49ers mailbag: Must-win time against Bills? How’s Nick Bosa? How does 2021 free agency look?
What’s a Sunday without 49ers’ football? It’s a chance to sneak in a Week 13 mailbag and cull my Instagram and Twitter message boards ahead of Monday night’s “home” game against Buffalo in Arizona:
What edge rusher do the 49ers target to replace Dee Ford? (@cagarcia650)
They can start in-house and re-sign Kerry Hyder Jr. as a reward for his durability and production (team-high 7 1/2 sacks) after arriving on a one-year, $1.5 million deal. He is not the speed rusher Ford once was, though. Is anyone?
“I don’t know if you’ve heard but the only goal I had was to garner respect among the league. I never had a (sack) number goal,” Hyder said Saturday.
Hyder is 30, and most free agent options are over that mile marker, so the 49ers’ best bet will be to repeat their draft history and take a pass rusher in the first round or two. Bud Dupree might have been enticing but the Pittsburgh Steelers’ franchise player just tore an ACL, and the 49ers are maxed out on ACL recoveries.
How is Nick Bosa doing? Any chance he’ll be on the sideline during a game? (@sadiejohnson8409)
Nick is apparently recovering great from his knee reconstruction, after a Sept. 20 ACL tear. He showed impressive leg strength in an Instagram video posted recently by his physical therapist, who did not respond to my message seeking more insight. Nick hasn’t talked to the media since Sept. 17; we miss his clever wit as much as you miss his all-out hustle.
That the 49ers’ pass defense ranks fifth without Bosa (and Ford) this season is a testament not just to fine coaching but the guys who are actually playing (under the radar).
You think we can run against Buffalo? (@510_bobby)
Absolutely. Shanahan’s stable of rushers is restocked with fresh legs. Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson, Jerick McKinnon and Tevin Coleman all can be summoned to run through the 25th-ranked run defense, so long as Deebo Samuel doesn’t hog the ball on those jet-toss runs.
Do you believe the 49ers can still make a Super Bowl run? (@keyanritz)
Beat the Bills on Monday night and everyone should muster enough belief to keep Santa’s sleigh flying all Christmas Eve.
Will the Niners have to run the table for the playoffs? (@pixel_me_rollin)
No. Maybe. I don’t know. It’s 2020! Ten wins should lock up a berth, and that’s been Kyle Shanahan’s annual philosophy. They can afford a loss, to the right team, such as a non-conference, division-leading opponent. Maybe. Gulp.
Sherman or Verrett in 2021? (@dominicvince)
As great as Jason Verrett’s comeback is unfolding this year, Richard Sherman is a Hall of Fame-caliber cornerback. True, Sherman just returned Sunday after a nine-game absence, so durability is a concern, even if he says his calf received treatment to rule out a chronic or lingering issue; Sherman, we should note, represents himself at the contract table. My advice: Re-sign them both — neither should break any team’s bank in 2021’s tighter salary cap — then round out the cornerback corps with cheaper alternatives.
Will our offensive line be the same as last week? (@bigev49er)
No. It will be better, in that they don’t have to face Aaron Donald. Otherwise, expect the same lineup of left tackle Trent Williams, left guard Laken Tomlinson, center Daniel Brunskill, right guard Colton McKivitz and right tackle Mike McGlinchey, the latter of whom has drawn more criticism than all of them combined when he’s actually run blocking well but admittedly underperforming as a pass blocker. Tom Compton is cleared from last week’s concussion so he might sub in for McKivitz, if needed.
Does Salah leave after the 2020 season? (@8ajrrr)
Michigan legislatures sure hope so, having penned a letter to the Detroit Lions begging them to hire Saleh, a Dearborn native. Saleh should have more choices, however. Houston is where he got his start. Jacksonville will need someone to revive its defense, and champion a rookie quarterback who’ll have weapons. Atlanta? New York (Jets)? Chicago? More and more jobs will open and more interviews will be afoot.
Any chance Bethard gets the start? (@jsjagga)
It’s Beathard. Although, if you want to bet hard on the 49ers, who am I to stop you? The Nick Mullens Polar Express is full steam ahead until a healthy Jimmy Garoppolo shows up at the depot.
No questions. Let’s just ball out the rest of the season!!!! (@rodney805)
Is this Jimmie Ward? You share his enthusiasm. As Ward ended his video session with Bay Area media Friday, he blurted out: “Even just thinking about football right now, I’m starting to feel that fire inside of me. Other than that, let’s get to the next question. It’s feeling like game day right now!”