The defending NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers have been looking for an edge rusher to team up with former NFL Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa.
General manager John Lynch and Co. added former No. 2 overall pick Chase Young from the Washington Commanders during the in-season NFL trade deadline.
Young did not necessarily pan out for the 49ers, recording a mere 2.5 sacks in nine games. Apparently, the 49ers have seen enough of Young.
According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, San Francisco has signed veteran edge rusher Leonard Floyd away from the Buffalo Bills in NFL free agency. The deal is said to be worth $20 million over two seasons, which is a bargain by today’s standards.
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Impact of San Francisco 49ers signing Leonard Floyd
A former first-round pick of the Chicago Bears back in 2016, Floyd has been among the most consistent edge rushers in the NFL.
He’s recorded at least nine sacks in each of the past four seasons. This past season saw the 31-year-old Floyd register 19 QB hits, nine tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks for the Bills. All said, he’s recorded a whopping 39.5 sacks to go with 78 QB hits over the past four seasons.
This is no small signing for San Francisco. It struggled to an extent getting to the quarterback under recently-fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks a season ago. Bosa led the team with 10.5 sacks. Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave was second with seven sacks. As for edge rushers, Clelin Ferrell was second behind Bosa with a mere 3.5 quarterback take downs.
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