3 surprise cuts the 49ers can make this offseason
By John Buhler
The San Francisco 49ers have very little salary cap space entering 2022 NFL free agency.
If the San Francisco 49ers want to do much of anything in 2022 NFL free agency, they will need to free up some salary cap space.
Though technically under the cap, San Francisco only has $2,952,032 to work with presently. That is good enough for 23rd most in the NFL and well below the league average of $14,778,604. The good news for 49ers fans is help is on the way. If the San Francisco front office makes a few moves, they can add more players in free agency, sign its NFL Draft class and still have room.
Here are three players the 49ers could end up cutting to free up more cap space this offseason.
San Francisco 49ers: 3 prime candidates to be cut this offseason
Scouting Report. QB. Jimmy Garoppolo. player. Pick Analysis. San Francisco 49ers. 3. 42
Jimmy Garoppolo is more likely to be traded, but this is still an option
While the 49ers could free up a whopping $25.55 million in cap space by cutting starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, they are better served to recoup some of the draft capital they gave up to move up to take Trey Lance out of North Dakota State last year. Garoppolo is only a $1.4 million dead cap hit for 2022 and accounts for 12.85 percent of the 49ers’ salary cap for next year.
By making this one move, it catapults the 49ers to nearly a top-10 salary cap situation. The problem is cutting him should only be used as a last resort. They need to try to get something sizable in return for him, even though he is playing on an expiring contract. There are plenty of quarterback-desperate teams out there who would be willing to give up compensation for him.
That is why cutting Garoppolo would be shocking and not all that likely to happen. While one would assume the 49ers will try to recoup some picks before the 2022 NFL Draft, they could settle for 2023 NFL Draft compensation if he is cut after June 1. It would still be at a $1.4 million dead cap hit, but the 49ers would rather not have to eat that if they can get some draft capital.
The savings the 49ers could get by cutting Garoppolo would help, but they can get more via trade.