This offseason, the Niners have been quiet in free agency, even letting their players walk away without trying to retain them. GM John Lynch and Co. seem to be in the process of rebuilding the entire roster. They are likely trying to clear future cap space to absorb QB Brock Purdy‘s contract. That’s the reason they did not go aggressively in free agency, and also why they could not put WR Davante Adams in a Niners jersey. 

After the Jets bid adieu to QB Aaron Rodgers, it was just a matter of time before Davante’s departure. On March 4, the Jets released Adams. Reportedly, the Niners were interested in acquiring the WR once he was out of New York. But the talks could not get very far because of the Niners’ limited financial budget. The team has put a strict spending limit on itself this season. And, reportedly, they tried to get Davante on board by offering him a low contract. 

Now, you can’t offer a minimal deal to a veteran WR who has made six consecutive Pro Bowl visits and has such an impressive resume. Reports suggested that Niners GM John Lynch tried lowballing Adams when his agent spoke with the team. Adams found it insulting and refused to engage in any further discussions with San Francisco. At a pre-draft press conference, Lynch addressed the situation when asked by the media. “That wasn’t me. I’ve always had a great deal of respect for Davante, and that didn’t line up,” Lynch stated. “He’s on a division rival. We’re going to have our work cut out for us, and, if there was any disrespect taken, you know, that wasn’t intended,” he continued. That would be interesting to see. 

The media then asked the GM, “Was that Kyle (Shanahan)?” To which John laughingly replied, “I’m not sure.” But now that we’re talking about it, what exactly was the statement that had Davante offended?

Davante Adams’s 49ers snub: What went wrong?

On March 9, just five days after being released by the Jets, Davante Adams signed a two-year, $44 million deal with the Rams to join Matthew Stafford as a key receiving target. But what kept him from becoming Brock Purdy’s go-to weapon in San Francisco? In a conversation with The Athletic’s Michael Silver, Adams opened up about his agent’s talks with the 49ers.

According to Adams, the Niners were looking to sign him at a discount. “I was entertaining the Niners,” he admitted. However, the 49ers’ approach was less than enticing: “They were like, ‘We’re paying wholesale. We ain’t paying retail.’ I didn’t talk to them, but that’s what my agent told me, like five times. And I was like, ‘OK, well, I’m not a wholesale-type dude.’” Well, if that’s true, they messed up any chances of a deal right there and then.

San Francisco needed a WR after they traded away Deebo Samuel to the Commanders. And their other top receiver, Brandon Aiyuk, is coming off an ACL injury. Ricky Pearsall is also coming off a huge battle after the shooting incident. So the only healthy receiver left with them is Jauan Jennings. Having Davante on board could have added some depth to the room, especially because analysts are predicting the team to pick a WR in the draft anyway. Addressing the wideout position is a pressing need for the Niners.

Adams is coming off his fifth consecutive season putting up 1,000 receiving yards, an impressive feat, especially considering he did it while playing for underperforming teams like the Jets and the Raiders. That makes it all the more of a missed opportunity for the Niners not to decide to invest in him. But the deed’s done now. It will be worth watching how San Francisco deals with its wideout crisis under a tight cap situation.