The 49ers made a splash in free agency when they signed defensive tackle Javon Hargrave to a four-year deal worth $84 million.
The signing wasn’t just surprising to the public.
“I was probably at home, jumping up and down on my bed,” San Francisco linebacker Fred Warner joked of his reaction to hearing the news during his Monday press conference. “I mean, that was just huge. I had no idea. They kind of kept that one pretty under wraps and when it came out — I mean, that’s as huge of a get [as you can have].
“I think he was probably the top free agent on the market, regardless of position. So, he’s going to make a huge impact for our defense.”
Hargrave played 64 percent of the Eagles’ defensive snaps last year, recording 60 total tackles with 10 tackles for loss, 16 QB hits, and a career-high 11.0 sacks.
“All year long, you’re keeping up with the top defenses in the league, right? You want to know how your defense stacks up against the best. That was something that we looked at all year and the Eagles were up there every week and it was because of that front four, front five, guys rotating in and out,” Warner said. “And Javon was right there in the middle causing havoc the whole way through. I’ve seen stats of how many QB pressures he had by himself and it’s mind-boggling to add that to a position of need for us. I know he’s going to make a big impact.”
So far, Warner has spent a little time with Hargrave through the early portion of the offseason program.
“He’s just excited to be a part of the team,” Warner said. “He knew he wanted to go somewhere where he was going to win right away — that was important to him and that just shows you the type of guy that he is.”
