San Francisco 49ers sign LB Garret Wallow

Garret Wallow's signing earns a D+ Contract Value Index (CVI), a grade that reflects modest depth reinforcement at a reasonable cost but limited upside in a win-now window. At $1.24M AAV, this is replacement-level compensatory spending — the kind of low-dollar veteran minimum or near-minimum deal teams deploy to fill roster spots without long-term commitment or cap strain. For a 49ers team sitting at 12-5 and positioned for playoff contention, the move signals either depth insurance at linebacker or a late-stage hole-plugging strategy rather than a transformative addition. The value equation is straightforward: San Francisco pays minimal salary for a solid starter-to-reserve option, avoiding big cap consequences, but gains no meaningful production boost to impact playoff seeding or postseason performance. Wallow's CVI grade reflects that middle ground — neither a cap killer nor a competitive steal, just functional roster management in the preseason phase when teams are finalizing their 53-man configurations.