The San Francisco 49ers may have lost Chase Young to free agency, but they replaced him with fellow edge rusher Leonard Floyd, which may actually represent an upgrade at a cheaper annual price.

The 49ers landed Floyd on a two-year, $20 million deal, while Young received a one-year, $13 million contract from the New Orleans Saints.

Based on the production of both players, Floyd’s pact certainly seems like a much bigger bargain.

Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports has named San Francisco’s signing of Floyd one of the smartest moves of free agency, noting that Floyd’s highest cap number will be a very manageable $10.108 million in 2025.

Benjamin adds that Floyd is one of just three players to log nine or more sacks for four straight seasons, with the other two being Haason Reddick and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett.

Floyd spent the 2023 campaign with the Buffalo Bills, playing in every game and racking up 32 tackles, 10.5 sacks and a forced fumble.

The 31-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of Georgia, was originally selected by the Chicago Bears with the ninth overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft.

After posting an impressive 33 tackles and seven sacks during his rookie campaign, Floyd ended up being a major disappointment for the Bears, as he failed to reach five sacks in any of his final three seasons with the club.

He moved on to the Los Angeles Rams in 2020, which was where he finally found his groove.

Floyd spent the next three seasons with the Rams, posting 55 tackles, 10.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a couple of fumble recoveries during his debut campaign and following that up by registering 9.5 and nine sacks over the next two years, respectively.

Another pro on Floyd’s side is his durability, as he has not missed a game since 2017.

The Niners certainly did a fine job landing Leonard Floyd on such an affordable deal.

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