AgentDib":11clr6vt said:
Arik Armstead is coming up this off-season along with key role players in other areas like Breida, Celek, Verrett and Ward. DeForest Buckner and Solomon Thomas are hitting free agency the following off-season, along with Sherman, McKinnon, Kittle, Coleman and Williams.
Just as points of clarification on how dire you're making this out to be.
Here's the ten players you listed:
1) Verrett has played two snaps total. He got called for PI on the first one and gave up a TD on the second one. How does that make him a key role player?
2) Celek has played zero snaps this year. How does that make him a key role player?
3) McKinnon has played zero snaps this year. How does that make him a key role player?
4) Everyone agrees that Thomas is so far an absolute bust. He's a rotational backup. He's a role player but it would be news to all 9ers fans that he's a key one.
5) Breida is a restricted free agent. If they want to keep him he's not someone they have to pay for another two years, meaning in 2021.
6) Coleman has two years left on his deal. If they want to keep him they need to resign him for 2021.
7) Kittle has two years left on his deal. They need to resign him for 2021.
8) Williams has two years left on his deal. If they want to resign him -- which is a big if -- they need to do so for 2021.
9) Sherman has two years left on his deal. If they want to resign him, which is pretty unlikely, they need to do so for 2021.
10) Agreed about Armstead. He's a key role player they'll either need to resign or let walk this off-season.
11) Ward has been playing well for the last two weeks, but he has only been starting in 33% of games across his five year career. He's not hard to resign.
Basically in the next two years everyone agrees they're going to be resigning and extending Kittle and Buckner. Everyone also agrees they have more than enough money to do that.
I think you can look at who ANY TEAM has signed three years down the line and argue that they have some role players and some good players they'll either need to resign or let walk.
For instance, the Seahawks have 26 players total signed through 2021 compared to the 9ers 30.
As a 9ers fans there's a ton of things I'm uncertain about and worried about, but this one is VERY, VERY, VERY low on my list.