The San Francisco 49ers need all the help they can get on the edge. Their defensive front was their weakest point last season, allowing 24 rushing touchdowns and finishing among the bottom ten teams in the league in sacks.
General manager John Lynch poured everything he could into the defense this offseason, spending top draft picks on edge rusher Mykel Williams and defensive tackle Alfred Collins and trading for Bryce Huff.
But it's still not enough to make fans feel confident going into the season. To further strengthen the defensive line, the 49ers had been linked to veteran Za'Darius Smith. The near-33-year-old could have been the perfect addition to this team, but he chose to sign with the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles instead. Now, fans are forced to watch a conference rival grow even stronger while their own team stumbles into the season opener.
49ers miss out as Za'Darius Smith signs with Eagles
Apparently, the Eagles weren't happy with their defensive performance against the Dallas Cowboys in Thursday night's season kickoff. They wasted no time fixing the problem, signing Smith to a one-year deal, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
At this point in his career, Smith isn't a dominant player on the edge. He hasn't hit double-digit sacks since 2022, and it's been multiple seasons since he played a full slate of games. The veteran is a rotational player, but he's still capable of making a major impact in the right situation.
The 49ers have basically built their defensive line from scratch around Nick Bosa this offseason, adding waves of young talent to the mix. There are plenty of reasons for optimism about players like Williams, Huff, and Collins, but each player comes with question marks surrounding their consistency and immediate contributions. Having another veteran presence in the room could have given these players a huge lift this season.
Even if the team's recent acquisitions perform above expectations this year, it can never hurt to have reliable edge depth waiting in the wings.
Without his services, San Francisco will be forced to rely on their young additions and Robert Saleh's coaching to regain the defensive prowess it held a couple of years ago. They'll get an early test in their opener as they face off with a Seattle Seahawks team that will look to run the ball much more than in years past. If the 49ers' defensive line looks anything like last season's product, fans will be wishing Smith was in the building.