The 49ers’ first big signing of the offseason came when Arik Armstead inked a five-year, $85 million deal to stay with the team that selected him No. 17 overall in the 2015 draft. San Francisco kept Armstead, and on the same day traded defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the Colts for a first-round pick.
While there was some discussion among fans that the 49ers essentially chose to keep Armstead over Buckner, the two situations were too different to make that claim. One of the reasons San Francisco chose Buckner is because of his positional versatility. He thrived as a base defensive end that kicked to defensive tackle in sub packages. Armstead told reporters that’ll continue to be his role this season.
“Yeah that’s the plan that I know of,” Armstead said when asked if he’d have the same role on the defensive line. “So, I don’t think that’ll change too much.”
It make sense that San Francisco wouldn’t tinker too much with their defensive line. Moving on from Buckner is a big change, but keeping a versatile piece like Armstead helps them keep a steady rotation of clearly defined roles. He’s also an excellent run stopper who sets the edge as well as any defender in the league when he’s lined up on the end. In passing situations he can rush the passer from the interior with Dee Ford lined up on the end.
That situation allowed Armstead to thrive last season. He led the team with a career-best 10 sacks, and generated a career-high 11 quarterback hits. He racked up two more sacks in the postseason.
Continuity was key for the 49ers in the offseason. Armstead holding onto his role follows that motif. He earned a sizable extension that’ll be well worth the money as long as he continues to produce in both of his roles.
