Should the 49ers Look to Add a Veteran Pass Rusher?
You can never have enough pass rushers in the NFL.
In the case of the 49ers, they definitely cannot short themselves in that area after the bad luck of injuries occurred last season. They went from being the best pass rushing team to an average one at best. Depth is needed for them, especially since it is not a guarantee that Nick Bosa will be fully back in form along with Dee Ford.
If you were to ask Jason Verrett, he has an idea on who the 49ers should bring in. Former Chargers pass rusher Melvin Ingram is a free agent and would definitely bring a nice boost to them.
But it doesn't have to be Ingram. It can be Everson Griffen or Vic Beasley. Those are just a couple of intriguing names the 49ers can consider. So should the 49ers look to add a veteran pass rusher?
The 49ers can only do that if they free up salary cap space, and the most obvious choice for that is Jimmy Garoppolo. There is no reason for the 49ers to even be considering these veterans in free agency until they alleviate the tight space left on salary cap. So while Verrett would love to bring in his former teammate, the reality is that is nothing more than a pipe dream.
Adding a veteran pass rusher would be a sweet move by the 49ers. Aside from questioning the readiness of the Bosa and Ford, there is still the wonder on if Samson Ebukam can be effective. I know my editor Grant Cohn is high on him, but until I can get a closer look at him in training camp he is sitting on an island with that take. Ebukam is a mystery right now.
I do expect the pass rush of the 49ers to be effective again in 2021, but I think a large part of that is going to come in the form of blitzes. DeMeco Ryans is likely going to be more aggressive calling the defense than Robert Saleh was, so that new dynamic might not entice the 49ers to want to add a pass rusher since they will use other ways to generate pressure.
Do you believe the 49ers should look into another pass rusher?
