The San Francisco 49ers know the importance of taking risks, but that doesn’t mean those gambles always payout. For every slam-dunk success like the trade for RB Christian McCaffrey, there are also misses like the signing of Javon Hargrave.
Fans shouldn’t be too quick to bury Hargrave, though, as he has only finished his first season in San Francisco. However, SI.com’s Gilberto Manzano believes that Hargrave is the worst free agency signing of 2023.
“The 49ers likely expected more from Hargrave, who signed one of the most lucrative contracts of last offseason,” Manzano wrote on March 6. “Hargrave had a dominant 2022 season during his last year in Philadelphia, but the 49ers’ decision to add him was a gamble since he was on the wrong side of 30.”
While Manzano has a point, Hargrave was far from a liability in 2023. Where his point lives though is that Hargrave should’ve been at the peak of his powers in 2023. Instead, he regressed from his 2022 season with the Philadelphia Eagles. Considering the plethora of talent lining up next to him, it isn’t a positive sign.
Now, San Francisco will likely look for an improvement. But saying Hargrave was a flop in 2023 feels like an exagerration.
Hargrave Goes from Steelers to Eagles to 49ers
While some players burst onto the scene as rookies, Hargrave is the definition of a “slow burn.” After being drafted in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, Hargrave earned just 4 sacks and 9 tackles for loss over his first two seasons.
2018 marked a significant upturn in pass-rushing effectiveness, as Hargrave totaled 6.5 sacks and added a swatted pass. After a decent 2019 (4 sacks, 7 TFLs, 1 forced fumble,) the South Carolina St. product left Pittsburgh for the Eagles in free agency.
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