San Francisco 49ers sign Jack Bouwmeester

The San Francisco 49ers' signing of Jack Bouwmeester earns a C+ Contract Value Index (CVI), a fair-value deal that reflects neither significant surplus nor waste. At $1.038M in average annual value spread across three years—totaling $3.115M—this is a depth-piece contract, the kind of low-dollar commitment teams make to fill roster spots without cap strain; the per-year cost sits well below market for any proven starter role, which immediately signals the team views him as a reserve or developmental contributor rather than a core rotation piece. The value equation here hinges on positional scarcity and depth reliability: if Bouwmeester can hold down a non-premium role or serve as injury insurance, the 49ers are paying a modest price for that insurance with zero salary front-loading risk. Where the C+ lands is in the middle ground—not a steal, because the three-year commitment (short by modern standards but meaningful) doesn't unlock exceptional savings, and not an overpay, because the dollar amount is tightly controlled and doesn't carry guaranteed-money burden into future seasons. The real test is opportunity availability and actual playing time; teams don't sign depth players to three-year deals hoping for a long-term return—they're buying optionality and cap efficiency on a veteran minimum-adjacent deal. This is a low-risk, low-reward transaction that reflects standard offseason roster construction rather than a strategic coup or a misjudgment.