While focus is beginning to shift from free agency to the NFL Draft at the end of April, there are still some lingering free agents out there who could make some sense for the San Francisco 49ers.
With the Niners' addition of Matt Eberflus as an assistant coach, that could open the door to a reunion between him and a player he coached last season when he was defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys.
While Eberflus did not have the best tenure with Dallas and was fired after one season, edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney did have a big of a resurgent season for the Cowboys. He recorded 8.5 sacks on the season in 13 games. He seemed to fit nicely in the defense Eberflus ran, so maybe staying with his coach from last season would be a nice fit for all parties.
Clowney was the No. 1 overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft. The Houston Texans selected him, and it seemed like they would have the most formidable pass rush in the game with both Clowney and JJ Watt going after opposing quarterbacks. It didn’t work out that way as Clowney struggled to stay on the field due to injuries.
He’s bounced around from team to team in the years since his Texans days and has never really settled with a team.
The 49ers could surely use the depth at edge rusher, so bringing him into the fold could make a ton of sense.
General manager John Lynch threw cold water on the notion that the Niners might sign Joey Bosa by saying they couldn’t afford him. Bosa’s previous AAV, according to Spotrac, was $12.6 million while Clowney’s was $3.45 million.
That is much more affordable, so maybe the Niners would be willing to roll the dice on the former South Carolina star who has made the Pro Bowl three times.
After Bryce Huff retired unexpectedly this offseason, the 49ers have an acute need for edge rusher help. Even if Huff was still in the fold, San Francisco could use some additional bodies after it had the fewest sacks of any team last season.
Both Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams are coming off ACL tears, and Keion White, a trade acquisition from last season, was shot in the ankle. So the 49ers are a little banged up at edge rusher, to say the least, even though all three guys are expected to be ready for the start of the regular season.
Clowney wouldn’t be an every-down edge for the defense, but maybe, he could come in and spell Williams on third downs and just try and tee off on the quarterback.
The Eberflus hire was met with a lot of raised eyebrows, given his recent NFL track record. But if he could somehow help lure Clowney to the Niners, then bringing him in will have been well worth it.