For basically all of the offseason, there was speculation the San Francisco 49ers would sign a veteran edge rusher. There was no shortage of options, and given the inexperience and injuries San Francisco is dealing with on the defensive line, it seemed only natural that it'd bring someone in.
Joey Bosa was a popular idea for a while, but it seems he is content to retire unless a team absolutely blows him away with an offer. It does not seem like the Niners will do that.
Jadeveon Clowney made sense for a lot of reasons. He had 8.5 sacks last season with the Dallas Cowboys, and his defensive coordinator from last year, Matt Eberflus, is now an assistant coach in San Francisco.
Maybe the Niners didn’t feel the same way because the DeMeco Ryans-led Houston Texas ended up snagging Clowney on a one-year deal.
It’s a nice full-circle move for a guy who was drafted No. 1 overall by Houston back in 2014. He never quite lived up to the high expectations that came with his entrance into the NFL due to injuries, but Clowney has still had a respectable career.
49ers hope whiffing on Jadeveon Clowney won't bite them
Perhaps San Francisco chafed at the price, as Clowney’s contract with Houston has a base salary of $5.5 million with incentives that could raise it up to $8 million. That may not seem like a ton, but the 49ers probably want to maintain some amount of financial flexibility.
Plus, Clowney does have a lengthy injury history in his career. The 33-year-old pro usually misses at least a few games every season and at his age it would be a shock if he was healthy for all 17 games.
Still, the Niners will likely miss that veteran depth this upcoming season. Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams are coming off injuries, and the latter's status for Week 1 is unclear. Keion White got shot earlier this year, and rookie Romello Height has already dealt with injury issues.
San Francisco just signed veteran Ogbo Okoronkwo in free agency, so it has a little more depth. But not exactly quality depth, as Okoronkwo has bounced around, and the most sacks he's had in a season is five.
It was a shrewd move by Ryans and the Texans to pick Clowney up. The former 49ers defensive coordinator may have the Niners regret the fact they did not act sooner and pad their edge-rusher depth chart.
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