The San Francisco 49ers are engineering a major slash-and-burn campaign of their roster heading into 2025, and the list of players who have either departed via free agency or have been released outright is growing by the day.
Well, more like by the hour.
In an unsurprising move, the Niners are releasing veteran defensive end Leonard Floyd, one of their 2024 free-agent pickups who signed a two-year deal worth up to $20 million. News of the release came from ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Schefter subsequently provided an update reporting Floyd quickly signed with the Atlanta Falcons.
San Francisco is currently in cost-savings mode, and releasing Floyd frees up $1.476 million in cap space, albeit against $8.632 million in dead money.
Schefter didn’t report whether or not the release was of the post-June 1 variety, which would result in nearly $8 million in cap space generated against $2.158 in dead cap.
In terms of cash spend, though, the 49ers will save dollars.
But, the corresponding move might be one that’ll catch Niners’ fans attention.
49ers may pivot from Leonard Floyd to Joey Bosa
According to multiple outlets, including Tim Kawakami of the SF Standard, San Francisco is interested in signing former Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa, and talks have proceeded on that front in an attempt to pair the elder Bosa with his younger brother on the 49ers, defensive end Nick Bosa.
Kawakami admitted the Floyd release could be a potential means to secure Joey Bosa’s services, although the insider felt the original plan was to rotate the trio.
But, if money was an issue, freeing up cash by releasing Floyd so it could be spent on Bosa does make sense.
Remember, cap space and cash spend are two different things.
Plus, Bosa isn’t going to be without suitors. And Floyd was a modest presence on the Niners defense anyway, meaning San Francisco’s defensive shake-up this offseason was probably going to include his name regardless.
At least it opens the door for Bosa to join his brother.
