The 49ers Sign Yetur Gross-Matos to a Two-Year Deal
Suddenly, the 49ers are deep at defensive end.
They just signed Yetur Gross-Matos to a two-year, $18 million contract, according to The NFL Networks' Ian Rapoport. This news comes just a few hours after it was announced that the 49ers have signed Leonard Floyd to a two-year, $20 million deal that could increase to $24 million with incentives.
So instead of the 49ers signing a high-priced defensive end such as Danielle Hunter to a four- or five-year deal worth more than $20 million annually on average, the 49ers signed two defensive ends and gave them each a two-year deal.
Gross-Matos, 26, is a run-defending specialist. He's 6-5, 265, which means he has the size and the frame to set the edge in the 49ers' Wide 9 defensive front. Consider him a younger, healthier, better version of Clelin Ferrell, the 49ers' run-defending specialist at defensive end last season.
Gross-Matos is a former second-round pick who spent the first four seasons with the Panthers, who saw him as a disappointment because they drafted him to sack the quarterback, something he doesn't do particularly well. Last season, he had just 4.5 sacks, which was his career high. So he won't play much on passing downs.
And that's because the 49ers also signed Floyd, who is a pass-rushing specialist at this stage of his career. He's 6-3, 240 pounds, which means he's much smaller than Gross-Matos and less adept at stopping the run. So he won't have to.
The 49ers decided to go with a platoon at defensive end. Seems like a prudent choice.
