Podcast: Who is going to rush the passer besides Nick Bosa?

Contrary to popular advice, we do actually read the comments, and we’ve noticed that many of you have complained about the number of quarterback-related posts we’ve been writing lately. While I can understand your frustration, I’d also like to defend that thinking by reminding you that when there’s a hurricane, the Weather Channel doesn’t stop talking about the storm to tell you about the ten day forecast in Altoona.

That said, we are nothing if not flexible here at Niners Nation, so on today’s podcast, we answered a bunch of your non-QB question from our mailbag.

One of the most popular queries was about who will rush the passer opposite Nick Bosa, assuming he returns to form next year. It’s a great question, and maybe most important offseason decision beyond who will be under center.

“The answer isn’t Dee Ford, that’s for sure. I don’t think he’s going to be playing,” Levin Black said, “I think Kerry Hyder is probably going to be too expensive and he’s not going to be good enough to spend that type of money on...If you’re willing to wait it out, the free agent market will have plenty of bargains on it. I could see the 49ers sitting and waiting and getting a free agent that didn’t get the deal they wanted.”

We have pointed towards a couple of those options in Haason Reddick and Everson Griffen, but it’s too early in the off-season to know for sure if the 49ers are targeting those two players. Regardless, finding another reliable presence off the edge could make or break this defense next year, especially with so many questions in the secondary. When Dee Ford was on the field in 2019 the 49ers defense was otherworldly. If they want to get back to some semblance of that in 2021, Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch have got to hit that decision out of the park.

We answered a bunch more of your non-quarterback questions in today’s Niners Nation Gold Standard Podcast. Check it out in the player below, with the link, or on any major podcast platform.

Other topics from today’s episode

-Why are some in 49ers media downplaying the possibility of a blockbuster QB trade

-What upgrades will the team make along the offensive line this off-season?

-How does the secondary look once the dust settles?