Although the San Francisco 49ers understand the value of taking chances, winning doesn’t guarantee that they will. There are errors like the signing of Javon Hargrave for every glaringly obvious win, like the deal for running back Christian McCaffrey.
It would be premature for fans to write Hargrave off, though, given that he has only just wrapped up his first season in San Francisco. Gilberto Manzano of SI.com, meanwhile, thinks Hargrave is the worst free agent signing of 2023.
On March 6, Manzano wrote, “The 49ers likely expected more from Hargrave, who signed one of the most lucrative contracts of last offseason.” “Hargrave was on the wrong side of 30, so the 49ers’ decision to add him was a gamble,” the statement reads. “Hargrave had a dominant 2022 season during his last year in Philadelphia.”
Manzano makes a valid point, but in 2023, Hargrave was anything but a liability. But the crux of his argument is that in 2023, Hargrave ought to have reached the pinnacle of his abilities. Rather, he regressed from the Philadelphia Eagles of 2022. That’s not good news, especially with all of the talent lining up beside him.
San Francisco will probably now search for an upgrade. It seems exaggerated to argue, nevertheless, that Hargrave was a failure in 2023.
Hargrave From the Steelers to the Eagles to the 49ers
Hargrave is the epitome of a “slow burn,” in contrast to those players who make an immediate impression as rookies. Following his selection by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft, Hargrave only recorded 4 sacks and 9 tackles for loss in his first two seasons.
2018 saw a notable improvement in Hargrave’s ability to stop the pass, as he had 6.5 sacks and one batted ball. After a respectable season in 2019 (4 sacks, 7 TFLs, 1 forced fumble), the South Carolina State product signed a free agent contract and joined the Eagles.
During his three seasons in Philadelphia, Hargrave made a credible national debut. Each season, he increased the number of sacks he had, but in 2022, he went off for 11 sacks and a forced fumble.
As previously indicated, Hargrave did not become useless in 2023, even though he did deteriorate. With seven sacks, he had his third-highest season total ever. He added eight tackles for loss in addition to two PDs.
Hargrave’s Agreement Only Gets Costlier
Hargrave’s age is the one factor in his deal that warrants worry. The contract San Francisco granted him could age extremely poorly if his greatest years are behind him.
Spotrac claims that Hargrave’s $84 million contract is back-loaded, indicating that it will eventually pay much more. In actuality, because Hargrave’s $23 million signing bonus was spread out over the course of the four-year contract, he only counted as a $6.62 million cap hit in 2023.
Hargrave will have a pay increase of $8.89 million in 2024 and be subject to a $15.4 million cap hit. His projected earnings of $19.9 million in 2025 and $21.7 million in 2026 are astounding.
Even though it sounds pricey, only his pay until 2024 is assured. The 49ers have the option to release Hargrave in the upcoming summer if he doesn’t improve. In order to absorb the $18.6 million in dead cap, San Francisco would need to spread out the taken cap space over the following five years.
