The 49ers will not be big spenders at the free agency, despite a healthier edge situation than it looked when the season ended. However, some free mid-level agents may end up available at a discounted rate with so many teams against the maximum number of salaries reduced this off-season. Any free agent defensive tip that will not break the bank should be on the 49ers’s radar, which is why the DE Carlos Dunlap’s Seahawks imminent launch it must be in their interest.
Dunlap just finished his 11th season in the NFL with an eight-game stint in Seattle after Cincinnati Bengal negotiated him with the Seahawks in the middle of the season. The 32-year-old was chosen for the second round of Bengals in 2010 and has been a force on his defensive front for more than 10 years. He won two waves at the Pro Bowl and racked up 82.5 sacks for Cincinnati, including the best of his 13.5 career in 2016.
Although he will probably never reach Pro Bowl level again, Dunlap was effective for the Seahawks last season. He scored 5.0 sacks in eight games.
With 6-6 pounds and 285 pounds, Dunlap is able to throw the passer from the ledge and kick in and run from there as well. He may not be a perverse player at this point in his career, but if the 49ers can add him as a situational pass launcher who can rotate at various points on the defensive front, they can begin to build a deep defensive line like theirs. went to the Super Bowl two seasons ago.