NFL free agency 2023: 49ers must go after these potential cap casualties

49ers cap-casualty target No. 1: EDGE Khalil Mack

Yes, picking on the Chargers again. It seems as if they got wrapped up a bit too much in last offseason’s arms race within the AFC West, and it’s costing them (literally) heading into 2023.

One of those players who was added in order to keep pace with the Kansas City Chiefs within the division was former Chicago Bears EDGE Khalil Mack, who finished with eight sacks over 17 games en route to his seventh Pro Bowl nomination.

Soon to be 32 years old, Mack isn’t the premiere pass-rusher he was during the high point of his career, but he is still an excellent supplementary one. And that was proven by the fact Mack had just two sacks from Week 11 onward.

Los Angeles needs to trim cap space, and Mack is the second highest-paid player behind fellow EDGE Joey Bosa.

A post-June 1 release would save the Chargers over $22 million in cap space against $4.5 million in dead money.

The 49ers, meanwhile, could potentially look at Mack to pair with Joey Bosa’s brother, Nick Bosa, in an attempt to get back that two-headed pass-rushing monster they’ve been seeking for years now.