The San Francisco 49ers have had an odd offseason thus far. They have not made many major additions and instead have gotten rid of some of their most important players in recent memory.
This could force them to make a desperate signing.
There was no shortage of rumors and conjecture connecting them to edge rusher Joey Bosa, the brother of current Niners defensive end Nick Bosa, after the elder Bosa was released by the Los Angeles Chargers.
However, that ship has sailed after Bosa reportedly signed with the Buffalo Bills.
San Francisco has already released edge rusher Leonard Floyd as well as nose tackles Javon Hargrave and Maliek Collins. These moves have left the defensive line in a state of utter disarray. This may force the team to get desperate to try and rebuild it.
Could 49ers go with Von Millers as emergency fallback option?
As of right now, the biggest name edge rusher available in free agency is Von Miller. With Bosa heading to Buffalo, a reunion between the Bills and the soon-to-be 36-year-old veteran seems highly unlikely.
Miller is nowhere close to the player he used to be with the Denver Broncos when he was one of the preeminent edge rushers in the entire NFL. However, he is coming off a respectable 2024 campaign where he recorded six sacks in 13 games, which is roughly comparable to the 8.5 sacks Floyd had for the 49ers in 17 games.
Of course, it should be noted that Miller missed four games last season because he was suspended for violating the NFL's conduct policy after allegedly assaulting his pregnant girlfriend. If the Niners were to sign Miller, it would definitely be a controversial move given these serious allegations.
However, the 49ers may be forced into that unsavory predicament because of the decisions they have made up to this point in the offseason. The team's inaction has forced them into a corner that they are going to have a tough time getting out of.
There are other edge rushers on the market who could help improve the team, but Miller is definitely the biggest name available in free agency. San Francisco may avoid him given his history, but if it waits much longer to make moves, there may not be many other options.
At some point, the Niners are going to have to start rebuilding their defensive line and will have to find a competent edge rusher to put opposite Nick Bosa.
Signing Miller would not be ideal, but the 49ers have to act quickly to avoid a situation where he is their only option.
Read more from Niner Noise
feed