The San Francisco 49ers had a lot of changes happen this offseason. A ton came on the defensive side of the ball, which had Robert Saleh return as the defensive coordinator.
They continued to make some additions, most recently when they traded for EDGE Bryce Huff, reuniting him with Saleh. He was slated to make $16.75 million fully guaranteed in 2025, but the Eagles will take on $9.05 million in salary while the 49ers will be left with the remaining $7.95 million. San Francisco will also send a mid-round pick to Philadelphia.
Even though he was only shipped to San Francisco on May 30, his former teammate, Brandon Graham, spoke highly about him when appearing on the "RossTuckerPod".
Graham said, "With the Jets, it was just that defense, man. I know what it's like playing in that 4-3, wide-nine, go get it. Every play, it's always stop the run on the way to the quarterback. That's the slogan in that type of defense. I feel like it's all scheme. I mean, I've seen different guys flourish in different systems, and then you see him get in another system [and] it's different, and what they asked of [Huff] this year, it just wasn't a great marriage, I would say."
Bryce Huff's former teammate Brandon Graham explained why Huff struggled with the Eagles:
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"With the Jets, it was just that defense, man. I know what it's like playing in that 4-3, wide-nine, go get it. Every play, it's always stop the run on the way to the quarterback. That'sā¦ pic.twitter.com/4UUHbs1NXY
Brandon Graham Has Faith in Bryce Huff After off Year
Graham also added, "Because I know Huff can rush. I see him doing all that, but sometimes it's just different with the type of scheme and what people ask of you and they want you to be able to do. And maybe it just wasn't that for Vic Fangio... I just know that Huff's a baller, man, and hopefully for him, I want it to be a win for the team and a win for him. In this case, I'm going to be happy if it's here or somebody somewhere else for him to be able to go show what he can do in these prime years for him."
It was just a year ago that Huff landed a three-year, $51 million deal with the Eagles, but he struggled immensely. Over 12 games with the Eagles, Huff had 13 total tackles and 2.5 sacks. Like Graham said, the marriage between Huff and Vic Fangio didn't work.
Regardless, that's in the past, and we know that Saleh can get the most out of the Memphis product. During the 2023 season, the 27-year-old had his best season with the Jets and Saleh. He posted career-highs in total pressures (67), hurries (45), and sacks (10). Huff consistently lined up in the wide nine and used his speed to generate pressure.
He seeks to bring that juice to San Francisco, and his former teammate Graham still has faith in his abilities to rush the passer.