Like fans, San Francisco 49ers players didn't see it coming. No one predicted the Bay Area team as a legitimate contender to add the highly-prized free agent, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave.
Several players spoke with reporters for the first time since the 49ers opened their offseason program last week. For many, this past week has been the first opportunity to interact with Hargrave in person, and everyone is excited about the possibilities.
One of the players who was excited about the signing is a man who will have to deal with him during practices.
"It's awesome," offensive lineman Jake Brendel said of the Hargrave addition. "You always want that type of guy on your team. He definitely made it hard to game-plan the Eagles, and it was definitely a hard time blocking him. So I feel like whenever you have a guy like that on your defensive line, it just adds to the value as a whole."
Running back Christian McCaffrey remembers game planning for the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles and preparing for Hargrave. Needless to say, he is grateful to have him as a teammate.
"Definitely happy we don't have to play against him," McCaffrey said. "He's a stud. He's a guy who, obviously, has had a lot of success in his career. And just adding another piece to the defense obviously helps."
Last season, the 49ers took a big swing by adding McCaffrey via a midseason trade. The move paid off, and the team reached the NFC title game for the third time in four years. For the running back, the Hargrave addition proves the team's commitment to winning.
"I think everybody knows where our head is at, and from the top down, we know what we want to accomplish and where we want to go," McCaffrey added.
Where was linebacker Fred Warner when the news broke that his team landed Hargrave?
"I was probably at home jumping up and down on my bed," Warner said, laughing. "I mean, that was just huge. I had no idea. They kind of kept that one pretty under wraps. And when it came out, that's as huge of a get. I think he was the top free agent on the market, regardless of position. So he's going to make a huge impact for our defense."
The two have been getting to know each other, comparing notes on each's career paths thus far. Hargrave made it clear that he hoped to go to a winning team, so when the 49ers came calling, the defensive tackle was grateful for the opportunity.
"He's just excited to be a part of the team, and he knew he wanted to go somewhere where he was going to win right away," Warner shared. "That was important to him, and that just shows you the type of guy that he is."
Like Warner, defensive tackle Arik Armstead, who will be lining up next to Hargrave, was shocked by the addition.
"Super excited. Didn't know that that was going to happen," Armstead said. "So it was a shock and a surprise, but a great shock and a great surprise. I think we complement each other very well, and definitely excited to play alongside of him."
Armstead admits that blocking against two very different players will be tough. Armstead towers at his listed 6-7 height and 290-pound weight, while Hargrave comes in at a shorter 6-2 but a heftier 305 pounds.
"I think it's just going to be tough on guards to game plan for both of us, and I'm excited," Armstead said. "I think we complement each other very well. Two different types of players, but I think it's going to be great lining up inside with him."
Warner, a competitive player, saw plenty of Hargrave last season. Typically, defensive players don't study other defensive players during the season because they focus on the offenses they will face. But the linebacker was keeping an eye on the Eagles defense.
"All year long, you're keeping up with the top defenses in the league," Warner shared. "You want to know how your defense stacks up against the best. That was something that we looked at all year, and the Eagles were up there every week, and it was because of that front four, front five guys rotating in and out, and Javon was right there in the middle, causing havoc the whole way through.
"I've seen stats of how many QB pressures he had by himself, and it's kind of just mind-boggling just to add that to a position of need for us. So I know he's going to make a big impact."
