Can Niners Sign Adams and Extend Kittle?

San Francisco is poised for another Super Bowl run this season and according to handicapping site sportsbookreview.com the 49ers are 10-1 to win the 2020 Super Bowl, trailing only the Ravens and Chiefs. However, some housekeeping needs to be addressed, the first of which is deciding whether to add a talented member to the squad and at what price can he be had? We speak, of course, of Jamal Adams, the disgruntled but supremely skilled New York Jets’ safety.

Naturally, New York does not want to trade the 24-year-old superstar but they may not have a choice if Adams decides to sit on the sidelines in anticipation of a much bigger paycheck. Ultimately, the Jets might blink first and wheel the highly coveted defensive back for a bounty of riches. Two destinations are being bandied about as both San Francisco, and Seattle, have made their interest known to the Jets’ brass. 

If the 49ers bolster their secondary with the game-changing Adams then it is fair to assume that the price will be steep. The Jets need to get their quarterback, Sam Darnold, more weapons than he currently has, and adding to their stable of wide receivers is chief among them. 

However, San Francisco is unlikely to part with a budding star of their own in Deebo Samuel, as it would leave their receiving corps without two of their top three receivers from last year with Samuel traded and Emmanuel Sanders now a member of the Saints. Therefore, the price tag would clearly include a first-rounder and perhaps a wide receiver like San Francisco’s second-round pick in 2018, Dante Pettis.

Even that might not be enough for the Jets but one must consider that the heavy lifting is not quite through even if the teams can reach an agreement. The 49ers would need to ink Adams to a big-money deal that would still allow them to extend tight end George Kittle’s contract past this season. The rumors have chilled that Kittle would sit until he got an extension after he began offseason workouts with his teammates prior to training camp. 

Kittle was asked about the workouts by CBS Sports’ Jordan Dajani, “So, I think it was a good start, but we have a long way to go, and I think the foundation we have put in and that everyone has put in this offseason will definitely give us a step ahead on some teams.”

Kittle also stated in a conference that, “Being a captain, I want to be there for my team, and I need to show the right leadership skills.” 

Those are not the words of a player intent on sitting out the season which is welcome news for Niners’ fans. Furthermore, San Francisco could potentially sign both Adams and Kittle to long term deals before the season begins. It would take a hefty dose of salary cap wizardry but it could be accomplished. After that, there would be little money left for anything other than an extra bag of balls but Adams could be the key piece to a Super Bowl championship this year and beyond. 

Mostert Wants More

Raheem Mostert went from a journeyman free agent to a major contributor in San Francisco’s Super Bowl run last year. His 772 rushing yards led the team during the regular season and he then added 336 yards on the ground over his three postseason performances. When the curtain closed on the 2019 season, Mostert tallied a combined 13 rushing touchdowns on a 5.6 yards-per-carry regular-season average and a 6.3 average postseason average. 

But now he wants more after San Francisco signed him to a three year, roughly $7.5 million deal in 2019 that was guaranteed in the first year only. A tweet released by his agent, Brett Tessler, stated the following, “After months of unproductive talks with the 49ers about fairly adjusting Raheem Mostert’s contract (which paid him for special teams) we have requested a trade. Disappointing that it would come to this for a guy who led all NFL RBs in YPC & helped lead them to the Super Bowl,” he wrote.

Mostert is the team’s fourth-highest-paid running back, trailing Jerick McKinnon ($7.5 million), fullback Kyle Juszczyk ($5.25 million), and Tevin Coleman ($4.25 million). But what most likely concerns Mostert and his agent, even more, is that he is currently 28-years-old and will be hit the ripe old age of 30, a birthday that is the death knell for most NFL running backs, when his contract expires after the 2021 season. 

But based on the many moving parts San Francisco is dealing with cap-wise, it is highly unlikely they will acquiesce and give Mostert double the money he is scheduled to make in 2020, which is roughly $2.5 million. Although the 49ers are convinced that while having Mostert on their roster is better than not having him, their talented line and creative offensive schemes would allow another player of similar talent to accrue roughly the same results. It’s a plug-and-play Belichickian mentality that states most players, especially at running back, are about the same with a few notable exceptions. 

The 49ers could eventually cede to his demands and trade him, but if not, it is highly doubtful they will pay him any more than his contract stipulates. Raheem Mostert – we hardly knew you.