Can the 49ers build around Purdy’s megadeal?

The pressure is on for Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch.

Brock Purdy’s reported five-year, $265-million extension involves plenty of layers. The numbers, though staggering, shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Any young quarterback who’s seen as a long-term starter has the leverage to top $50 million per season. And the San Francisco 49ers were never going to allow the cost of business to send them back to the drawing board at the most important position on the field.

Purdy may be several steps below the NFL’s truly elite passers, but he’s not a quarterback who’s exclusively being propped up by Kyle Shanahan’s system. He’s mastered it, and that’s value in itself. This payday was inevitable from the moment the former Mr. Irrelevant selection led the way to a Super Bowl appearance as a sophomore.

The real question is whether the 49ers can build another championship-caliber roster with a contract like this on the books. It certainly won’t be easy.

First and foremost, there’s a ton of work to be done. San Francisco had to reset its salary-cap situation after years of going all-in to chase a title, as well as in preparation for the looming Purdy contract. The result: a mass exodus of talent on both sides of the ball.

Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga, Charvarius Ward, Aaron Banks, and Jaylon Moore all found new homes in free agency. Deebo Samuel and Jordan Mason were traded, and the defensive line was left depleted after Javon Hargrave, Maliek Collins, and Leonard Floyd were released.

Superstars remain, but Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Trent Williams, and Brandon Aiyuk are all on top-of-the-market deals at their respective positions. Purdy joining the mix – and doing so with the biggest contract of the bunch – ensures there won’t be much financial flexibility. That makes it all the more imperative for the 49ers to consistently find cheap talent in the draft.

Shanahan and Lynch, like anyone else, tend to run hot and cold when it comes to that aspect of team building. They undoubtedly deserve credit for drafting many of the top talents listed above, thus laying the foundation for an outstanding run of success, but recent seasons have been a bit more of an adventure.

The Trey Lance fiasco in 2021 was the start of a bizarre stretch. Getting nothing out of a No. 3 overall selection is bad enough, but trading multiple first-rounders to do so made it hurt even more. Purdy aside, the picks they did have over the next two years returned little value.

2022
2023

2nd – DE Drake Jackson
3rd – S Ji’Ayir Brown

3rd – RB Tyrion Davis-Price
3rd – K Jake Moody

3rd – WR Danny Gray
3rd – TE Cameron Latu

4th – OL Spencer Burford
5th – CB Darrell Luter

5th – CB Samuel Womack
5th – DE Robert Beal

6th – OL Nick Zakelj
6th – LB Dee Winters

6th – DT Kalia Davis
7th – TE Brayden Willis

6th – CB Tariq Castro-Fields
7th – WR Ronnie Bell

7th – QB Brock Purdy
7th – S Jalen Graham

Early indications suggest the 2024 class may have been a step in the right direction. First-round receiver Ricky Pearsall showed some flashes down the stretch, Renardo Green looks like a potential starter at corner, Dominick Puni was an instant-impact player on the offensive line, and Malik Mustapha is a tone-setter flying downhill from safety. That could be an important group for the future.

There’s a lot to like about what San Francisco did in this year’s draft, too. The defensive line should be much improved against the run, as Mykel Williams, Alfred Collins, and CJ West all have the potential for immediate contributions. Williams, the No. 11 overall pick, also offers some untapped potential as a power-rusher, making him an intriguing long-term running mate for Bosa.

This year’s class did continue San Francisco’s trend of curious third-round decisions, though. Nick Martin and Upton Stout were surprising picks at their respective draft slots. Martin, selected No. 75 overall, was the 170th-ranked player on the NFL Mock Draft Database consensus big board. Stout, selected No. 100 overall, was 175th.

Good class or bad, the 49ers are making a habit of going way off the board on Day 2. In 2022, it was running back Tyrion Davis-Price in the third round. He saw 40 carries over two years before he was cut. In 2023, it was Jake Moody (a kicker!) and blocking tight end Cameron Latu. The 49ers are bringing in competition for Moody this offseason, and Latu was cut after one year.

Every front office has its fair share of misses, and the 49ers have had enough hits over the years that their whiffs weren’t too costly. But the financial weight of Purdy’s contract on an already top-heavy roster makes the margin for error decidedly narrow.

Shanahan and Lynch need to be at their absolute best for the team to overcome the new challenge of building around an expensive quarterback. Draft well enough, as they’ve done at times throughout their shared tenure, and the Super Bowl window doesn’t have to close. Keep taking kickers on Day 2, and it will.

Simple enough, right?

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