San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch addressed reporters on Monday at the NFL owners meetings, shedding light on the team's recent free-agency moves. The most notable move was signing pass rusher Leonard Floyd to a two-year contract.
The 49ers also secured defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos on a two-year deal. Lynch explained the rationale behind opting for multi-year contracts, highlighting the desire for stability on the defensive line.
"We did some two-year deals on the D-line, so we don't have to do this every year. It gets hard," Lynch remarked with a smile.
Lynch delved into the specifics of each signing, starting with Floyd, emphasizing the player's consistency and high level of competitiveness.
DE Leonard Floyd
"Leonard, just an excellent football player who we've admired for a long time," Lynch stated. "We've competed against him. He's been very consistent. He's just like 10 sacks every year. Love the way he competes, loved him coming out of Georgia, played against him in Chicago, the Rams, obviously, watched him in Buffalo.
"Competes at a real high level, really physical player, really good at all facets of the game. And I think he just gives us a very consistent guy on the opposite of [DE Nick] Bosa that can make people pay when they have to give all the attention to Nick."
Lynch also praised Floyd's durability, adding, "He plays a ton and love the way he chases. He just plays with great effort. And so it's a guy we've admired for a long time. So being able to land him was great."
DE Yetur Gross-Matos
Lynch praised how Gross-Matos and his agent handled free agency, comparing the negotiations to a real estate deal.
"I told his agent, I thought he handled it like a house in Los Altos," Lynch said. "He kind of priced it low and got the whole league interested, and then everybody [started bidding]. And Yetur was the guy, probably of all of them, that we signed that we had the most people in the league say, 'Man, we were in on him.' A lot of the guys [said that] after we landed him."
The 49ers envision Gross-Matos as a player who can contribute along the edges and interior of the defensive front, providing significant versatility in the trenches.
"I think Yetur, the interesting thing is he's just a long, skilled athlete," Lynch explained. "I think we've been at our best when we've had one of those guys, Arden Key, Charles Omenihu, that can play outside and then slide down and go to the inside. It just gives you another layer of versatility to your D-line. And so Yetur, we're really excited about that."
Lynch admits that Gross-Matos will have to transition to putting his hand on the ground more before rushing the quarterback but says the player looks forward to the challenge.
LB De'Vondre Campbell
Lynch called the signing of linebacker De'Vondre Campbell a "blessing" after Eric Kendricks backed out of his deal with the 49ers to sign with the Dallas Cowboys.
"He's a guy we really have always respected and liked," Lynch said of Campbell. "I think in pass coverage, he's an excellent player, has played the run effectively. Kyle was at Atlanta when De'Vondre was there, so knew him from practicing against him in practice. And way back when he was a rookie, I believe, they were together.
"And De'Vondre just had a very productive career. So that was a blessing that he became available for us, and we pounced on that."
CB Isaac Yiadom
The 49ers bolstered their defensive back room with cornerback Isaac Yiadom, whom they envision competing for the starting job opposite Charvarius Ward. This would allow Deommodore Lenoir to remain at the nickel spot.
"Yiadom, can't have enough good corners and thought he had a career year," Lynch stated. "Isaac, I just asked him, 'What clicked?' Because he's been a very good, productive special teams player. It's never really happened for him on defense as consistently as it did last year. And he talked about something familiar to me in my career because I didn't become a full time starter until year three. Kind of just a mindset. Stop doubting yourself, and let's go.
"And he was able to find that last year and have that belief in it, and it really flourished. So, our guys did a great job of identifying him. We became really intrigued with bringing him into our building. And like I said, you just can't have enough guys there.
"So great competition at the outside corner spot, great special teams player. You throw him in there in the mix with Ambry [Thomas], with [Darrell] Luter, with Sammy Womack in there, and let those guys all go compete. And we obviously have Mooney (Ward) and Deommodore, who we all know what they can do. So, like the addition of that."
DT Maliek Collins
The 49ers also traded for defensive tackle Maliek Collins, formerly of the Houston Texans, after making Arik Armstead a salary-cap casualty.
"We had a void there, and so to be able to come to that agreement for a seventh-round pick, a guy who really fits what we do, and it's not a projection," Lynch shared. "He just played in our system last year with [Texans head coach] DeMeco [Ryans] and them and played at a high level.
"He's a guy I've studied and admired for a long time because Rod Marinelli, who I'm close with, coached him in Dallas and drafted him. Rod thinks the world of him. [Defensive line coach] Kris [Kocurek] obviously has a great voice on anything we do there, and we just like the fit with us and plays with tremendous effort, quickness, disruptive, and had a really good year last year."
Lynch also noted the team's additions to special teams with the signings of cornerback Chase Lucas and linebacker Ezekiel Turner. He added that the two have the flexibility to contribute to defense as well.
