The Houston Texans added a significant name to the free agent market when they launched the defensive side JJ Watt. While a team like San Francisco, who needs advanced help, may venture to take a look at the five-time First-Team All-Pro, it’s hard to imagine that they kick it seriously.
While Watt is an infallible Hall of Fame with three Defensive Player of the Year awards on his resume, his days as a dominant player on the edge are behind him. He is expected to turn 32 in March and his 9.0 sacks in 24 games over the past two seasons. Watt has only played two full seasons since 2016 and only 48 of the 80 possible games, although he posted 16.0 sacks in a full 2018 season.
This does not mean that Watt is a bad player. He can still help a team. However, its price given to the curriculum can have significant inflation. ESPN’s Ed Werder even reported 12 teams asked about the ex-Texas star.
The problem that 49ers face is where it would play. His most valuable role at this point in his career is probably the same role that Arik Armstead occupies as a leading edge defender in basic packages and an interior rusher in secondary packages. San Francisco has a lot of money tied up in Armstead and adding another relatively expensive player for the same function would not be a prudent use of the 49ers’ limited space.
If they were looking to add cutting edge help to the free agency, it would probably be with less expensive players that they could try and fit into a specific role to maximize their talent. His switch to DE Jordan Willis last season comes to mind, where they used him only as an edge rusher and didn’t ask him to cut back on coverage or be a defensive extreme.
Kerry Hyder Jr. also comes from an excellent year and, at this point, would probably be just as valuable for the defense of the 49ers as Watt, but at a lower price. If they were to spend some on a free agency, it would be up to them to try to retain Hyder instead of going after the bigger name.
With names like Trent Williams, Kyle Juszcyzk and K’Waun Williams ready to reach the free agency for 49ers, they will have to spend wisely. Adding a top player is not out of the question, but Watt should not be the player they want.