Stopping the run is something young players do to earn a big second contract or something mid-level players do to stay in the league.
The 49ers used to be the best tackling defense in the NFL, but that was back when it was hungry. Back before most of their stars got paid.
Stopping the run is a tough, blue-collar mindset -- it's like shoveling coal. It's exhausting and it's not glamorous. It's something to do because you have to do it, not because you want to. But once stars start making the big bucks, sometimes they start making business decisions and choosing not to mix it up in the trenches where they could get bloody.
When the 49ers went to the Super Bowl, most of their best defensive players were young and still on their first contract. I'm talking Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, Arik Armstead, DeForest Buckner and Dre Greenlaw. All of them were eager to prove themselves and do whatever the coaches asked. All of them set the standard for effort on the 49ers defense.Bosa is making $35 million per season.Warner is making $19 million per season.Greenlaw is making $8 million per season.
This is the core of the 49ers' defense, and it's got nothing left to prove. It's set for life. The 49ers need an infusion of youth and eagerness and hunger. Unfortunately, with the exception of Brock Purdy, the 49ers have gotten next to nothing from their last two draft classes.Copyright ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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