackle
Aubrayo Franklin will probably get a big long term extension from somewhere. If the 49ers don’t want to be the ones who pay that, they’ll need a different nose tackle through free agency.
Wide Receiver
Ted Ginn was one of the worst slot receivers in the league last year. They drafted Ronald Johnson, who has a lot of upside, but he isn’t ready to contribute in that capacity yet. Look for them to add a veteran through free agency.
Draft Needs
Quarterback
Mike Singletary was fired for switching quarterbacks too many times, but you kind of can’t blame him. All three of his quarterbacks, Alex Smith, David Carr, and Troy Smith struggled mightily. I guess he was just following old advice, if you can’t beat them, confuse them. Only Alex Smith showed any flashes of being a legitimate signal caller in this league and he was so inconsistent that those flashes didn’t really matter. Expect the 49ers to either draft a quarterback in the first (Ryan Mallett, Cam Newton, Blaine Gabbert, Jake Locker) at #7 or make a trade for Kevin Kolb. Kolb would be a perfect fit for new coach Jim Harbaugh’s west coast offense with his exceptional short and intermediate accuracy. He would likely cost about 2 2nd round picks (the equivalent of what Houston gave up for Matt Schaub in 2007). If they go with a rookie, expect them to keep Alex Smith, a free agent, as a stopgap.
Drafted Colin Kaepernick (#36)
Rush Linebacker
Ahmad Brooks and/or Manny Lawson were supposed to step up huge this year and become a legitimate #1 pass rushing threat for this team after both closed out 2009 so well. They combined for 7.5 sacks. No 49er had more than 6 sacks (middle linebacker Patrick Willis) and Brooks with 5 led the way for the rush linebackers. If they get Kolb and don’t go quarterback at #7, a rush linebacker like North Carolina’ Robert Quinn makes sense.
Drafted Aldon Smith (#7), Drafted Bruce Miller (#221)
Cornerback
I outlined this as their biggest need last offseason, but they didn’t draft a corner until the 7th round. Their 23rd ranked pass defense wasn’t terrible, but they need a young corner to groom behind Nate Clements. Clements is 31 and overpaid so they probably want to be able to replace him as soon as possible.
Drafted Chris Culliver (#80), Drafted Curtis Holcomb (#250)
Wide Receiver
Michael Crabtree is good. Josh Morgan could be upgraded. Ted Ginn…yikes. Dominique Ziegler is their #4 receiver. They need some depth at the position so they can spread the field more. Julio Jones is a sleeper for the #7 spot if the 49ers trade for Kolb. Kolb, Crabtree, Jones, Vernon Davis, Frank Gore, that could be an extremely explosive offense.
Drafted Ronald Johnson (#182)
Nose Tackle
Aubrayo Franklin was franchise tagged after his breakout year last year, as the 49ers felt he needed to prove himself in more than one year to get a longterm deal. He regressed in 2010 so he probably won’t get the longterm deal he’s looking for from the Niners which means he might not be back.
3-4 Defensive End
Isaac Sopoaga is strong against the run, but doesn’t offer much of a pass rush. They could look at upgrades at the position if someone like Marcell Dareus falls to them at #7.
Center
Former guard David Baas struggled at center this season. They could be looking for upgrades so they can move Baas back to his natural position.
Football Fan Spot 