With a team of haves and have-nots and no middle-tier players, the 49ers relied on their starting players to carry them to the Super
Bowl. The Niners went back to their previous course—a more sensible strategy to rebuild the middle class—on the opening day of free
agency.
Leonard Floyd consented to a $20 million, two-year contract with additional $4 million in incentives. Yetur Gross-Matos consented to
a $18 million, two-year contract. George Odum, a stalwart on the special teams, has also inked a two-year contract with incentives
worth up to $10 million with the 49ers.
In order to land Danielle Hunter, fans were looking for a home run swing at the edge. This is the first time that a roster choice may
have been influenced by the unspoken but significant issue of Brock Purdy’s impending extension.
Hunter is requesting at least a three-year contract; Floyd and Gross-Matos were both signed to two-year contracts. By the end of the
next season, Purdy will be renewed. Even though the contract will be significantly backloaded, cap management still needs to take it
into consideration.
Theoretically, Hunter might have received a highly loaded contract in the second year, but it could have its own effects on club cap.
Leonard Floyd
The addition of Floyd demonstrates the impact of new assistant head coach Brandon Staley. One of his favorite chess pieces is Floyd,
and Staley has had excellent results while using Floyd in attack mode defenses.
The Niners recall the harm Floyd inflicted during their most recent meeting with the Rams in 2022. nine tackles, two sacks, three
quarterback hits, and two tackles for loss, which is a team high.
Floyd performed well in a five-man front, which Staley might employ in developing game plans with defensive coordinator Nick
Sorensen. Javon Hargrave, a defensive tackle for Philadelphia, also performed admirably in a five-man front.
Floyd’s age as the season starts is thirty-two. He played 54% of the snaps in Buffalo with an emphasis on passing downs. Floyd was a
competent run defender with the Rams. Floyd’s ability to play a bigger role than he did in the past and if the Niners should use him
more as a dedicated pass rusher going forward will need to be assessed.
Gross-Matos Yetur
After Gross-Matos finished his two seasons at Penn State with 17 sacks and 35 tackles for loss, the Niners expressed interest in picking
him in the 2020 draft.
Despite the fact that Pro Football Focus rated him their most improved Panther in 2023, that potential was not fulfilled in Carolina.
He received a 65 from PFF against both the run and the pass. In his last two games of the season, Gross-Matos had two of his 4.5
sacks. As a standup pass-rushing linebacker in a 3-4, he became more effective.
Looking at the film, Gross-Matos closes and uses his long arms well, but he still needs to improve on his pass-rush techniques and
shed blocks more skillfully. The Niners are placing their wager on defensive line coach Kris Kocurek to mold the 6-5/265 clay player
into an effective member of the team.
What defensive tackle strategy is in place?
After taking care of the edge, the Niners focus on the interior defensive line, where they now need to add two players due to Javon
Kinlaw’s Jets signing.
While it was hoped that Denver would let go of former 49er D.J. Jones, the Broncos have opted to go with restructuring measures in
order to free up salary space.
Though Spotrac estimates D.J. Reader’s market value at $14.9 million annually, he is the best available. Detroit has the cap room and
has been connected to him.
In just a few days, Houston resident Sheldon Rankins will be 30. His estimated market value is $9.9 million. The next tier consists of
Teair Tart of Houston, Tim Settle of Buffalo, Brian Mone of Seattle, and Austin Johnson of the Chargers.
Jer’Zhan Newton of Illinois is listed in the draft as a potential, with a projected age of 23 to 31. Although he has a high motor and is 6-
2/304 explosive, his short stature raises concerns when it comes to sub-33 arms. 8 sacks, 43 pressures, and a pass rush victory
percentage of more than 15%.
In the first, the Niners can also consider looking at Darius Robinson of Missouri, an inside-outside hybrid who can rush the passer and
is strong against the run. He can stay blocked, but he lacks explosiveness, registering the class’s slowest 10-yard split of 1.73. solid size
at 6-5/285 with length and productive stats.
T’Vondre Sweat of Texas is another possible target, although the Niners often don’t target giants because of his weight of 366 pounds.
Clemson’s Ruke Ohrororo performed well in the test but lacked production and technique. Kris Jenkins of Michigan is strong and
agile, but he still has to work on his technique and maneuvers. Although Braden Fiske ran incredibly well, he lacked moves and
leverage.
6-5/306 is the player you want to be watching. The Niners conducted an official interview with LSU’s Maason Smith in Indianapolis.
With his outstanding length of 35 inches, this athletic tackle plays with explosiveness and physicality. However, he still needs work on
his technique to retain leverage and create pass-rush maneuvers. With his early third-round projection, the Niners would need to
select him at number 63.
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