3 potential edge rushers San Francisco could pursue for 2018

CHICAGO, IL - DECEMBER 03: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers is sacked by Lamarr Houston #99 of the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on December 3, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. The 49ers defeated the Bears 15-14. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - DECEMBER 03: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers is sacked by Lamarr Houston #99 of the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on December 3, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. The 49ers defeated the Bears 15-14. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /
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CHICAGO, IL – DECEMBER 03: Lamarr Houston #99 of the Chicago Bears celebrates after sacking quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers in the second quarter at Soldier Field on December 3, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – DECEMBER 03: Lamarr Houston #99 of the Chicago Bears celebrates after sacking quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers in the second quarter at Soldier Field on December 3, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

The Free Agent Route: DL Lamarr Houston

Most people remember this play when they think of Lamarr Houston:

Yeah, tearing your ACL celebrating a sack is not a good look for any player. Despite this folly, Houston has proven to be a capable outside option. From a pure risk-reward point of view, the 49ers would be foolish not to get him.

Houston’s career has been defined by inconsistency. But when he’s on, he’s been a force to reckon with.

Lamarr Houston Career Stats
Year Age Tm Pos No. G GS PD FF Fmb FR Sk Tkl Ast Sfty AV
2010 23 OAK DE 99 16 15 1 0 2 5.0 31 9 7
2011 24 OAK de 99 16 13 3 0 0 2 1.0 36 15 6
2012 25 OAK DE 99 16 16 2 1 0 1 4.5 48 19 7
2013 26 OAK DE 99 16 16 2 0 1 6.0 56 13 8
2014 27 CHI DE 99 8 8 1 0 0 1 1.0 8 3 3
2015 28 CHI lb 99 16 2 0 0 1 8.0 36 6 3
2016 29 CHI 99 2 0 2 2 0
2017 30 2TM 10 1 1 1 0 1 5.0 14 3 2
CHI lb 99 5 1 1 4.0 8 2 1
HOU 58 5 0 1 0 1 1.0 6 1 1
Career 100 71 7 5 0 9 30.5 231 70 36

Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 7/18/2018.

As this graph shows, Houston has been up and down for his entire career. His career average of sacks per year is around 3.8.

That may not sound like a lot, but the stats don’t tell the whole story. As you see, in three of those years, Houston had two combined sacks. That’s right, two sacks for three years. He was injured for two of those years, and another was just a really down year for him. Take these three years away, his yearly average jumps up to 6.1 sacks.

Now that’s a lot of pressure.

Apart from his sacks, Houston also places well in advanced metrics. Pro Football Focus ranked him 24th in the league for pass-rush proficiency, albeit in the 2017 preseason. That season, Houston had five sacks in 10 games. For his time as a 4-3 defensive end, Houston had 216 total pressures, and according to PFF’s Mark Chichester, “Houston was one of the most promising pass-rushers in the NFL, earning PFF overall grades above 78.0 in every season from 2010 to 2014.”

Let’s go back to risk-reward. Naturally, there is a fair bit of risk that comes with Houston. He’s been injury prone and inconsistent. That’s why he’s still a free agent.

Yet the reward is incredible. At this point in the offseason, Houston won’t cost anything more than the veteran’s minimum. If he struggles, then the 49ers can cut their losses and move on. If he plays well, they now have an elite edge rusher.

But if old injury prone veterans aren’t what you’re looking for, don’t be worried. There are other options available on the trade market.