The 49ers are set to sign free agent defensive end Ziggy Ansah according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. He reported that Ansah and San Francisco were finalizing a deal. NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported early Monday morning that Ansah was on his way to meet the team in West Virginia with the expectation of signing with the club.
This move felt inevitable after the 49ers worked Ansah out during the offseason but couldn’t come to terms on a contract. They initially explored the signing when they needed depth on the edge, but a possible season-ending injury to Nick Bosa and a neck injury that sidelined Dee Ford in Week 2 has left the 49ers in dire straits at the most important position on their defense.
Ansah, 31, was the No. 5 overall pick by the Lions in the 2013 NFL draft. In six seasons with the Lions he racked up 48 sacks in 80 games, and spent five of those seasons working under current 49ers defensive line coach Kris Kocurek when he held that same position in Detroit. Ansah spent last season with the Seahawks where he tallied 2.5 sacks in 11 games.
The 49ers wound up signing Dion Jordan instead of Ansah in the offseason, but Jordan wasn’t impressive in camp according to reports from Santa Clara and he wound up on the practice squad.
Ansah gives San Francisco some much-needed experience and depth on the edge. With Bosa out, Kerry Hyder Jr. and Dee Ford were the only two true edge players on the roster. Arik Armstead plays outside as well, but he moves to defensive tackle in passing situations, so the 49ers desperately needed another true edge rusher.
If Ansah begins going through the COVID-19 testing protocols Monday, he should be able to practice as early as Thursday. Given his experience in the Wide-9 scheme the 49ers run, he shouldn’t need much practice before getting some snaps Sunday vs. the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium.
