It isn't too often that a capable pass rusher becomes available in the offseason for a fairly cheap price.
Well, that is exactly what happened when pass rusher Bryce Huff and the Philadelphia Eagles sought a divorce. The fit was never there between the two sides.
That allowed the 49ers to make a surprising trade with the Eagles for Huff. The 49ers only gave up a conditional mid-round pick and are having his salary partly paid for by the Eagles.
It's an easy trade to make for the 49ers, but it's also one that Huff wanted fairly early on.
“If I’m being 100% honest with you, I wanted a trade like fairly early on,” Huff said to Brad Graham of The SF Niners YouTube channel (h/t Dylan Grausz of Heavy Sports). “And just cause of how things went in Philly, I knew pretty early on it wasn’t a fit.
"I knew a trade wasn’t going to happen during the [2024] season. But I talked to my agent about it and was like, when it’s all set and done, I might need to step to put myself in the best position… I kind of knew where it was headed fairly early on into the season.”
Huff left the New York Jets in free agency after coming off the best season of his career. He tallied 10 sacks and 68 pressures, so he was a fairly hot commodity in free agency.
Unfortunately, Huff never came close to that production or impact with the Eagles. The scheme fit never made sense, and possibly even personalities.
Having a fresh start with the 49ers and reuniting with Robert Saleh has to be revitalizing for Huff. It puts him in a position where all of the factors align perfectly for him to excel.
