It was a mere formality, and now it is going to happen. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter on Thursday, the San Francisco 49ers have informed defensive tackle Javon Hargrave that he will be released when the new league year starts next Wednesday. He will be free to sign with the Minnesota Vikings or any other team once he is released.
Hargrave missed all but three games last season due to a torn triceps. Late in the season, in anticipation of releasing the 32-year old, the 49ers restructured his contract. While he acknowledged the looming move to move on, general manager John Lynch has kept open the possibility of bringing Hargrave back at a cheaper rate.
Hargrave was a Pro Bowler in two of three seasons prior to last year, with at least seven sacks in all three seasons (one with the 49ers, 2021 and 2022 with the Philadelphia Eagles). The season over that span where he didn't earn a Pro Bowl nod, 2022 with the Eagles, he had a career-high 11 sacks.
Hargrave is expected to be fully healthy for the start of next season. Even on the wrong side of 30, he is lined up to have several suitors due to the pass rush prowess he offers from the interior. And he is a stout run defender.
Javon Hargrave could be a perfect solution for the Minnesota Vikings interior pass-rush problem
The Vikings had 48 sacks last season. Nearly half of them (23.5) came from edge rushers Jonathan Greenard (12) and Andrew Van Ginkel (11.5), with another seven sacks from backup edge rusher Patrick Jones.
The multiplicity of Brian Flores' blitz-heavy defensive scheme regularly minimizes the impact defensive tackles have rushing the passer (h/t to Matt Fries of Zone Coverage for some in-depth stuff there), and they are heavily rotated. But 14.5 sacks from defensive tackles over the last three seasons is less than ideal.
Hargrave will likely come at an age-related discount, to say nothing of coming off a significant injury, even if he checks out fine medically. The fit with Minnesota looks great, as he would help solve that interior pass rush problem. Some new possibilities for Flores's defensive imagination could be opened up too.
