49ers need to go after former Raiders EDGE Bruce Irvin

The San Francisco 49ers have plenty of pass-rush needs, and soon-to-be-released Oakland Raiders EDGE Bruce Irvin should be a prime target for general manager John Lynch and Co.

Just days after suffering an embarrassing 34-3 Thursday Night Football defeat to the San Francisco 49ers, the Oakland Raiders’ 2018 dismantling took another step, as news broke veteran EDGE Bruce Irvin was going to be released.

The Athletic’s Vic Tafur was first to break the story. But as ESPN’s Adam Schefter pointed out, Irvin now cannot be released until 4 p.m. ET on Monday, Nov. 5.

So, should the Niners be interested? Absolutely.

Before getting into the specifics, let’s look at why Irvin could be a good fit for San Francisco. Prior to their win over the Raiders, the 49ers had just 16 sacks on the season and ranked 25th in that category. Adding eight more Thursday night sure made that number look better. But considering how blatantly obvious it was to see Oakland “giving up” during the game, the now-24 Niners sacks have to be taken with a grain of salt.

Simply put, San Francisco’s edge rush is still lacking. And Irvin would be an upgrade over the incumbent weak-side pass-rusher, Cassius Marsh.

At 31 years old, Irvin isn’t the prolific edge force he used to be. His three sacks, albeit on a bad Raiders defense, probably trends towards a middle-of-the-pack EDGE gunning for another questionable defense.

Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 11/3/2018.

Still, outside pass-rushing depth is something the Niners don’t have right now. But unlike Oakland, the 49ers do have a crop of interior pass-rushing talent, namely defensive tackles DeForest Buckner, Arik Armstead and Solomon Thomas.

The change of scenery is something Irvin will certainly benefit from. Plus, the 4-3 Under, Cover 3 scheme employed by defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is something in which Irvin thrived during his years with the Seattle Seahawks.

Remember, Saleh stems from Seattle’s defensive coaching tree.

OK, let’s grant Irvin and the Niners have mutual interest. What would happen then?

It’s important to point out that, after the NFL trade deadline, all released players (including veterans) have to go through waivers before becoming a true free agent. If claimed, their existing contracts would be the governing financial obligation.

San Francisco’s 2-7 record would mean general manager John Lynch would have a high claim in waiver order. So that’s one thing to consider here.

But if the Niners elected to use this claim, they’d owe him roughly $3.7 million remaining on his 2018 contract along with up to $9.25 million in 2019.

That’s a lot. Especially for a player who has never been a Pro Bowler, even on some good Seahawks defenses, and whose numbers appear to be on the decline.

Remember, though, the Niners have more than enough cap space to make things work. Both this year and next. So if Lynch felt Irvin could add some serious pass-rush help between the rest of 2018 and 2019, it wouldn’t be shocking at all.

If Irvin slipped through waivers, though — a very real possibility, considering that lofty 2019 obligation — San Francisco should absolutely be interested.

But why would Irvin want to go from a one-win Raiders squad to a two-win Niners team?

Well, first there’s the obvious — he wouldn’t have to uproot. That’s a factor. Second, and more importantly, the 49ers aren’t exactly in tear-down, deconstruct mode. Unlike the Raiders, there are no notions of players giving up or quitting on head coach Kyle Shanahan. True, a large chunk of the Niners’ 2018 campaign has been ugly and riddled with injuries. But next year, things should be vastly better for San Francisco.

Irvin too, if he elects to consider the 49ers a destination.

It’s a low-risk, high-reward scenario for Lynch and the Niners. Failing to seriously explore it and look to improve would be a bad, bad move from the team’s vantage point.