The 49ers will not be big spenders in the free agency, despite a healthier ceiling situation than it seemed they could have at the end of the season. However, some mid-level free agents may be available at a reduced rate, with so many teams compared to the reduced salary cap this season. Any free agent defensive goal that won’t break the bank should be on the 49ers’ radar, which is why The imminent release of the Seahawks by DE Carlos Dunlap they should be interested.
Dunlap just finished his 11th NFL season with an eight-game stint in Seattle, after Cincinnati Bengal led him to the Seahawks in the middle of the season. The 32-year-old was a second-round pick in the Bengals in 2010 and has been a force on their defensive front for more than 10 years. He won two Pro Bowl awards and amassed 82.5 sacks for Cincinnati, including a career 13.5 in 2016.
Although he will probably never get to the Pro Bowl game again, Dunlap was effective for the Seahawks last season. He took out 5.0 bags in eight games.
At 6-6, 285 pounds, Dunlap can rush the passer on the edge and kick inside and rush from there. He may not be a top player at this point in his career, but if the 49ers can add him as a stepping stone that can rotate in multiple places on the defensive front, he could start to build a deep defensive line like one they traveled to the Super Bowl two seasons ago.