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The San Francisco 49ers overhauled their defensive line this offseason with an eye toward the future, but one NFL writer believes they still have room for a veteran addition before the 2025 season kicks off.
In a recent feature for For The Win, Cory Woodroof outlined 10 trades he’d still love to see happen around the league. One of them sends Philadelphia Eagles edge rusher Bryce Huff to San Francisco in exchange for a 2026 fifth-round draft pick and defensive end Robert Beal Jr.
The move would reunite Huff with 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who coached him for two seasons with the New York Jets.
Adding another pass rusher might make sense for a 49ers defense that moved on from Javon Hargrave, Leonard Floyd, and Maliek Collins this offseason, replacing them in the draft with Mykel Williams, Alfred Collins, and CJ West. However, is Huff the right fit for a defensive front looking to improve upon a disappointing pass rush last season?
“Huff never took off with the Eagles as hoped, as Philly made him inactive during its Super Bowl win back in February,” Woodroof wrote. “A change of scenery would likely benefit all parties, as Philly could recoup some draft capital for 2026 and the 49ers could add a guy who thrived coming off the bench for the New York Jets.”
The Eagles signed Huff to a three-year, $51.1 million deal last offseason, but his 2024 campaign fell short of expectations. He logged just 2.5 sacks and missed five weeks with a torn wrist ligament. Huff’s breakout came in 2023 with the Jets, when he racked up 10 sacks and a career-best 67 pressures, and any interested team might be gambling he can return to that level of play.
Trading Huff after June 1 would result in only $3 million in dead money for the Eagles in 2025, and a cap savings of $4.4 million, per Over The Cap. The player has no guaranteed money after this year. If Philadelphia is open to a trade, the proposed deal would allow San Francisco to add a rotational pass rusher with potentially high upside.
“Returned San Francisco defensive coordinator Robert Saleh would know how to utilize Huff’s strengths as well as anybody after the two were together in New York,” Woodroof continued, “and Philly could also take a flier on yet another former Georgia defender in [DE] Robert Beal Jr. as part of the deal.”
Any free agents the San Francisco 49ers sign now won’t count toward the compensatory pick formula for next year, and general manager John Lynch hinted after the 2025 NFL Draft that the team may not be done reshaping its roster for the upcoming season.
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