Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Arik Armstead, 49ers excited to work toward Super Bowl return, improve as a defense
Aug 10, 2020 at 12:34 PM
•
Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Arik Armstead and his teammates were eager to get back to work after an unusual offseason filled with virtual meetings and training on their own. The goal has remained the same since February: Return to the Super Bowl and, this time, emerge as champions.
"We all have that engrained in our brain, and it's all motivating us and pushing us to get back there," Armstead told reporters on Monday via a video conference call. "I think we had such an amazing year last year, and we want to continue to get better and move forward. So, I know we're all excited to get back to work and try to get back to a Super Bowl and win this time."
Armstead confirmed that he would continue to play along the edge in base formations and then move inside to rush the passer in nickel situations. At least, that is the plan right now. He and his teammates, however, want to build on last year's impressive defensive performance. They want to be even better this season.
"One thing we talked about: We were tops in a lot of categories except run defense — we were middle of the pack," Armstead explained. "Definitely looking to get better in that aspect."
The 49ers defense ranked No. 1 in pass defense and No. 2 overall, but No. 17 against the run.
Facebook Comments
More San Francisco 49ers News
49ers' Fred Warner addresses Armstead's departure, Greenlaw's recovery, Super Bowl window
The news of Arik Armstead's departure from the San Francisco 49ers after nine seasons with the team shocked linebacker Fred Warner. Armstead, a former first-round pick, was an impactful force on the football field. However, his availability over the last two seasons forced the 49ers to reevaluate his contract, and when his salary could not be significantly reduced, the two sides parted ways.
"Huge surprise," Warner said of learning that Armstead was being released. "Ever since I've been here, we called him the blueprint for how to be a Niner. That was the longest-tenured Niner that's been here and a guy that's done it right through and through."
Warner has been in the NFL long enough to understand how the league works. Over the years, he's watched several
7-round mock draft from The Athletic sees 49ers fortifying defense early
Analyst Dane Brugler recently revealed his seven-round mock draft for The Athletic, forecasting all 257 selections in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft, set to kick off next week.
"Piecing together a mock like this is time consuming, but I enjoy the exercise, because it allows me to focus on each team's needs, organizational trends and prospect-team pairings that make sense based on '30' visits, league buzz and overall interest," Brugler wrote.
Most expect the 49ers to address the trenches early in the draft, and Brugler has the team doing that. It's just not on the offensive side of the football. In fact, Brugler doesn't have San Francisco
49ers sign WR Trent Taylor, reuniting with former draft pick
The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of wide receiver Trent Taylor to a one-year deal, reuniting with the team's former fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was the first to report that the 49ers were discussing a potential reunion with Taylor. The receiver was part of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's first draft class in 2017 and spent his first four NFL seasons with the team.
The #49ers are talking with free-agent slot receiver/return man
Draft Watch: Western Kentucky WR Malachi Corley visiting 49ers on Wednesday
The San Francisco 49ers are hosting several draft prospects this week as the deadline for pre-draft visits draws near. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the team will host former Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley on Wednesday.
Corley is expected to be a Day 2 pick. San Francisco owns two selections on Day 2—the No. 63 overall pick in the second round and the No. 94 overall pick in the third round. Currently, the receiver is visiting with the Seattle Seahawks.
Western Kentucky @WKUFootball receiver Malachi Worley
