For much of the offseason, the San Francisco 49ers looked like a team that would eventually add a veteran edge rusher. The fit was obvious enough: the defensive line has been dealing with inexperience and injuries, and there were plenty of names available.
Jadeveon Clowney looked like one of the cleaner solutions. He put up 8.5 sacks last season with the Dallas Cowboys, and there was even a natural connection in place, with his defensive coordinator from a year ago, Matt Eberflus, now working as an assistant coach in San Francisco.
Instead, it was DeMeco Ryans and the Houston Texans who got the deal done. Clowney signed a one-year contract with Houston, the team that made him the No. 1 overall pick back in 2014.
That move brings things full circle for Clowney, even if his NFL career has never matched the sky-high expectations that came with being drafted first overall. Injuries played a big part in that, but he has still put together a respectable run in the league.
San Francisco may have passed because of the money. Clowney’s deal with Houston carries a base salary of $5.5 million and incentives that can push it to $8 million, and the 49ers may have preferred to keep that kind of flexibility in their pocket.
His injury history also had to factor in. The 33-year-old typically misses at least a few games every season, and expecting him to stay healthy for all 17 games would be a stretch.
Even so, the 49ers could feel the absence of that kind of veteran insurance. Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams are both coming off injuries, and Williams’ status for Week 1 is still unclear. Keion White was shot earlier this year, and rookie Romello Height has already had injury problems of his own.
San Francisco did add Ogbo Okoronkwo in free agency, which gives the room a little more depth. But the quality question remains, since Okoronkwo has bounced around and his best sack total in a season is five.
For Ryans and the Texans, it was a smart grab. For the 49ers, it’s the sort of move that could linger if their edge depth gets tested early.
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