NFL free agency update: 49ers sign Weston Richburg
By John Buhler
After four years with the New York Giants, guard/center Weston Richburg will be moving west. He will sign a five-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers.
NFL free agency is starting to run wild here on Tuesday morning. We still have a full two days until these days become finalized, but apparently the San Francisco 49ers are in the business in giving out long deals once again. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the 49ers will sign offensive lineman Weston Richburg to a five-year deal on Wednesday.
The financial ramifications of Richburg’s deal have not yet been revealed, but a five-year deal for a four-year pro out of Colorado State should definitely turn some eyes. Back in 2014, the New York Giants used a second-round pick on Richburg to be their long-time starting center. While he has played in 51 NFL games to date, only four came in his contract year with the Giants.
New York was terrible last season with a dismal 3-13 record. The Giants offensive line was horrendous, yet two of its best players are hitting free agency in Richburg and guard/tackle Justin Pugh. So why is Richburg getting a five-year deal coming off an injury-riddled 2017 NFL campaign?
He is the ideal size at 6-foot-3, 298 pounds to start on the offensive interior in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s zone blocking scheme. The idea is that he’ll play next to veteran center Daniel Kilgore in San Francisco. San Francisco needed help at guard and adding Richburg to the offensive interior gives the 49ers some long-term stability there.
Contract Details
Details of Richburg’s contract have not been revealed in terms of how much money he will make over those five years. We do know that it is a five-year deal and that the 49ers made a conscience decision to target him early in free agency. It could be a big number, but big contracts is how the 49ers do business under this new regime.
National Reaction
The #49ers invest in protecting Jimmy Garoppolo. Weston Richburg was among @PFF's top-10 free agents on offense.
— Rob Lowder (@Rob_Lowder) March 13, 2018
"Before 2017, Richburg had seen 3,200 snaps during his first three seasons, including 2,112 in pass protection, of which he allowed only 48 total QB pressures." https://t.co/vGHhx8HP9k
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Grade
The 49ers do have ample cap space to address whatever amount of salary Richburg will command. He’ll be in his early 30s by the time the contract expires. Since he can play both guard and center, Richburg adds value to the 49ers offensive line. If he and Kilgore can work well together, that should help starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo flourish. However, giving a five-year deal to a middle of the pack center that will play guard initially seems a tad risky.
Grade: B