Willis signed with the Raiders on Monday, Field Yates of ESPN reports.
Willis will stay out west as he heads to Las Vegas after spending the past three years in San Francisco. After recording 12 tackles (six solo) and two sacks in 2022, the 27-year-old will provide solid rotational depth behind pass rushers Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones as well as see time on special teams next season.
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Packers' Tarvarius Moore: Agrees to terms with Green Bay
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Moore agreed to terms with the Packers on Friday.
Moore will head to Green Bay after spending the first four seasons of his career with the 49ers. The 2018 third-round pick is coming off of the worst season of his career, playing only 39 defensive snaps. Moore should be expected to have a simile role for Green Bay, and while he may not compete for the starting job, he can still add value as a depth player and on special teams.
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49ers' Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles: Staying in San Fran
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Flannigan-Fowles re-signed with the 49ers on a one-year contract Thursday.
Flannigan-Fowles will return for a fourth season in San Francisco. The linebacker played primarily on special teams last season, racking up 22 tackles.
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49ers' T.Y. McGill: Returning to SF
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McGill re-signed with the 49ers on a one-year contract Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
McGill will return to a depth role in San Francisco after posting eight tackles in nine appearances last season. The 30-year-old defensive tackle has also suited up for the Colts, Browns, Eagles, Chargers and Vikings in his career.
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Maurice Hurst: Headed to Cleveland
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Hurst (biceps) signed with the Browns on Wednesday, per Brad Stainbrook of the Orange and Brown Report.
Hurst missed the entire 2022 season due to a torn biceps, and he played only two games in 2021. The defensive tackle had eight sacks and 76 tackles over the three preceding seasons.
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Chiefs' Charles Omenihu: Heading to Kansas City
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Omenihu is set to sign a two-year, $20 million max value deal with the Chiefs, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Omenihu lands in Kansas City and will provide depth along the Chiefs' defensive line next season. The 25-year-old defensive end finished the 49ers' 2022 regular season with 20 tackles (seven solo), 4.5 sacks, one pass defensed and one forced fumble. Omenihu is a versatile pass rusher who could make an impact if he is able to see increased playing time in his new home.
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Colts' Samson Ebukam: Heading to Indy
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Ebukam is set to sign a three-year, $27 million deal with the Colts, Mike Chappell of Fox 59 News Indianapolis reports.
Ebukam is coming off a productive two-year stint with the 49ers after spending his first four seasons with the Rams. The defensive end recorded 74 tackles (42 solo), 9.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in 32 games over the last two years. He figures to play a big role on the Colts' defensive line in 2023.
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Titans' Azeez Al-Shaair: Moving to Tennessee
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Al-Shaair agreed to a contract with the Titans on Tuesday, Dianna Russini of ESPN reports.
Al-Shaair missed nine games over the past two years for the 49ers. He posted 3.7 tackles per game in 2022, though his best season came in 2021, when he played 655 snaps and averaged 7.8 stops per contest. Al-Shaair now will have a chance to establish himself next to inside linebacker Monty Rice within Tennessee's defense.
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Lions' Emmanuel Moseley: Slated to sign with Lions
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The Lions and Moseley (knee) agreed to terms Tuesday on a one-year, $6 million contract, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.
Moseley entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Tennessee and started 33 games in five seasons for the 49ers, developing into an every-down outside corner the last two years. His 2022 season was cut short in Week 5 when Moseley blew out his ACL and MCL. He should be at or nearing full health by the time training camp starts.
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49ers' Charvarius Ward: Restructures deal with 49ers
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Ward agreed Tuesday to restructure his contract with San Francisco, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
Ward converted $12.5 million of his salary into a signing bonus while adding three void years to his current deal. The move creates roughly $10 million in cap space for the 49ers just ahead of the official new league year. The 26-year-old's inaugural campaign with San Francisco last season was successful, as he recorded a career-high 87 tackles.
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Texans' Jimmie Ward: Following Ryans to Houston
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Ward agreed to a contract with the Texans on Monday, DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN reports.
Ward's deal won't become official until the new league year begins Wednesday, and the exact terms have yet to be disclosed. The veteran safety spent his first nine seasons in San Francisco, racking up 200 tackles over the past three campaigns. Ward will reunite with DeMeco Ryans, who will serve as Houston's head coach after spending the previous two seasons as the 49ers' defensive coordinator.
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49ers' Kevin Givens: Staying put in San Fran
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The 49ers signed Givens to a one-year contract extension Monday.
Givens is now set for his fifth consecutive campaign with the 49ers after he reached a new deal with the team Monday. The 285-pounder appeared in 16 games this past season as a rotational defensive lineman and posted career highs in both tackles (24) and sacks (two).
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49ers' Tashaun Gipson: Re-signing with San Francisco
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Gipson agreed to a one-year, $2.9 million contract with the 49ers on Sunday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Gipson joined the 49ers ahead of the 2022 campaign and carved out a starting role late in the year. He tallied 61 tackles (43 solo), including 0.5 sacks, five interceptions and eight pass defenses while appearing in all 17 games. Gipson should have a chance to maintain a prominent role in San Francisco's secondary in 2023.
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49ers' Nick Bosa: Named top defensive player
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Bosa was named the 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year on Thursday, Field Yates of ESPN reports.
Bosa has emerged as an elite pass rusher the last two seasons, as he's combined to record 34 sacks across 33 games in that span. He was particularly dominant in 2022, when he managed 18.5 sacks across 16 regular-season contests. The 49ers are likely to make signing Bosa to a long-term extension a priority this offseason, as he's set to enter the final year of his rookie contract in 2023.
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49ers' Azeez Al-Shaair: Role decrease in 2022
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Al-Shaair finished the 2022 regular season with 44 tackles (20 solo) and no auxiliary stats across 12 games with the 49ers.
Al-Shaair was coming off of a career year in 2021 (102 tackles), but an injury early in the season cost him his starting job alongside Fred Warner. Dre Greenlaw took over the weakside linebacker position, leaving Al-Shaair to man the Sam position on base formations only. The 25-year-old will now become an unrestricted free agent, providing great athleticism and coverage ability for potential suitors this upcoming offseason.
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49ers' Jimmie Ward: Splits time at safety/corner
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Ward finished with 50 tackles (38 solo), three interceptions and a forced fumble across 12 regular-season games with the 49ers in 2022.
Ward turned in another solid season in red and gold, this time playing both free safety and nickel corner. The 31-year-old was not thrilled about the position change, as he felt he should remain at free safety over Tashaun Gipson, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. Ward has proven effective at both safety and corner during his nine-year tenure with the 49ers, but it sounds like he is ready to test the free-agent market as a free safety.
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49ers' Tashaun Gipson: Finishes season as starter
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Gipson finished with 61 combined tackles (43 solo) and five interceptions across 17 regular-season games with the 49ers in 2022.
Gipson signed with San Francisco to serve as safety depth, but his strong play vaulted him into a starting role by midseason. The veteran safety proved to be an effective starting option at free safety, so there is a good chance the 49ers will be bidding on his services during the free agent period this offseason.
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49ers' Deommodore Lenoir: Shows flashes in 2022
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Lenoir finished with 79 tackles (54 solo), a sack and an interception in 17 regular-season games.
Lenoir had to step into a starter's role after Jason Verrett and Emmanuel Moseley suffered season-ending injuries midseason. The 2021 fifth-round pick did not perform well in coverage, but those limitations did result in a high tackle total. Lenoir did show some improvements later in the year, so he might have done enough to fight for a starting spot across from Charvarius Ward in training camp next season.
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49ers' Charvarius Ward: Plays well with new club
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Ward finished the 2022 regular season with 87 tackles (59 solo) and an interception across 17 games.
Ward had a successful first season with his new club after leaving Kansas City to come to San Francisco. The 26-year-old finished with a career high in tackles, but he did suffer lapses in coverage at times. Ward will enter the second year of his three-year contract with the 49ers serving as the team's top corner once again.
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49ers' Talanoa Hufanga: Breakout year at safety
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Hufanga finished the 2022 season with 97 tackles (66 solo), four interceptions, two sacks and two forced fumbles across 17 regular-season games.
Hufanga also scored a touchdown on one of his interceptions, rounding out a breakout year at safety. The 2021 fifth-round pick remains on his rookie contract through the 2024 season, but he will likely command some sort of extension before then if he can reproduce the results we saw this year. Hufanga will begin next season as the 49ers' starting strong safety, putting him in position to post strong IDP numbers.
