GETTY Larry Warford is a hot commodity on the NFL's offensive line market, but the San Francisco 49ers' will have a tough time landing him.
Recent talk around the San Francisco 49ers has been focused on if general manager John Lynch and the 49ers front office should look to sign recently-released New Orleans Saints guard Larry Warford.
Warford became the hottest offensive line commodity in the league when the Saints announced his departure, especially after the 28-year-old made the Pro Bowl in three consecutive seasons in New Orleans.
However, Warford’s play will not come cheap for any NFL team interested in his services, and that makes things difficult for the 49ers.
Larry Warford’s Fit With 49ers
The disappointing part about why Warford is unlikely to transition to Santa Clara, California is primarily because he’s exactly what the 49ers need for 2020.
San Francisco moved on from Mike Person after the Super Bowl, setting up Daniel Brunskill to be the outright starter at right guard with Laken Tomlinson at left guard.
The retirement of Joe Staley was immediately addressed with the trade for Trent Williams, but the interior of the 49ers’ offensive line is possibly the weakest part of the roster.
Warford could likely start on either side, but based on starting experience and play, the Kentucky alum would get the nod on the right side with Tomlinson maintaining his spot at LG.
Warford’s pass-blocking prowess and experience with consistent playoff teams in New Orleans would be a much-welcomed addition, but his price tag will still be too steep for San Francisco.
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War Chest for Warford
The key thing to understand is that the situation is less about what Warford’s services costs, and more about the fact that 49ers are just too tight on money at the moment.
With $16,645,549 in cap space, there is enough room to sign Warford to a contract, which would probably be somewhere close to his previous deal, which was a four-year contract for $34 million and $17 million guaranteed.
However, huge contract extensions are of greater importance to San Francisco, most notably tight end George Kittle‘s next deal.
Lynch recently went on the 49ers Insider Podcast, talking about how the 49ers’ current financial situation doesn’t set up for many big moves this offseason.
“There’s always an opportunity to get better,” Lynch said. “We do like where our roster is at. We’re extremely happy with where it’s at. I don’t anticipate anything big coming — and we are kind of nudged up against the cap, as well.
“So there’s really not a lot of room to go do things like that. That’s for good reason. We have a lot of really good players and we’re extremely excited about that.”
The 49ers have had to navigate an offseason that almost guaranteed the departure of major players like Staley and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, and have done well to come out the other side with quality replacements in the form of Williams and 2020 NFL Draft 14th overall pick DT Javon Kinlaw.
However, by ensuring quality remains at those positions, the 49ers find their situation at the interior offensive line to be at around the same quality or a little worse than it was in 2019, which is to say mediocre.
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Evan Reier is a sportswriter covering the San Francisco 49ers for Heavy.com and local sports for the Montana Standard in Butte, MT. Follow and reach out to him on Twitter at @evanreier.
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Why the 49ers Can’t Sign Recently-Cut Pro-Bowler Larry Warford