Rams put 49ers in the pressure cooker to keep up in defensive arms race

The 49ers are used to being the ones with a roster full of marquee defenders. Now the Los Angeles Rams have joined the party, thanks to a masterpiece of an offseason from general manager Les Snead. 

With Myles Garrett in Blue and Yellow, fans down in the bay are squirming in their seats for the Red and Gold to make their own last-minute splash. Now that the dust has cleared, it is more than obvious that San Francisco has fallen behind its bitterest rival in a defensive arms race. 

Well, don't just stand there, do something. The Rams got Garrett. Go out and get us Maxx Crosby.

San Francisco is slipping in the NFC West

It's hardly a surprise to see Crosby's name resurface in the hopes of Niners faithful. Never mind that no new rumors have followed his failed physical with the Ravens, nullifying a blockbuster trade. That was back in March, and Crosby is still a Raider.

He is, however, the preeminent name remaining among hypothetically available edge rushers. Trey Hendrickson, Baltimore's replacement via free agency, is gone. Alongside major additions to the secondary, the Rams snagged an elite edge rusher of their own, the best of the bunch, in Garrett. The Cardinals could still move Josh Sweat, although those rumblings have died down. Anyway, Crosby is a notch above him. 

Whatever the likelihood that Las Vegas re-trades him before the season, it won't stop San Fran supporters from bringing up his name like a scab they can't stop picking.

In years past, the 49ers have easily held the edge on the Horns in terms of elite defensive talent. Joey Bosa. Fred Warner. Dre Greenlaw. 

Of course, the names on the roster are one thing. Staying healthy, the 49ers' greatest challenge every season, is quite another. Now the Rams have eroded, if not eliminated even that nominal advantage.

LA's defensive line: Myles Garrett. Byron Young. Kobie Turner. Poona Ford. 

The secondary: Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, Kam Curl, Quentin Lake. 

You get the picture. 

It's no wonder if the Rams' NFC West adversaries get antsy examining Los Angeles' depth chart. Perhaps the Seattle Seahawks could care less, seeing as their defense won them a Super Bowl and remains largely intact. San Francisco's veteran core, on the other hand, teeters on the cliff of its contention window. Injuries and age are catching up to them. 

Bosa can't stay healthy, and is declining as it is. Warner is still a beast when uninjured, but the rest of the defense doesn't pack the punch it used to. The offense is growing ever older. The main characters of Super Bowl runs past are nearing a collective sunset.

In that dimming landscape, while the Rams and Seahawks squabble atop the division, a name like Crosby's offers a beacon of hope to keep the present iteration of the Niners' roster in the mix. After everything that has happened this offseason, GM John Lynch and the San Francisco front office will be hearing about it if they don't do something ahead of Week 1 against the Rams in Australia. 

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