San Francisco 49ers sign DL Mikail Kamara

Kamara's three-year deal at a $1.03M AAV earns a C+ Contract Value Index (CVI), landing in fair-deal territory for a depth signing at the bottom of the roster threshold — but the structure tells a more cautious story. At $3.1M total with just $50K guaranteed, this is essentially a prove-it arrangement that protects San Francisco's cap sheet almost entirely, giving the 49ers maximum flexibility to move on without meaningful financial consequence. For a defensive lineman at this price point, the near-zero guaranteed money signals the front office views Kamara as a developmental or camp-competition piece rather than a locked-in rotation contributor — replacement-level upside with roster-filler risk. The CVI reflects that tension: the salary is appropriately modest for the role, but the lack of guarantees suggests the 49ers themselves aren't fully sold on his long-term value to the defensive line. With the regular season still 124 days out, there's runway for Kamara to carve out a role in training camp and the preseason, but the contract offers him virtually no security if he doesn't. This is a low-risk, low-reward addition — exactly the kind of depth move a front office makes when it wants to add competition to a position group without committing real resources. The 49ers have done their cap due diligence here; whether Kamara justifies even this modest investment is entirely on him to prove.