#edge-rusher

#edge-rusher

Putting aside the Crosby trade rumors for now, here's a list of expected free agent edge rushers: Trey Hendrickson, Odafe Oweh, Jaelan Phillips, Khalil Mack, K'Lavon Chaisson, Boye Mafe, Joey Bosa and Jadeveon Clowney. The main thing that impresses me is the variety. Oweh, Chaisson and Mafe are speed artists who can create pressure fast. Guys like Mack, Clowney and Kingsley Enagbare (Packers) are all hitters in the running game.

A knee injury sidelined Booker for the first eight weeks of the season, but he made his presence known quickly, recording a sack and forced fumble in his season debut against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 9. Booker was held out of the sack column on the stat sheet in his next five games, but finished the season strong. Headlined by a two-sack performance against the Cleveland Browns in December, Booker finished the season on a high note with a stellar five-game run.

There were mitigating circumstances attached. Luvu freely admitted it, and fans have known for some time. When the Commanders suffered some critical injuries on the defensive edge, their plans changed. Concerns about their lack of pass-rushing quality were realized. General manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn scrambled for answers. One solution they implemented centered on using Luvu more on the edge. It didn't work.

Admittedly, not many people are familiar with Murphy. He was an end-of-the-roster player with the Chargers, and has played just 11 games in his career thus far. The 25-year-old entered the league in 2023, signing with Vrabel's Tennessee Titans. He was later released, signed to the Chargers practice squad, and eventually made their 2025 roster. Murphy had his first career sack against the Giants in Week 4 of this year.

SANTA CLARA Already challenged in terms of a pass rush, the 49ers got some bad news Monday when it was learned Bryce Huff came out of a 20-10 win over Atlanta with a hamstring strain and will likely miss at least two games. Huff played 45 snaps against the Falcons and 69.2 percent of the plays. Both are his high-water marks for the season. But toward the end of the game, Huff apparently felt something was amiss.

'Who would've thought that a kid from Greenville, AL, with just one year of high school football experience, would go on to play professional football in the NFL for 11 incredible years!... As I step into the newest season of my life, please know this game has meant the world to me. The lessons learned on and off the field will stay with me forever.'

Bonitto had a sack, a near-sack, and a heated pursuit that forced the quarterback to throw the ball away, showcasing his impact on the game.

"Let me rush, that's what I do," Miller said Thursday. "I can still roll out of bed at 36 years old with my shoes on and rush the passer."

Miller finished with a 16.1% pressure rate last season, which ranked as 10th best in the league among players with 175+ pass rush snaps. Quinn isn't going to put Miller on the field on first and ten, or likely running situations, he's going to deploy Miller on third and forth downs, and let him use that trademark spin move to get the ball back to Washington.