49ers ‘keep or dump’ decisions on defensive starters for 2022
By Peter Panacy
Niner Noise goes through the 49ers’ starting defense and looks at which players should be retained or let go next season.
The San Francisco 49ers have turned things around a lot as of late, and riding a three-game win streak en route to a 6-5 record, signs are pointing up after what was initially looking like yet another disappointing season for head coach Kyle Shanahan and Co.
The Niners defense, originally considered the weakest part of the roster, has improved quite a bit during that stretch, too, allowing a combined 46 points over that three-game stretch. And while a lot of credit should go to Shanahan and the offense for maintaining possession and keeping San Francisco’s own defense off the field, coordinator DeMeco Ryans’ unit has managed to take advantage of opportunities here and there.
That said, there are going to be some expected changes between now and 2022.
Some of these are purely contractual, while others involve substandard play from key starters. Going through each one of the 49ers’ three levels of defensive starters, it’s possible to get an idea of which players need to be retained, as they’ll be expected to fill key roles next year and potentially beyond, and which players should be shown the door, or at the very least, relegated to backup duties.
Yes, it’s an inevitable part of any team’s transition from one year to the next. And it’s not always possible to keep players even if the team wants to.
Factoring in everything possible, though, let’s go ahead and make some key “keep or dump” decisions for each one of the Niners’ defensive starters next season.
All contractual information is courtesy of Over the Cap.