49ers to sign free agent DE Kemoko Turay
The 49ers are set to add another defensive end to their depth chart. NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo on Thursday reported San Francisco and former Colts DE Kemoko Turay agreed to terms on a one-year contract.
San Francisco has made a habit of adding veteran DEs that might’ve fallen short of expectations in the NFL. Turay hasn’t been entirely unproductive, but in 38 games with the Colts he posted just 12.0 sacks, including a career-high 5.5 last season.
Turay was the No. 52 overall pick in the 2018 draft and started his career with 4.0 sacks coming off the bench as a rookie. An ankle injury early in 2019 kept him to just four games that year and then limited him to seven games in 2020. His bounce-back in 2021 is a sign that San Francisco might be able to tap into some of what the Colts expected to get out of the second-round pick.
It’s a crowded DE room for the 49ers, but there aren’t any players aside from Nick Bosa that stand out as a dominant edge rushers. Their pass rush will be plenty of Bosa with Samson Ebukam, Jordan Willis, Kerry Hyder, Charles Omenihu and Turay battling for roster spots in camp. If Turay can emerge as a leader in that group behind Bosa, he’ll not only see plenty of playing time, but he has a chance to put together the best year of his career.
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