5 free agents SF 49ers must avoid signing in 2021

SF 49ers Free Agent to Avoid No. 2: EDGE Jadeveon Clowney

Much like A.J. Green, the idea of somehow landing veteran EDGE Jadeveon Clowney at some point a year or two ago would have been fantastic. After all, adding pass-rushing depth is never a bad idea, and considering how the SF 49ers were without edge rushers Nick Bosa and Dee Ford for almost the entirety of 2020 because of injuries, one could possibly assume a player like Clowney could have helped.

But Clowney was anything but impressive during his one-year stint with the Tennessee Titans last year, finishing his lone campaign with them with zero sacks and 19 tackles over just eight games played — the lowest numbers since his rookie season with the Houston Texans when he appeared in just four contests.

The former No. 1 overall pick from the 2014 NFL Draft will turn 28 years old before the start of the upcoming season, so he’s still young enough to hope for a bounce-back campaign somewhere else. But it’s been over two years now since he’s flirted with double-digit sacks, and one could make the argument his playing abilities are starting to wane.

Yet the other reason why Clowney is a key player to avoid in free agency is because this year’s draft is awfully thin with pass-rushers, meaning those available on the free-agent market could likely command top dollar.

Even Clowney despite his recent injury history.

From the Niners’ vantage point, it would be smarter to bank on fully healthy returns from Bosa and Ford instead of flirting with the idea of Clowney.