4 players that could follow DeMeco Ryans to the Houston Texans

Feb 2, 2023; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans head coach Demeco Ryans (center) holds a jersey while posing for a photo with owner Cal McNair (left) and general manager Nick Caserio (right) during the introductory press conference at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports /

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DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans; Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Arden Key (49) against the Los Angeles Chargers during a wild card playoff game at TIAA Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Arden Key, EDGE, Jacksonville Jaguars (2023 free agent)

The connections to DeMeco Ryans are not just limited to 2023 49ers free agents. One of the players that left in the exodus of players out of San Francisco in 2022 was former LSU star pass rusher Arden Key.

For whatever reason, NFL teams did not love what they saw from Key in Ryans’ 49ers defense during the 2021 season, and he waited around in free agency before settling for a one-year deal from the Jaguars worth just $4 million.

That proved to be a free agency steal for a team that always has eyes bigger than its stomach when it comes to free agency, as Key wound up becoming a “key” piece of the Jaguars’ defensive resurgence late in the season.

He had nine QB hits and 2.5 sacks as the Jaguars closed out the 2022 season with five straight victories. In his lone year with the 49ers, Key finished with a career-best 6.5 sacks and 17 QB hits. Of course, you can never have too many pass rushers in the NFL, and signing Arden Key away from the Jaguars would kill two birds with one stone.

Not only would you be addressing a need on your own roster, but you’d be creating an area of need for a division rival. Key was more effective on a per-snap basis with DeMeco Ryans in San Francisco than he was at any of his other NFL stops. It wouldn’t be shocking, in the slightest, to see him added to a defense that saw 34-year-old Jerry Hughes lead the team with 9.0 sacks.

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