San Francisco 49ers
Best addition: OLB Leonard Floyd
When the 2023 NFL regular season was said and done, Kyle Shanahan’s team owned the league’s eighth-ranked defense in terms of yards allowed. Only the Bears and Lions were better against the run, and only the Ravens and Chiefs surrendered fewer points. Led By Nick Bosa (10.5), San Francisco totaled 48 sacks.
However, many of those other pass-rusher are now elsewhere, either by choice or a decision by the team. Hence the signing of Leonard Floyd. Like Bosa, he also totaled 10.5 sacks this past season, leading the Bills. He makes his return to the NFC West, racking up 29.0 sacks in three seasons with the Rams from 2020-22.
Biggest loss: DE Arik Armstead
After a somewhat slow start to his NFL career, talented Arik Armstead settled in to become a solid force for the club. The 17th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft played in all 16 games as a rookie in 2015, but struggled with injuries the next two seasons. He would rebound to become a steady player for the team.
Unfortunately, Armstead did miss a total of 13 regular-season contests the past two years. The Niners opted to release him this offseason, and he wound up latching on with theJacksonville Jaguars. The nine-year pro could be missed, especially when you consider the club’s late-season issues vs. the run in 2023.