The 49ers Sign Leonard Floyd
This is a good move.
The 49ers just signed free agent defensive end Leonard Floyd to a two-year, $20 million deal that's worth up to $24 million with incentives and has $12 million guaranteed in Year 1, according to The NFL Network.
Next season, Floyd will be 32, which isn't young. But he has recorded at least 9 sacks four seasons in a row, including 10.5 sacks last season with the Bills. He's a legitimate three-down starting defensive end who's good at rushing the quarterback and defending the run, and he hasn't missed a game since 2017. He certainly is better than every defensive end the 49ers had last season other than Nick Bosa. Now, they get to play together.
The 49ers could have made a play for a more expensive defensive end such as Danielle Hunter or Jonathan Greenard, or they could have swung for the fences and traded for Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa or Haason Reddick, but the 49ers already have a ton of money and assets invested in their defensive line. They needed to add someone who's cost effective, and that's Floyd.
But the biggest reason the 49ers signed Floyd most likely is the fact that he has played for assistant head coach Brandon Staley. Staley was the Rams' defensive coordinator in 2020 during Floyd's first season on the team, and that year he had 10.5 sacks. It was his breakout season, and it came under Staley's direction.
I'm guessing Staley recommended Floyd to the 49ers and that tipped the scale in his favor.
Now the 49ers will need to sign or draft a defensive tackle to replace Arik Armstead.
