The 49ers players are putting in work after another heartwrenching loss in the Super Bowl. Javon Hargrave who was signed on a 4-year $84 million deal last year didn’t have the expected impact. However, he is preparing himself well for the upcoming season as puts on a show, lifting 500 pounds without breaking a sweat.
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A video popped up on social media of him lifting 523 lbs on the trap bar deadlift with 0.91-second velocity. Before this, he deadlifted 506 lbs with a velocity of 0.98 seconds. The 49ers DT looks leaner and fitter before the start of training camp.
Javon Hargrave has been putting in WORK this offseason #49ers || #FTTB
: @EXOSsports pic.twitter.com/wvzEuJKv6z— OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers) June 18, 2024
Signed on a free transfer, he played in all 17 games during regular and all three postseason games. In the regular season, he made only 44 combined tackles and 7 sacks, a decline from his last season with the Eagles, where contributed 60 combined tackles and a career-best 11 sacks.
While his run-defense grade of 51.4 was a slight improvement over 49 during the 2022 season, his overall grade of 74.9 fell short of the 80.1 mark, he had in his last season with Philly. The Niner will expect a lot more from him in the coming season, given he outearns Fred Warner, C-Mac, and Kittle.
With Arik Armstead, Javon Kinlaw, Chase Young, etc all gone, the responsibility of that vulnerable defense comes on his experienced shoulders.
Javon Hargrave Looking For Redemption
Signing Hargrave was a clear sign of desperation and mismanagement by the front office which had previously been prudent. They failed to give DeForest Buckner the big contract he wanted, instead drafting Javon Kinlaw, who turned out to be a bust for a first-round pick. Yet, they agreed to pay $21 million a season to Hargrave. After a disappointing first season in Bay, they would expect him to turn things around.
As per Sports Illustrated, he has been putting in the work this off-season but the Niners need more than 7 sacks and mediocre pass-rushing in the next three seasons. However, at 31, there isn’t a lot of room for growth and productivity. They can’t get rid of him because, in 2025 and 2026, he could cost $28.1 million and $29.8 million against the cap.
This will be a make-and-break year for the former Eagles DT. The 49ers still have most of their core players. They have signed some veteran players Leonard Floyd, Yetur Gross Matos, and Maliek Collins to replace the players they lost or released this off-season.
They have also brought in new defensive coaches, Nick Sorenson and Brandon Staley to tighten that defense, which gave up unnecessary yardage and squandered leads in the Super Bowl. The squad offensively is still capable of winning games. However, it is the defense that wins trophies.
