San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan speaks during a news conference after the 49ers defeated the Los Angeles Rams 30-23 in an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
The San Francisco 49ers understand the value of taking chances, but it doesn’t imply that winning is guaranteed. There are errors like the signing of Javon Hargrave for every glaringly obvious win like the deal for running back Christian McCaffrey.
It would be premature for fans to write Hargrave off, though, given he has only just wrapped off his first season in San Francisco. Gilberto Manzano of SI.com, meanwhile, thinks Hargrave is the worst free agent signing of 2023.
On March 6, Manzano wrote, “The 49ers likely expected more from Hargrave, who signed one of the most lucrative contracts of last offseason.” “Hargrave was on the wrong side of 30, so the 49ers’ decision to add him was a gamble,” the statement reads. “Hargrave had a dominant 2022 season during his last year in Philadelphia.”
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 Considering the plethora of talent lining up next to him, it isn’t a positive sign.
Now will likely look for an improvement. But saying Hargrave was a flop in 2023 feels like an exagerration
Hargrave From the Steelers to the Eagles to the 49ers
Hargrave is the epitome of a “slow burn,” in contrast to those players who make an immediate impression as rookies. Following his selection by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft, Hargrave only recorded 4 sacks and 9 tackles for loss in his first two seasons.
2018 saw a notable improvement in Hargrave’s ability to stop the pass, as he had 6.5 sacks and one batted ball. After a respectable season in 2019 (4 sacks, 7 TFLs, 1 forced fumble), the South Carolina State product signed a free agent contract and joined the Eagles.
