In some surprising news late Sunday night, the San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Arik Armstead elected to not restructure his contract and will be released. This is going to be a massive blow to the defensive line as he ranks fourth in postseason sacks among active players.
He had a strong season as combining his totals from the regular season and playoff, he finished with 38 total tackles (19 solo, 19 assisted) with six sacks and a fumble recovery. But what teams are in the best position to sign the veteran defensive lineman?
Arik Armstead Landing Spot #1: Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions have a lot of young players on the defensive side of the field as they have some talent on this side of the ball. With pass-rushers like Aidan Hutchison and Josh Paschal, adding Armstead would be a calming force. With a player with some outstanding playoff experience as well, that could really help guide some direction for the team going forward.
Arik Armstead Landing Spot #2: Houston Texans
The Houston Texans make a lot of sense here as they have some critical aspects a veteran free agent like Armstead would look for. He has the connection to former 49ers defensive coordinator and current Texans coach Demeco Ryans as well as a team with cap space. Adding him to this Houston team would also give players like defensive end Will Anderson Jr and defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi more chances to get in the backfield as offensive lines are focusing on him wreaking havoc.
Arik Armstead Landing Spot #3: Chicago Bears
After reportedly agreeing to a two-year deal with safety Kevin Byard, this is a chance for the Chicago Bears to continue solidifying the defense. Pairing Arik Armstead with guys like Montez Sweat and Andrew Billings, it would really help him with a veteran presence. What that means for pending free agent Yannick Ngakoue is not great but that would be a great fit for the team.
With the 20th-ranked scoring defense, this would help create more pressure on the opposing quarterbacks. This would make a fun pairing and make the NFC North a bit tougher as a whole.
For more of my content, make sure to follow me on Twitter @TalkVinTalk. I am also part of Total Apex Sports, where we are doing daily content on YouTube, discussing fantasy and betting that you can watch by clicking here.