49ers' Free Agency Moves Boost Defense, Offense

0:00It's March 26th. Welcome in. This is NFL News Today, where the league meets AI. I'm Cory with the story. Free agency in the NFL is mostly wrapped up with the big star assigned and teams now hunting for veteran minimum deals. ESPN analyst Benjamin Solack ranked all 32 teams on how well they spent their money, kept roster flexibility for the draft and played the contract game smartly. The San Francisco 49ers came out looking sharp in his eyes thanks to some savvy moves that boosted their defense and offense without breaking. The bank. One standout was their deal for why receiver Mike Evans. It's super team friendly, with just $14 million guaranteed upfront and future years loaded with easy out-option bonuses. At age 33, he's locked in for basically one season, perfect if he slows down. Solack sees him as a vertical threat, third down specialist, and red zone weapon, solving those short yardage headaches from last year. They also nailed a trade for defensive linemen Jonah

1:02Odidizua, swapping just a third round pick for a 28-year-old pass rusher with three, years of control. That's huge value at a position of need. Low-risk flyers on players like Ambrie Thomas and Dre Greenlaw could add a rotational depth or even starter upside, all on bargain contracts. Solack had no complaints. Everything fit perfectly. It shores up wide receiver depth with someone like Kirk, and there's talk of a steadier left guard option over past struggles. Plus, it lets other defenders like Keon White slide back into natural roles while runstoppers focus on the trenches. With injuries like those to Nick Bosa and others on the mend and the draft looming, these tweaks give the 49ers real momentum toward another strong run.