San Francisco 49ers use Brandon Staley connection to fill void left by one of their latest injuries

The San Francisco 49ers moved quickly to fill a void left by the latest in a s tring of injuries , and used a connection to assistant coach Brandon Staley to do so.

After losing defensive tackle Kalia Davis to a knee injury that will require surgery, following an impressive performance in their preseason opener, the 49ers made the decision to sign veteran Nick Williams following a tryout, according to multiple reports. Former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel was the first to report the signing.

Williams has played 10 seasons in the league, only missing the 2017 season, and figures to provide crucial insurance on the interior defensive line, an area where the 49ers do not have a lot of depth behind starters Javon Hargrave and Maliek Collins.

Most recently, Williams played for the Los Angeles Chargers under Staley before his firing in December. Staley was hired as assistant head coach by the 49ers this offseason and will work closely with first-time defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen.

Williams had seven tackles for loss and a sack last season. He had previously crossed paths with Staley when Staley was the Chicago Bears' outside linebackers coach in 2018.

Now 34, Williams obviously isn't a high-upside signing, but he has played at least 200 snaps on defense every year since the 2019 campaign.

In that sense, he gives the 49ers a dependable presence whom they can rely on to eat up snaps when the likes of Hargrave and Collins need a breather.

Additionally, the 49ers have experimented with 3-4 looks this offseason, having always been a 4-3 team during Kyle Shanahan's tenure as head coach. Williams gives them a player familiar with playing as a 3-4 nose in Staley's defense.

It's not a signing that will generate much fanfare but, as the 49ers prepare for the grind of another gruelling season, it could be a quietly important one.

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