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NFL

San Francisco 49ers acquire Taco Charlton as Nick Bosa standoff continues but who is he?

With things at a standstill where Nick Bosa is concerned, the franchise has moved to address cover for the position in the event that things don’t work out.

Update:
With things at a standstill where Nick Bosa is concerned, the franchise has moved to address cover for the position in the event that things don’t work out.

The San Francisco 49ers are making moves as evidenced by the addition of a former Dallas Cowboys first-round pick. The 28-year-old appears to be the perfect addition to the Niners defense after spending the 2022 season with the Chicago Bears.

49ers acquire Taco Charlton

It’s safe to say that the 49ers turned a few heads with reports confirming that the franchise has signed defensive lineman Taco Charlton, a former Dallas Cowboys first-round pick who spent the 2022 season with the Chicago Bears. It goes without saying that the arrival of Charlton will offer the team immediate cover, as they continue to sweat on the status of three-time Pro Bowler Nick Bosa, who continues to sit out training in an effort to see his contract reworked.

Charlton was selected with the 28th overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft by the Cowboys and went on to register 46 tackles and four sacks in the two seasons that he played in Dallas. Following his release in 2019 just two weeks into the season, he then joined the Miami Dolphins where he spent more or less the remainder of the campaign. While there he posted five sacks and two forced fumbles in 10 games. It was then on to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020, where he would contribute two sacks, seven tackles, and a forced fumble across seven games. Continuing his apparent role as a journeyman, the Ohio native was later acquired by the Pittsburgh Steelers ahead of the 2021 season. In Pittsburgh, he recorded 18 tackles and one pass breakup that led to an interception during a win over the Titans. This of course brings us to this most recent campaign with the Bears where he made three tackles in five games.

Taco Charlton by the numbers

At 6-foot-6, 270 pounds Charlton is a big guy, to say the least, but he’s also quite mobile. In his total of 60 career games including 13 starts, he’s accumulated 11.5 sacks, 95 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 22 quarterback hits, four forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. Before he entered the league, Charlton perfected his trade at the University of Michigan where he was responsible for 10 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss during his senior season. Interestingly, he was also a decent basketballer which one can note from the fact that he was part of the Pickerington High School Central team in Pickerington, Ohio, that won its first-ever boys basketball state championship in 2012.

Ok, but what’s the situation with Nick Bosa

With all respect to the incoming Charlton, it would be neglectful to not mention the gorilla in the room, namely Nick Bosa. Now, while it’s true that the 49ers’ defensive line also includes the likes of Clelin Ferrell, Drake Jackson and rookie Robert Beal Jr., the reality is that Bosa - the reigning Defensive Player of the Year - is understandably an integral piece of the puzzle. There has been no movement in recent days where Bosa’s contractual situation is concerned, but general manager John Lynch remains positive about the idea that it will all end well.

“I don’t like not having one of our best players here,” Lynch said. “We’ve got a really good track record that I’m proud of as a group of having our players in. But I also understand it and understand that we’re going to have to exhibit some patience and understand that ultimately this thing will work out. I’m very confident in that and we’re just going to have to have that right mix of urgency and patience.”