The 49ers and Tank Carradine have agreed to a one-year extension, as Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee writes. Originally slated to hit the open market after the 2016 season, Carradine will now be in SF through 2017. Financial terms are not yet known, but Carradine did receive a signing bonus of $1.25MM, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
Carradine, 26, started out as a defensive lineman after being selected in the second round of the 2013 draft. Now, he’s going back to outside linebacker, the position he expected to play when he came out of FSU. As Aaron Lynch serves his four-game suspension, the Niners are banking on Carradine to form a rotation with Ahmad Brooks and Eli Harold.
After slimming down from 300+ pounds to 275, Carradine says he feels healthier and more energetic. Niners defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil says that he is transitioning well to the new position.
“He can set the edge,” O’Neil said. “He’s heavy handed. I would not want to block him if I was a tight end. He continues to show up as far as pass rush and he’s gotten better every rep that he’s gotten as far as pass coverage. So he’s done a nice job progressing at the position.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.