The San Francisco 49ers signed free agent pass rusher Elvis Dumervil last week, and he has joined the team for mandatory minicamp this week. While Dumervil is taking part in meetings and conditioning work, head coach Kyle Shanahan said he will not take part in football activities. He will be ready for training camp, but given how recently he is joining the team, they do not want to rush him into anything yet.
Dumervil discussed his decision to sign with the 49ers in a conversation with beat writer Matt Maiocco. He likes what Robert Saleh brings to the table as defensive coordinator, most notably his simplification of the defense. He is comfortable in any defense, and thinks he has more than one season left in the tank coming off an Achilles injury that cost him the past two seasons.
Shanahan thinks Dumervil can bring both productivity and leadership to the 49ers. Shanahan said the team did not sign him simply to be a mentor to the younger pass rushers, but that it is a nice bonus. He talked about the Atlanta Falcons bringing in Dwight Freeney last year, and all that he meant for young pass rusher Vic Beasley. Freeney had three sacks for the Falcons, while Beasley led the team with 15.5.
Dumervil said he is fully healthy at this point, and if that is the case, he could compete to lead the team in sacks. But I also look forward to him working with guys like Pita Taumoepenu, Aaron Lynch, Arik Armstead, and the rest of the young pass rushers on the roster.