The 49ers' roster looks very different. Sam Darnold's deal was smaller than expected. Let's size up the best and worst moves of free agency.
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WINNER: OT Laramey Tunsil
Nobody has parlayed being traded at the right time into more money than Tunsil. In 2019, when the Texans traded two first-round picks to acquire him from the Dolphins, he declined to sign an extension as part of the deal. A year later, he took then-general manager Bill O'Brien to the cleaners, signing a three-year, $66 million contract that both moved the left tackle market forward and allowed him the potential to hit free agency again before turning 30.
Before the Texans drafted quarterback C.J. Stroud in 2023, they gave Tunsil another three-year deal, this time for $75 million. Now, with Stroud entering the final year of his bargain deal before presumably getting paid next offseason, the left tackle is on the move again. The Texans traded Tunsil to the Commanders on Monday, swapping fourth-round picks while landing second- and third-round selections from Washington in the process.
The Commanders were reportedly happy with what they saw from rookie left tackle Brandon Coleman over the second half of 2024, but his ability as a run blocker might make him a better fit on the right side, where he could take over from Andrew Wylie. Tunsil is coming off a disappointing season in which he led the league in penalties, but I'd chalk up some of the issues with the Houston offensive line to the broader struggles that plagued the offense last season. He will have to adjust to an offense that plays out of the pistol and shotgun, but he was able to do that just fine during the Deshaun Watson era in Houston.
The Texans are understandably upset with what they saw from their offensive line a year ago and are cleaning house. In addition to firing offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik and offensive line coach Chris Strausser in January, general manager Nick Caserio releasedguard Shaq Mason over the weekend before trading away Tunsil. The two most experienced players on Houston's line are no longer in the building.
That's good to hear. From a "what's left to do on the OL" perspective, it seems to be two-fold:
1) Capable replacement for Cosmi who can become a solid swing/back-up on his return
2) Replacement back-up C
Per my earlier post, these coincide nicely with a relative strength of the draft in the area we expect to be picking. Some guys who could be available (a lot are listed as OT, where they played in college, but profile better to the interior in the league):
Late first/
maybe early 2nd:
G. Zabel (OT -- projects as G, also can play C)
Mid/late 2nd, early 3rd:
D. Jackson (OT/G -- natural LG who played LT well for OSU after starter went down; question if he could play RG or if Allegretti could move over until SC return)
W. Milum (LT -- projects better at G; is he a left side only guy, or could he move to RG?)
3rd rd:
O. Trapilo (RT -- if he's able to start as a R, maybe Coleman could play at G?)
M. Mbow (light OT who projects inside at either RG or C)
T. Ratledge (pure RG)
Zabel and Milum seem tailor-made for our situation, and Ratledge seems like a good immediate fit w/ potential to be a long-term piece.
