The San Francisco 49ers are in a period of transition. After qualifying for four NFC title games in five seasons, the 49ers petered out last season, finishing in last place in the NFC West as injuries and fatigue strongly weighed down one of the NFL's marquee organizations.
Moving forward, the 49ers are ready to become an NFC powerhouse again.
And they're apparently ready to pull out all the stops to ensure former "Mr. Irrelevant" Brock Purdy is their centerpiece in that mission. Yes, even if it means dramatically reshaping how they build their roster around the now fourth-year quarterback.
On Tuesday, during the NFL's annual owners' meetings, 49ers owner Jed York made a striking confession. He said that San Francisco losing 17 players this offseason — including former All-Pros Charvarius Ward, Talanoa Hufanga, and Deebo Samuel, as well as key contributors like Leonard Floyd, Kyle Juszczyk, Aaron Banks, and Maliek Collins — was at least partially tied to saving money for Purdy's seemingly inevitable monster contract extension.
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At face value, this sentiment isn't necessarily that eye-opening.
It's not like every player the 49ers traded, released, or let walk was a core piece. Some measure of roster turnover for every NFL team every single offseason is to be expected. It's a normal part of the business as executives consolidate around their more important players. Where this proposition gets dicey is when York makes it sound like the 49ers are specifically clearing the deck for Purdy (while also ruining his team's negotiating position).
It's as if York and his front office subordinates don't understand why they made several runs deep into January (and February) over the last half-decade. That, or they're just in denial.
