49ers DE, Washington Commanders Free Agency Clelin Ferrell accepts a one-year contract
As a 2019 first round draft pick in Las Vegas, there were claims that Clemson defensive end Clelin Ferrell was overdrafted by Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock when he was taken at #4 overall. After four uninspired years with the Raiders, averaging about 2 sacks per season, Ferrell signed a 1-year deal with the 49ers early in 2023.
As part of a rotation in San Francisco – playing 43% of defensive snaps – he had a reasonable amount of success. He’s a known quantity to GM Adam Peters and defensive line coach Darryl Tapp who both came over from the 49ers.
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Breaking down the 49ers signing EDGEs Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos
While the first few hours were pretty quiet, the San Francisco 49ers ultimately made a pair of moves on the first day of free agency, signing two edge rushers: Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos.
Floyd, 31, joins the 49ers on a two-year, $20 million deal that can be worth up to $24 million with $12 million in guaranteed money over the first year of the contract.
Gross-Matos, 26, earned a similar deal, getting a two-year contract worth $18 million, with the guarantees currently unknown.
Why did the 49ers ultimately sign two different edge rushers and what could each of them bring to the team in 2024?
Leonard Floyd is an intriguing signing for the 49ers, as they elected to go with a player on the wrong side of 30, which hasn’t necessarily been their M.O. in recent offseasons.
However, Floyd’s resume speaks for itself; the former Buffalo Bills pass-rusher has recorded 39.5 sacks over the last four years, being fairly consistent in that stretch with at least nine sacks in each season.
Additionally, Floyd, despite his age, has been extremely durable throughout his prime, playing in at least 16 games since the 2018 season.
Floyd had his best season in 2020 while with the Los Angeles Rams, where he worked with newly hired assistant Brandon Staley, who was the defensive coordinator for the Rams at the time.
Looking at his 2023 productivity, Floyd recorded 10.5 sacks, although he did have just one over the last eight games of the season (six regular season + two playoff games).
But, looking at his pressure numbers, Floyd was still active in those eight games, recording 16 pressures.
Upon his arrival to the team, Floyd immediately jumps out as a top rotational piece for the 49ers opposite of Nick Bosa, although it doesn’t seem he’ll be a three-down player, given his age and primary usage as a pass-rusher.
One thing to note about Leonard Floyd? While his sack production has been strong over the past four years, his pass-rush win percentage hasn’t been that high.
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