By: Jake Rajala

The San Francisco 49ers carry the blood-thirsty, two-time Pro Bowl DE Nick Bosa, but he may be missing a partner in the near future. Per Niners Nation, the 49ers are expected to cut ties with Dee Ford in June. Ford has been a pass-rushing menace in his career, but he has only played in seven games in the past two seasons for the 49ers. It’s clear that John Lynch doesn’t feel his price tag is worth the risk at this point. With that said, I’m going to simply untwine three potential pass rusher replacements for Ford.

Justin Houston

Justin Houston might be 33 years old, but he has been a productive pass rusher in recent memory (11 sacks in 2019, 8 sacks in 2020, and 4.5 sacks in 2021). Houston would have to be enticed about the idea of playing on the same DL as Arik Armstead and Nick Bosa. I don’t believe he would want the same price tag as Carlos Dunlap, but he could still provide production for a couple of more seasons.

Everson Griffen

The Vikings edge rusher Everson Griffen holds a similar outlook as Houston. He is also an aging pass rusher (34) and he mustered out 5 sacks in nine games last season. Similar to Richard Sherman, he is also a special person that has made mistakes and battled demons with his mental health. I expect him to return to a championship-caliber squad with a nice fit for his ability.

Jason Pierre-Paul

The former Buccaneers edge rusher Jason Pierre-Paul has been rumored to land with the Cowboys, but he may be more interested in joining the 49ers potential empty chair for him. JPP had a down 2021 season, but he did have 9.5 sacks and 2 interceptions in 2020. He has gifted athletic ability and he may be the type of less expensive signing that can find gold with great match-ups late in his career.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers brought back Chris Godwin, Leonard Fournette, and they witnessed a resurrection from Tom Brady. After the NFL draft has eclipsed, it seems that the Bucs will remain aggressive in the potential last ride of Tom Brady’s career. There are a familiar few faces that Tampa could ink at this point in this point time. With that enunciated, I’m going to untwine if the Buccaneers should reunite with a few 2021 Buccaneers players.

Ndamukong Suh

It doesn’t look like Ndamukong Suh will return to the Buccaneers. According to numerous sources (the Athletic, Spun), Suh is unlikely to return to the Buccaneers. Suh was still a lethal player in 2021 (6 sacks in 2021), but the Bucs still have Vita Vea and William Gholston in the middle of their defensive line. Unfortunately, the return of Todd Bowles and TB12 doesn’t seem like enough firepower to retain Suh.

Jason Pierre-Paul

Jason Pierre-Paul was a big help in many moments of their recent Super Bowl-winning season, but I don’t expect TB to have a sense of urgency to bring back JPP (2.5 sacks in 12 games last season). The rise of the 2021 first-round draft pick Joe Tryon and Shaq Barrett’s presence should eliminate any bark about a dire need to re-sign JPP. The Dallas Cowboys have been linked to the former NFC East pass rusher.

Robert Gronkowski

Rob Gronkowski, also known as Brady’s best friend, is still unsure about his future in the NFL. I really don’t forsee Gronk returning for another season. Gronk might be a football god, but it may be hard for him to return if his heart is not fixed on playing football in May. Although, if he does not hit the ground running this summer, he could return to the Bucs roster in a potential/likely playoff appearance next season. Marshawn Lynch returned to the familiar Seahawks in their playoff trip during the 2019-2020 season.

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The Atlanta Falcons surely have to improve their wide receiver position this offseason, but there is another key position that needs a jolt: edge rusher. The Falcons recently cut ties with Dante Fowler Jr. and it’s obvious they need a prominent edge rusher to replace Fowler Jr. and chase down quarterbacks with Grady Jarrett. So, which free-agent pass rushers could the Falcons target? Well, here are a few strong options for ATL.

Derek Barnett

The former first-round pick Derek Barnett could be a nice value pick-up for the Falcons. Barnett has quality athletic ability and he’s had flashes in his career leading up to this point. Barnett recorded 6.5 sacks in 2019 and 5.5 sacks in 2020, but he only ousted two sacks in 2021.

If the Falcons decide to draft a pass rusher in round one strike big with a free agent edge rusher like Clowney, I’d love to see the Falcons pick up Barnett. “The Savage” has penalty issues, but he has a lot of upside as a modest run defender and pass rusher.

Jason Pierre-Paul

The two-time Super Bowl champion with the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers unleashed 9.5 sacks in 2021 but unveiled a career-low 2.5 sacks in 12 games with the Bucs last season. The rook Joe Tryon and Pro Bowl edge rusher Shaq Barrett were beneficial to the Bucs success on defense, but they didn’t help JPP dominate the stat sheet.

I believe JPP is a second-tier pass rusher that the Falcons could realistically sign. He has the experience and juice to help another NFC South team opposing QBs that try to match points with the Falcons offense.

Ryan Kerrigan

Ryan Kerrigan isn’t a sexy pass rusher at this stage in his career, but that could fall into the Falcons favor. Kerrigan unveiled 5.5+ sacks in every season up until 2021. The 2011 draft pick has made four Pro Bowls in his career.

He rotated in Barnett and Brandon Graham last season, so he didn’t have his usual amount of opportunities to shine (two games started). He is still a valuable depth piece and the Falcons could be another modest, intriguing fit for his services.

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