5 free agents who would turn 49ers into Super Bowl favorites
By Peter Panacy
49ers NFL free agency target No. 3: EDGE Marcus Davenport, Saints
The Niners managed to get a league-best 19.5 sacks out of All-Pro EDGE Nick Bosa during the regular season.
No one else on San Francisco’s defense had more than five, though.
Defensive ends, Samson Ebukam and Charles Omenihu, are both pending free agents, and neither is a bona fide No. 2 pass-rusher to complement Bosa. The 49ers once hoped EDGE Dee Ford could be, but his injuries led to elongated absences in recent years and led to his release entering 2022.
Sure, 2022 rookie Drake Jackson could emerge, but he has a long way to go before proving he can be that No. 2 option.
The NFL free agency market on pass-rushers is weak this offseason, which means New Orleans Saints EDGE Marcus Davenport will likely command much more than the OTC-projected $3.6 million after a disappointing and injury-riddled half-sack campaign in 2022.
No, teams will look at his nine-sack effort from 2021 and hope for that, potentially spending as much as $12 million per year on a new deal.
While Bosa is poised to receive the biggest non-quarterback contract in football history awfully soon, splurging on someone like Davenport would be a solid double-down move.