2020 NFL free agency: 3 low-profile players 49ers need to bring back
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: Defensive End Anthony Zettel
In case you’re trying to remember who defensive end Anthony Zettel is, just recall the 49ers inked him to a one-year deal in late December of last year.
Zettel made an early difference, too, which was important considering the Niners already lost versatile defensive end Ronald Blair and weren’t with the services of fellow defensive tackles Jullian Taylor and Kentavius Street.
San Francisco could lose a good chunk of its defensive line depth this offseason, and it’s highly likely the 27-year-old Zettel would come cheap.
And one has to remember Zettel spent his first two seasons under current 49ers defensive line coach Kris Kocurek when both were with the Detroit Lions back in 2016 and 2017. So there’s some continuity there.
But re-signing Zettel goes beyond continuity.
Zettel didn’t light up the stat sheet, even in the postseason, finishing the combined regular-season/playoff tenure in San Francisco with three tackles and never registering a sack or quarterback hit. Yet he was immediately thrust into a situational pass-rushing role, recording three pressures on just 26 pass-rushing snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
That’s not terrible at all.
San Francisco can alleviate some of its D-line depth questions simply be keeping Zettel around into 2020.