The San Francisco 49ers are still looking for help at edge rusher, but general manager John Lynch recently threw cold water on the notion that San Francisco could land Joey Bosa, the brother of Nick Bosa, in free agency.
Lynch said at the annual NFL Owner's Meeting in Phoenix that Joey Bosa was probably too expensive for San Francisco. While there was some hope maybe the older Bosa brother would take a bit of a discount to be able to play with his younger brother, it seems that will not be the case.
There are other free-agent options the Niners can turn to, though.
Let's take a look at three veterans who could make sense in San Francisco.
Leonard Floyd
Remember this guy? The 49ers cut him loose last offseason to try to save some money and get younger on the defensive line, and immediately the Atlanta Falcons swooped in to sign him.
Raheem Morris was the head coach of the Falcons at the time and coached Floyd when he was a defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams. Now, Morris is the defensive coordinator for the Niners, so maybe he can reunite with Floyd again.
The 33-year-old pro had 3.5 sacks last season with Atlanta. He's not the same player he was at the height of his powers with the Rams, but Floyd is still a capable veteran who would provide some needed depth at edge rusher after Bryce Huff's retirement.
Cameron Jordan
Another veteran who could make sense is Cameron Jordan.
The eight-time Pro Bowl edge rusher has spent his entire career with the New Orleans Saints, but if he has decided he would like to play for a winner and potentially get a ring in his career, maybe he could join San Francisco.
He is about to turn age 37, but the former Cal Bear recorded 10.5 sacks last season, so he still has something left in the tank.
Jadeveon Clowney
It seems like just yesterday that Jadeveon Clowney was selected first overall in the 2014 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans. While he has not quite lived up the the high expectations that came with that pedigree, Clowney has nevertheless had a solid career.
Most recently, he played for the Dallas Cowboys and recorded 8.5 sacks. Matt Eberflus was the defensive coordinator in Dallas last season and is now an assistant coach for San Francisco, so maybe that connection could lead the Niners to land Clowney.
Perhaps the Niners will instead be content to draft yet another edge rusher, but given their track record in that department since selecting Nick Bosa in 2019 has been lacking, they may be better served signing a veteran.