Day joins former Niners teammate Buckner on Colts
DeForest Buckner and Sheldon Day, the 49ers’ starting defensive tackles in Super Bowl LIV, have been reunited on the Indianapolis Colts.
A week after Buckner was traded there, Day signed a one-year deal Wednesday with the Colts in free agency.
So who’s left to play inside on the 49ers’ defensive line?
It’s looking like Solomon Thomas, Arik Armstead and nose tackle D.J. Jones will lead a rotation that includes other holdovers and impending additions in free agency and the draft.
The 49ers lost out on Ndamukong Suh when he reportedly agreed Wednesday to re-sign with the Tom Brady-infused Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A one-year, $8 million deal kept Suh, who’s accrued nearly $148 million over his 10-year career as the NFL’s 10th-highest active earner.
The 49ers’ signing of Kerry Holder, as confirmed by the team Wednesday, is more for depth purposes at defensive end.
Yes, the 49ers re-signed Armstead last week (five years, $85 million), and he is seen as a versatile lineman who fares well at defensive end against the run and inside on passing downs.
Other defensive tackles on the roster are Thomas, Jones, Kevin
Givens, Kentavius Street and Jullian Taylor, though the latter is only three months removed from an ACL tear.
As big of a blow it is in losing Buckner, for the Colts’ 13th overall draft pick, Day was a steady presence on the defensive fronts. Day, 25, is an Indianapolis native.
Day, claimed in November 2017 off waivers from Jacksonville, officially started the 49ers’ final five games last season. He played 42 of 79 defensive snaps and got credited for one shared tackle in the Super Bowl loss to Kansas City.
Day totaled four sacks in 34 regular-season games with the 49ers. He played 32 percent of last season’s defensive snaps.
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