Getty Darrel Williams #31 of the Kansas City Chiefs carries the ball as K.J. Wright #34 of the Las Vegas Raiders defends during the first half in the game at Allegiant Stadium on November 14, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
In 2021, the San Francisco 49ers attempted to upgrade their roster for an affordable price, but an ex-Seattle Seahawks star didn’t appreciate their approach.
Part of building a Super Bowl-contending roster is delegating money when you can, and getting a decent deal for important role players and pieces. An example of that from the 2021 San Francisco roster is receiver Mohamed Sanu.
Sanu played for the veteran minimum in 2021 per Spotrac, and the Niners were able to add a guy with tons of experience and proven ability for cheap. An example of that situation not working out would be former Seattle Seahawk and current Las Vegas Raiders linebacker K.J. Wright.
Speaking on “Bussin’ with the Boys” recently, the 11-year veteran revealed the 49ers approached him last offseason. Wright described his experience with general manager John Lynch.
“[49ers general manager] John Lynch called me,” Wright said. “He’s like, ‘K.J., what’s up, man? I see you’re still a free agent.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, you noticed?’ He was like, ‘Man, we would love to get you out here, would love to get you out here, man. You know, we’ve always watched you. We thought it was a no-brainer that you would sign with Seattle.’ That’s what he said and I was like, ‘Yeah, you know, that didn’t happen.’ And so, ‘Yeah, man, wanna come out here and get a visit in?'”
The visit never occurred, primarily because Wright says the 49ers offered him the veteran minimum and referred to the minimum offers from both San Francisco and Seattle as “dogs***”
“There’s no way that KJ Wright’s name will be signed next to a vet minimum contract,” Wright said.
ALL the latest 49ers news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on 49ers newsletter here!
Wright Chooses Raiders Over 49ers, Seahawks
The No. 1 reason that Wright picked the Raiders is that they had the best offer. While the 49ers and Seahawks offered the minimu, Las Vegas ponied up a deal worth $3.495 million contract for 1 year, with $3.24 million guaranteed.
But did it pay off? Well, it depends on how a team values a linebacker who isn’t a consistent starter. Wright started on and off again in 2021, getting the nod eight times and playing in all 17 regular season games.
He finished the season with 25 solo tackles and two tackles for loss, with no forced fumbles, recoveries, interceptions or sacks. That being said, his missed tackle rate was as good as ever, only missing 5.7% of the time per PFR.
For that kind of money, it’s hard to see a scenario where the Niners would have gotten great value for Wright, but Lynch and San Francisco will never know for sure.
49ers May Trade Linebacker This Offseason
Speaking of linebackers on the move, the 49ers may elect to trade young outside linebacker Dre Greenlaw per ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler. In a story looking at potential trade pieces for various teams, Fowler lists Greenlaw as an option.
“The 49ers paid their top linebacker, Fred Warner, $95 million over five years,” Fowler wrote. “Allocating resources for a second linebacker is a tough ask. Greenlaw, a 2023 free agent, has played well enough to attract some teams willing to give up a mid-to-late-round pick and extend him.”
If the Niners get a good offer, it may be hard to turn down a draft pick or package for the up-and-coming player.
His hard-hitting play has made him a favorite in San Francisco, but the 49ers only have so much cap space and, as Fowler mentions, they’ve committed a lot to the linebacker position via Fred Warner.