NFL free agency: 5 under-the-radar signings 49ers could make in 2018

SANTA CLARA, CA - NOVEMBER 26: C.J. Beathard #3 of the San Francisco 49ers gets sacked by Sheldon Richardson #91, Frank Clark #55 and Branden Jackson #67 of the Seattle Seahawks during their NFL football game at Levis Stadium on November 26, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

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3. Julius Peppers, Defensive End

This one might seem weird at first, why sign a guy clearly at the end of this career when the team is still technically in a rebuild?, but just hear me out.

The 49ers have a very promising defensive line, full of first round picks. If Arik Armstead and Solomon Thomas reach their full potentials, like DeForest Buckner is currently in the process of doing, it would be the a very scary defensive trio in the trenches.

There is precedent for this, the Elvis Dumervil experiment for the 49ers has been a reasonable success. He’s provided veteran leadership to a young team and led the sack count for all 49ers with 6.5 for the season.

The issue is 6.5 sacks is much, much less than what a team should be seeing from its sack leader.

Julius Peppers seems ageless. Being used mostly on passing downs, he still notched an amazing 11 sacks. The 49ers need someone to take the career of Armstead and Thomas to that next level while being a force on the field, and Peppers fits that role.

He doesn’t have to do much, just be a mentor to the young guys on the team and then the 49ers coaching staff sic him onto the quarterback.

It’s a role he’d fill well.