Arik Armstead and Aaron Lynch go into 2017 with question marks about the San Francisco 49ers duo, but they taken steps towards answering their doubters.
While it is considered arguably the San Francisco 49ers‘ greatest strength, two members of the defensive line approach the 2017 season as huge question marks. But four practice days down and Arik Armstead and Aaron Lynch have seemingly made a strong start to answering the doubters.
Armstead was unable to build on a promising 2015 rookie season in 2016 as he was limited to just eight games because of a long-standing shoulder injury. Meanwhile, Lynch — having recorded 12.5 sacks in his first two seasons — took a step back when expected to establish himself as a key defensive piece. He was suspended for the first four games and struggled to keep his weight down, playing just seven games and recording only 1.5 sacks.
With a move to a 4-3 scheme under Kyle Shanahan and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, Armstead has been switched to the LEO pass-rusher role, a decision that raised many eyebrows given his size and below-average athleticism.
Lynch, after spending his career at outside linebacker in the 3-4 run by the previous three coaching staffs, is also set to be in the rotation at LEO and both players have caught the eye for the right reasons in camp.
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Armstead is down to 275 pounds, his lowest weight since high school and, more importantly, has had the aforementioned shoulder fixed. Playing at a much lower weight and injury-free, Armstead has demonstrated explosiveness as a pass-rusher, dominating in one-on-ones and racking up three sacks in Sunday’s session.
Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News also pointed to the hustle Armstead has shown when covering Carlos Hyde in the flat and said he “looks on the verge of a breakout season”.
Lynch, meanwhile, is down to the target weight of 273 pounds set for him by Shanahan and, per 49ers.com, has recorded several sacks and intercepted a pass in the first four sessions.
Production from the LEO pass-rush spot is imperative if the 49ers pass rush is to improve this season. San Francisco had just 33 sacks last year, up five from 2015 when the Niners put up a paltry 28. They cannot purely rely solely on DeForest Buckner and Solomon Thomas to generate pressure from the interior.
Elvis Dumervil’s veteran presence should help but at 33 it is fair to question to what extent, while Ahmad Brooks continues to be consistent as a disruptor of quarterbacks — only once since joining the 49ers has he failed to reach six sacks. And NaVorro Bowman has long been an underrated pass rusher from inside linebacker.
But if any of that trio are anything more than complementary contributors to the pass rush, then Armstead and Lynch will likely have failed to rise to the challenge at LEO.
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For the 49ers to have a more productive pass rush, Armstead and Lynch must deliver off the edge. There will still be legitimate concerns about Armstead’s ability to hold up in coverage, but so far they have each provided reasons for hope that they can enjoy bounce-back years and provide a significant boost to one of the league’s worst pass-rushing units.