Perhaps the San Francisco 49ers will be thought-about smart for not having put themselves approach too deep within the combine for big-name pass-rushing defensive ends just like the Las Vegas Raiders’ Maxx Crosby or the Cincinnati Bengals’ Trey Hendrickson.
Although, certain, seeing both participant in pink and gold would have been a dream.
Regardless, the Niners have publicly admitted they want pass-rush assist this offseason, even when they’re banking on wholesome 2026 variations of Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams.
And whereas there are many low-budget choices on the market, one potential free-agent answer may be the perfect low-risk goal for normal supervisor John Lynch and Co.
Kwity Paye may be 49ers’ finest low-risk, high-reward pass-rushing free-agent goal
The Indianapolis Colts chosen Michigan defensive finish Kwity Paye with the twenty first total choose again in 2021. And whereas Paye carried out properly sufficient to persuade Indy to make use of a fifth-year choice on him, the previous Wolverine by no means fairly lived as much as the expectation of being a game-changing pass-rusher.
With 30.5 sacks over a five-year tenure, together with simply 4 over 17 video games final season, it isn’t too surprising why all sings level to Indianapolis moving on from him.
Yet there is a hyperlink to counsel San Francisco would be a stable match.
In 2023 and 2024, when Paye posted career-best sack totals of 8.5 and eight sacks, respectively, he was doing so beneath the tutelage of then-defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, who simply so occurred to help with the 49ers protection final season beneath now-Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh.
While Saleh has since been changed by new coordinator Raheem Morris, taking Bradley with him, there isn’t any doubt Morris will undertake lots of the Niners’ earlier defensive alignments.
It is smart to assume Paye would take pleasure in a extra productive tenure in San Francisco, given the context.
Plus, in line with Spotrac’s market-value tool, the 27 12 months previous is anticipated to obtain a contract value roughly $17 million per 12 months, which is much extra affordable than what Hendrickson would command on the open market. And San Francisco would be staying youthful, too, hoping for good-enough manufacturing on a budget as a substitute of expected-elite manufacturing at an exorbitant value.
There would not seem to be a number of curiosity in Paye’s companies both, which means the 49ers would not have to fret in regards to the Crosby- or Hendrickson-like bidding conflict.
Sounds like a sensible, low-risk transfer, proper? It is.
