


SANTA CLARA >> This will calm the frenzied 49ers Faithful, right? Ha.
The 49ers’ roster recovery efforts Tuesday featured a slew of short-term packs, but every little bit could help, including a new target for Brock Purdy.
Wide receiver Demarcus Robinson, a nine-year veteran most recently with the rival Los Angeles Rams, is signing aboard on a two-year, $9.5 million deal, a league source confirmed.
That followed one-year commitments the 49ers made to a pair of their own backups, running back Jordan Mason and linebacker Curtis Robinson, as well as to low-key free agents: linebacker Luke Gifford and safeties Jason Pinnock and Richie Grant.
The 49ers are expected to confirm those deals once they can be signed at Wednesday’s 1 p.m. start of the NFL’s fiscal year.
They did, however, announce Tuesday that defensive end Leonard Floyd was released after an 8 1/2-sack season. Like seven other ex-49ers on Monday, Floyd promptly found a new home, agreeing to a raise with the Atlanta Falcons for $10 million this year, NFL Network reported.Floyd’s departure did not clear the way for the free agent addition of Joey Bosa, older brother of 49ers defensive mainstay Nick Bosa. Instead, the Buffalo Bills lured Joey Bosa to their Super Bowl-contending roster on a one-year deal with $12 million guaranteed and up to $15.6 million total, NFL Network reported.
The 49ers’ restrained approach to free agency reflects the franchise’s desire to go younger and build through the draft. Tuesday brought four NFL Draft compensatory picks: one each in the third and fourth rounds, and a pair in the seventh. They will have 11 picks total, starting with No. 11 overall and at least one in every round, including Washington’s spot in the fifth round via a trade for Deebo Samuel that becomes official Wednesday.
Also as the league year opens, the Minnesota Vikings are expected to swoop up Javon Hargrave once the 49ers release him (as well as fellow defensive tackle Maliek Collins,)
Half of the Niners’ Super Bowl starters will be gone 13 months after that overtime loss to Kansas City.
General manager John Lynch telegraphed this roster reshuffling two weeks ago at the NFL scouting combine after noting the 49ers’ recent record of high spending. “At some point you have to reset a little bit or at least recalibrate, he said. “You can’t just keep pressing the pedal, and I think there’s some good that could come out. We need to get younger.”
All of Monday’s free agency defections were under 30 — except backup quarterback Josh Dobbs — but all four players released were veterans: Floyd (32), Hargrave (32), Collins (turns 30 next month) and Kyle Juszczyk (turns 34 next month). Samuel will be 30 next January when the Commanders presumably are making a playoff encore.
Floyd was set to make $7.9 million in salary and his release clears $1.5 million in cap space. He proved as durable as advertised, but his 8 1/2 sacks in 17 games last season were his fewest since 2019.
“We were the oldest team in football trying to make a run at the deal last year,” Lynch claimed. “It’s good to constantly get younger. Our draft class last year was a great move towards that.”
Mason, 25, broke out last season in place of an injured Christian McCaffrey, and thus drew a second-round tender of $5.35 million as a restricted free agent. That reserves the 49ers’ right to either match an offer Mason gets elsewhere or receive a second-round draft pick in return for the once-undrafted running back.
Robinson has 250 receptions for 3,013 yards and 27 touchdowns over a career that included stops with the Kansas City Chiefs, the Baltimore Ravens and then, over the past two seasons, the Rams. He’ll buoy a receiving corps led by Jauan Jennings, Ricky Pearsall and presumably Brandon Aiyuk, who is recovering from knee reconstruction.
Pinnock’s one-year deal, first announced by Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz, adds an experienced defensive back into the mix. He started 32 games the past two seasons with the Giants, whom he joined in 2022 after a rookie season on the New York Jets under then-coach Robert Saleh, who’s returned to the 49ers as their defensive coordinator this season.
Gifford is a six-year veteran (Dallas Cowboys, Tennessee Titans) who has specialized on special teams, an area that has plagued the 49ers more than ever last season under coach Kyle Shanahan. Gifford shared the NFL lead last season with 10 special teams tackles.
Grant was an Atlanta Falcons safety the past four seasons. He is 27, as is tight end Luke Farrell, who agreed Monday to a three-year, $20 million deal. Grant’s contract is a modest one-year, $1.5 million deal, NFL Network reported.
Grant started 33 of the 67 games he played, producing three interceptions and four forced fumbles while also being a special teams stalwart. Grant was a 2022-23 starter before playing just 15 percent of the defensive snaps last season and was 166th of 170 safeties by ProFootballFocus.com.
Grant was a second-round pick in the 2021 draft, selected 140 spots before the 49ers took safety Talanoa Hufanga in the fifth round. Hufanga agreed Monday to a deal (three years, $45 million) with the Denver Broncos, who also lured linebacker “Big Play Dre” Greenlaw from the 49ers (three years, $35 million).
That 49ers linebacker corps will welcome back Robinson, a reserve who has played three games each of the past three seasons. Robinson, undrafted out of Stanford in 2021, was poised for a larger role and perhaps Greenlaw’s old starting spot before tearing an ACL in practice six months ago. He was slated to become a restricted free agent but agreed to a one-year deal, The Athletic reported.
Monday’s start of the NFL’s negotiation window saw deals also brokered for cornerback Charvarius Ward (Indianapolis Colts), guard Aaron Banks (Green Bay Packers), Dobbs (New England Patriots), offensive tackle Jaylon Moore (Kansas City Chiefs) and running back Elijah Mitchell (Chiefs). The 49ers also informed Juszczyk, the All-Pro fullback, of his release.
Hargrave is one of many defensive tackles striking it rich in free agency, and NFL Network reports he’ll be joining a Vikings team that signed Jonathan Allen to a three-year, $60 million deal. Solomon Thomas, the 49ers’ No. 3 overall pick in 2017, agreed Tuesday on a two-year, $8 million pact with the Dallas Cowboys, ESPN reported.