Inman: 49ers retracing footsteps of 2023 Rams, 2024 Bills
SANTA CLARA — The 2024 Buffalo Bills went through this and rallied to reach January’s AFC Championship Game.
The 2023 Los Angeles Rams did, too, and they produced a second-place finish, then ascended even further to last season’s NFC West title.
The 49ers are not gutted, and now it’s their turn to follow the Bills’ and Rams’ to-do list: Bid farewell to past heroes, skip the expensive aisle in free agency, go younger, draft well, and win when all suspect you’ll lose.
General manager John Lynch went public weeks ago with the 49ers’ plan of a roster “reset,” so even though everyone had time to brace for this impact, it hits differently when beloved veterans exited all at once this week.
Vital leadership is needed in such times, and the 49ers have a key factor in common with those Bills and Rams franchises: a strong triumvirate at coach, general manager, and quarterback.
Lynch, coach Kyle Shanahan and quarterback Brock Purdy must lead like never before this season, to pull the 49ers out of last season’s 6-11 funk, overcome this offseason’s overhaul, and rally up a much younger squad.
Here’s a quirky coincidence: defensive end Leonard Floyd was cut by the 2023 Rams, then the 2024 Bills, and now the 2025 49ers. He was a one-and-done Niner who durably made it through all 17 games and quietly contributed 8 ½ sacks.
Flloyd’s loss doesn’t strike the emotional chord of other ex-49ers: linebacker Dre Greenlaw (Broncos), safety Talanoa Hufanga (Broncos), cornerback Charvarius Ward (Colts), and guard Aaron Banks (Packers).
Greenlaw, Hufanga and Banks were homegrown starters, and the 49ers are banking (no pun intended) to build their next wave of playoff contention around the draft. Last season’s collection was a solid start. Next month, the 49ers have an 11-pick war chest, starting with the 11th overall selection and four in the first 100.
Lynch and the 49ers seem to hit as well, if not better, beyond the third round, where they’ll have seven picks to either trade or use on the next hidden gem. (Sidebar: The Kansas City Chiefs own the 257th and final draft pick April 26.)
The 49ers indeed got younger with this initial foray into free agency, and that even goes for the backup quarterback, having agreed to a two-year deal with Mac Jones, whom they bypassed for Trey Lance with the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Fullback Kyle Juszczyk got released and returned by week’s end (two-year, $8 million deal) to invigorate two of his closest friends who mean quite a bit to the 49ers’ direction: George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey.
The 49ers’ most glaring vacancies in their starting lineup are at both defensive tackle spots and at defensive end opposite Nick Bosa. The Rams restocked their defensive line through the past two drafts, and the reigning champion Eagles can thank recent drafts for their defensive line dominance.
In 2023, the Rams bid farewell to Floyd, Jalen Ramsey, Bobby Wagner, Taylor Rapp and many more. Among their additions: defensive linemen Kobie Turner and Byron Young, and wide receivers Puka Nacua and Demarcus Robinson, the latter of whom is joining the 2025 49ers. Also of note: the Rams still had coach Sean McVay, general manager Les Snead and quarterback Matthew Stafford, not to mention Aaron Donald and Cooper Kupp.
In 2024, the Bills released six veterans and saw 15 free agents exit. They shied away from free agency’s opening bidding wars, simply adding wide receivers Mack Hollins and Curtis Samuel, and linebacker Nicholas Morrow. Also of note: the Bills still had coach Sean McDermott, GM Brandon Beane, and quarterback Josh Allen.
In 2025, the 49ers will not be gutted. They have a handful of the NFL’s best players, all paid in the top-five at their spots: Bosa, Kittle, McCaffrey, left tackle Trent Williams, linebacker Fred Warner and eventually Brandon Aiyuk. None, by the way, are the highest-paid at their spots, anymore, and the 49ers’ cost-conscious ways this offseason are going to need to make exceptions for more extensions for Kittle and Warner, not to mention Purdy’s long-budgeted payday.
In the 30 years since their last Super Bowl win, the 49ers have had to reset, recalibrate and simply raze their roster in hopes for a sunnier day. This offseason is not as dark as a couple of others since the turn of the millennium.
In the 2004 offseason, the 49ers ousted Jeff Garcia, Terrell Owens, Derrick Deese, Ron Stone and three other offensive starters, stunning coach Dennis Erickson and leading to a 2-14 season (and No. 1 draft pick).
In 2015, retirements took away Patrick Willis, Justin Smith, Chris Borland, Bubba Ventrone and Anthony Davis. Exiting in free agency were Frank Gore, Michael Crabtree, Mike Iupati, Chris Culliver and more. Gone before the season opener were Andy Lee and Aldon Smith. Jim Tomsula’s promotion to head coach stood no chance, a 5-11 record ensued, Chip Kelly relieved him for a 2-14 season, then it was on to the Shanahan and Lynch power couple that the 49ers desperately need to flex their might for the rough road ahead.
Don’t compare the modern-day makeover to last offseason’s flatlining by the Dallas Cowboys, who are simply incomparable, plus they only singed three guys back then. The Niners have more than doubled that (albeit with non-household names at friendly prices) while letting go of players who actually won them playoff games.
That may not be enough optimism to satisfy all 49ers fans. Some, a minority, are applauding this offseason clearinghouse. You don’t get to be called The Faithful by simply grieving a few months after every playoff disappointment. Dig in.
Last month, as Lynch subtly discussed the 49ers’ cash-spending habits, he noted the need to get younger and added: “There’s some good that could come out.”
Ponce de León said it first. Probably.