San Francisco 49ers 2024 free agent tracker: Floyd

This is an ongoing overview of the San Francisco 49ers’ moves and notable departures during the free agency season. The legal tampering window opened Monday at 9 a.m. PT, and the NFL’s new league year, which allows teams to formally sign free players who played elsewhere in 2023, begins on Wednesday.

DT Jordan Elliott

Elliott, who has only five sacks in his career, is a space eater who has developed into a starter on a good Browns’ front in recent years. Elliott’s agent confirmed the news on March 12th. The 49ers need to replace hundreds of lost snaps on the interior of the defensive line, and Elliott is the first step in that replenishment process.

S George Odum

The 49ers and George Odum have agreed to a two-year agreement that would keep Odum under contract until the 2026 season, according to Odum’s agent, Matt Glose. The contract might be valued up to $10.8 million. With Charlie Woerner departing for Atlanta, Odum is the team’s top special teams player, and he provides seasoned depth at safety behind youngsters Talanoa Hufanga and Ji’Ayir Brown. Odum tore his biceps on November 23 but returned late in the season, playing 66 special teams snaps in the playoffs.

DL Clelin Ferrell

Ferrell, who signed a one-year deal with the 49ers this offseason, is set to join the Washington Commanders, according to league sources who spoke with The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. Ferrell, the Raiders’ No. 4 pick in the 2019 draft, will start all 17 regular-season games for the 49ers in 2023. His numbers weren’t particularly impressive (28 tackles and 3 1/2 sacks), but he was a solid presence at defensive end opposite Nick Bosa. He had a torn meniscus in the team’s Week 18 game, necessitating surgery and forcing him to miss the postseason.

QB Sam Darnold

The Minnesota Vikings were expecting to sign Darnold to a one-year contract worth $10 million on March 11, the first night of the permissible tampering period, according to the NFL Network. Team sources confirmed the agreement to The Athletic on Tuesday morning. Darnold signed a one-year contract with the 49ers last season and beat out Trey Lance for the backup role during training camp. Last season, he played in ten games for San Francisco, largely as a late-game fill-in. His one start came in Week 18, after the 49ers clinched the No. 1 postseason spot. In that game, he completed 16 out of 26 passes for 189 yards and one touchdown. The 49ers had long assumed he would be too expensive to keep as a backup for a second season. They reached an agreement on a one-year contract with Brandon Allen, the team’s No. 3 quarterback last season.

DT Javon Kinlaw

March 11: When the 49ers chose Kinlaw in the first round of 2020, New York Jets coach Robert Saleh was the defensive coordinator. Four years later, Saleh will have the opportunity to coach Kinlaw again after signing a one-year contract with New York, a league source confirmed. The defensive tackle overcome a rocky, injury-plagued start to his career with a strong 2023 season. His finest football came late, earning him this shot with the Jets. It would be intriguing to see where the 49ers go to supplement Javon Hargrave at defensive tackle.

DE Yetur Gross-Matos

March 11: According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, the 49ers intend to sign the defensive lineman to a two-year contract worth up to $18 million. Gross-Matos’ deal may include a major incentive component, given he was mostly a rotational tackle for the Carolina Panthers over four seasons. However, Gross-Matos has demonstrated the same versatility in the pros that the 49ers admired when he graduated from college in 2020. Despite his large frame, he has been versatile enough to position up inside for a number of shots. And that versatility can be beneficial for a 49ers club seeking for quality depth along its defensive line. Kris Kocurek, the unit’s position coach, urges them to assault in waves.

WR Jauan Jennings

Jauan Jennings, a restricted free agent, was offered a one-year deal by the 49ers on March 11. The 49ers made an offer to Jennings in the second round, valued $4.89 million. Jennings can negotiate with other clubs, but the 49ers have first refusal. If Jennings leaves for a higher salary elsewhere, the 49ers will earn a second-round pick. During the recent NFL Scouting Combine, 49ers general manager John Lynch stated that the team was interested in bypassing the tender process and signing Jennings to a long-term agreement. The 49ers can still accomplish it. The formal extension of this tender may provide a useful parameter for a potential transaction.

DE Leonard Floyd

March 11: The 49ers got a bookend for Nick Bosa in Floyd, who had a career-high 10 1/2 sacks with the Bills. Floyd, 31, will be one of the 49ers’ oldest defenders by 2024. However, he has not missed a game in six seasons and has recorded at least nine sacks in each of the last four seasons. Kyle Shanahan and offensive line coach Chris Foerster, who coached against Floyd for three seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, are familiar with him, as is new assistant Brandon Staley, who formerly worked with the Chicago Bears and the Los Angeles Rams. The 49ers signed Floyd to a two-year contract.

TE Charlie Woerner

March 11: The Atlanta Falcons signed the tight end to a three-year contract worth up to $12 million. His agent, Alex Essex, has confirmed the news. He stated that six organizations had offered Woerner, who grew up roughly two hours outside of Atlanta, a contract. The 49ers selected Woerner in the sixth round of the 2020 draft. He matured into a strong run blocker and special teams player, but he only caught 11 passes for 120 yards during the last four seasons. The 49ers have long been looking for a tight end with more receiving ability to pair with George Kittle. Woerner’s departure might enter into the compensatory calculation, allowing the 49ers to acquire a later-round pick in the 2025 draft.

QB Brandon Allen

On March 11, the 49ers re-signed Allen, the 31-year-old third-string quarterback in 2023. A league source confirmed the report. The team is obviously still interested in bolstering the backup quarterback position behind Brock Purdy, though it’s uncertain whether Sam Darnold — who held that position in 2023 — will remain within their budget. Allen fits within that cost structure, and the 49ers are pleased to have a solid experienced presence back in the room to assist Purdy. Allen previously supported Joe Burrow in Cincinnati.

DL Arik Armstead

March 10: The 49ers are set to part ways with their longest-tenured player after the two parties were unable to reach an agreement to cut Armstead’s salary, which is the third highest on the club in 2024. Armstead, 30, has missed 13 games over the last two seasons and played in the 2023 postseason with an ailing knee. However, the 49ers’ roster is low at defensive lineman, and Armstead might return if he does not receive a better offer on the open market.

OL Ben Bartch

March 10: The 49ers agreed to a one-year contract with Bartch, who was slated to become a free agency on Wednesday. Bartch, 25, was signed from the Jacksonville Jaguars’ practice squad at midseason and played in five games (28 offensive snaps). Offensive line coach Chris Foerster praised Bartch’s agility and ability at guard and center, where he will battle with Nick Zakelj and others this spring. Bartch sustained a significant knee injury in 2022, and Foerster stated the offensive lineman was still getting into shape last season.

DB Isaiah Oliver

On March 10, the New York Jets and Oliver agreed to a one-year deal. Oliver was signed by the 49ers last year to be their nickel cornerback, but by the conclusion of training camp, he had lost his hold on the position. At the end of the season, he was spending a lot of time working at safety, where the Jets saw him playing. The 49ers released Oliver last month, freeing roughly $2.4 million in salary cap space.

OT Colton McKivitz

The 49ers signed McKivitz, a 17-game starter at right tackle in 2023, to a one-year contract worth up to $7 million, his representative confirmed. That means McKivitz, 27, is now signed until the 2025 season. This does not stop the organization from making a move for a tackle in free agency or the draft, but his extension provides San Francisco with some buffer at the position.