49ers defensive lineman Arik Armstead is open to exploring all avenues to return to San Francisco next season. General manager John Lynch shares Armstead’s open-mindedness regarding the former first-round pick’s free agency.
Lynch on Thursday told reporters in his end-of-season press conference that the team badly wants to re-sign Armstead.
“Arik is an excellent player,” Lynch said. “He had an excellent year. I think everything is on the table. We want to find a way to keep him and make him a part of the 49ers for a long time.”
Armstead on Wednesday said he’d be open to signing a franchise tag to stay with San Francisco – a short-term answer without long-term stability that players tend to want to avoid in favor of a more secure long-term deal.
A sensational 2019 season where he racked up 10.0 sacks likely drove Armstead’s price up on the open market. He was also healthy for 16 games for the second consecutive season after battling injuries for a couple seasons. He also played a career-high 912 snaps, shattering his previous best of 608 set last season.
Armstead benefitted from the additional talent on the defensive line, and being able to kick inside with Dee Ford and Nick Bosa rushing off the edges in passing situations. It stands to reason that putting him back in that group under defensive line coach Kris Kocurek should yield similar results to 2019.
While the pass rush aspect of Armstead’s season will drive up his price some, his value may lie more in his abilities as a run defender. He was their best player on run defense in 2019 according to PFF thanks to his ability to move bodies inside, and set the edge when he’s lined up outside. Armstead was also among their best run defenders in 2018, although the pass rush production was not there.
One small hangup may come when the 49ers turn on the Super Bowl tape. Armstead didn’t have a tremendous impact in that game, registering two tackles, one quarterback hit, three hurries and no sacks. Most concerning was his lack of presence in the run game. Kansas City’s misdirections and fakes frequently had Armstead going the wrong direction.
It’s doubtful, given what Lynch had to say about Armstead in his press conference, that one game at the end of the season will move the defensive lineman’s value much. San Francisco rode its stellar defensive line all season, and Armstead was one of that line’s most impactful players. It makes sense that Lynch and the front office would explore every possible possible to re-sign him, even with their backs up against the salary cap and other deals to maneuver around.