2018 NFL free agency: Predicting which players the 49ers re-sign or let walk
By Peter Panacy
![LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 31: Carlos Hyde LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 31: Carlos Hyde](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/5f1bf6e498e39fe56debbd71559f9b7398f94e3c7e30dac57a273f6936cc381d.jpg)
Linebacker Brock Coyle and Defensive End Tank Carradine
It’s a shame 2013 second-round draftee, defensive end Tank Carradine, suffered a serious ankle injury back in Week 3. He had been playing arguably the best football of his career, and Carradine also seemed to be a seamless fit in coordinator Robert Saleh’s 4-3 Under scheme.
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Carradine returned from short-term IR in Week 11, finishing the year with 14 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Known for his prolific pass-rushing efforts at Florida State, Carradine was actually a better run defender than pass-rusher in 2017, per Pro Football Focus, earning a respectable 82.6 grade in this category.
Do the Niners give him another chance? Or will Carradine try to lock onto a more prominent job this season, knowing San Francisco already has a crowded defensive line?
If the 49ers have a tough question with Carradine, bringing linebacker Brock Coyle back in 2018 shouldn’t be a difficult choice.
Coyle, a hand-picked addition from Saleh, ended up assuming MIKE linebacker roles after the team released the veteran, NaVorro Bowman, midseason. More than just a special teams ace, San Francisco appeared to like what it had in Coyle. And while it’s not exactly ideal to keep him in a starting role, his job as a backup and continued special teams contributor seems vital and worthy enough.
Prediction: The 49ers let Tank Carradine test the free-agent market, ensuring Brock Coyle returns on a two-year re-sign deal.