Judon could be what puts the Niners pass rush over the top once and for all

Depth at edge rusher for the San Francisco 49ers is a question mark heading into the 2024 regular season. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said late last week, “Nick looked like Nick. And the depth has been great. I’ve been real excited about it so far. Seems like we’ve got great depth, seems like we’re improving. But it’s also four days in, too.”

There’s no mystery regarding Leonard Floyd either, as he’s been as consistent as it gets during the previous four years. Here’s Shanahan on Floyd:

“That he seems just like the guy I’ve always gone against. Same type of body—same type of athlete. Getting to know him as a person, he is like advertised. I mean, the guy loves football. He’s got a hell of a motor, real fun to be around.”

Floyd, who turns 32 in September, is effectively on a one-year deal. The 49ers can save nearly $8 million in cap space by releasing him after June 1 next season.

Yetur Gross-Matos gives the Niners some much-needed versatility as an interior pass rusher, but he’s still a projection. The same can be said for Robert Beal Jr and the rest of the depth at edge. We won’t see Drake Jackson during training camp, and the odds of him making an impact feel slim, based on what we’ve seen thus far in Jackson’s career.

So, with Super Bowl aspirations, the 49ers are heading into the regular season with, in Spades terms, “Two and a possible.” If you’re unfamiliar with the card game “Spades,” you’re not going to win many hands if you only have two reliable books. Yet, that’s where the 49ers find themselves.

Of course, you have Javon Hargrave and plenty of talent in the back-7, but this defense is built on generating pressure with the front four. Training camp will be a good opportunity for the 49ers to figure out what they have in Beal Jr. and Gross-Matos, but those players shouldn’t prevent you from taking a swing at an All-Pro caliber player who is seemingly available.

New England Patriots edge rusher Matthew Judon enters the final year of a four-year, $56 million contract. He skipped voluntary workouts with the club this offseason, and Judon has yet to participate in practices despite him showing up to training camp.

It’s no secret that Judon is seeking a new contract. Some Patriots reporters have effectively put words in Judon’s mouth, leading to numerous social media posts:

Earlier in the offseason, it was reported that the Patriots offered Judon a contract, to which he said, “No, they haven’t, but it makes me look bad again. Don’t believe the lies.”

Judon is Floyd’s age—he turns 32 in two weeks—and he’s coming off a season-ending bicep injury. No team in the NFL thinks, “We have too many pass rushers.”

If the 49ers are genuinely in a win-now mode, buying low on Judon makes too much sense. It’s worth noting that his contract has no guaranteed salary. Depending on when a trade would take place, the 49ers would be on the hook for anywhere between $6.5-$7 million this season for Judon’s cap number.

Yes, they have to extend Brandon Aiyuk at some point. Yes, the same is true for Trent Williams. According to Over the Cap, the only team with more available cap space in the NFL than the Patriots are your 49ers, at $52.2 million. No financial constraints are preventing this team from acquiring an accomplished pass rusher.

Judon played only four games last year, but he had four sacks and four tackles for loss. He also missed only two games from 2022 to 2023. This is the ultimate buy-low on a veteran player who has been one of the best at his position—he had 12.5 and 15.5 sacks the previous two seasons.

Not only are you keeping Bosa and Floyd fresh—and Judon, for that matter— you’re preventing your competition from adding a star rusher. Let Gross-Matos and Beal Jr. get their feet underneath them as pros by rushing from the inside while the veterans handle business on the edge.

Speculating about the trade compensation feels like a waste of time. Judon only has one year left, so I wouldn’t surrender anything higher than a third-round pick. If the 49ers could acquire Judon for a third and fourth or compile multiple Day 3 picks, the decision to pull the trigger on a trade seems like a no-brainer.