Bryce Huff’s 2024 season in Vic Fangio’s 3-4 wasn’t exactly highlight material. Getting back in a better scheme might matter more than the coach reunion, though Saleh definitely doesn’t hurt.
The San Francisco 49ers are finalizing a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles to acquire defensive end Bryce Huff. And while it’s easy to slap a “reunion with Robert Saleh” narrative on this, let’s not overthink what went wrong in Philly: Huff spent a year in a 3-4 defense and looked like a totally different player—and not in an ideal way. Now, after a year in a system that didn’t suit him, he finally returns to what made him a 10-sack guy in 2023. With 21 quarterback hits and 20 tackles to go with those 10 sacks.
And the difference is simple: the 49ers run a 4-3. The Eagles run a 3-4.
Obviously, many want to point to Huff’s uninspiring 2024 campaign, where he had only 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and several games missed with a wrist injury. Many may wonder if this is another acquisition in the long line of 49ers’ defensive end acquisitions that don’t work out (see: Ford, Dee).
This isn’t a new problem. We’ve seen edge rushers go from disruptive in a 4-3 to completely anonymous in a 3-4. Technique changes. Responsibilities change. Training is different. And if you’re not a natural fit, it shows rather fast.
Huff did well in a 4-3 while with the New York Jets. He moved to Philadelphia’s 3-4, and the Eagles couldn’t ship him out fast enough. While he had a down year with the Eagles, there’s still plenty of evidence to suggest he was miscast, not washed.
It’s the reverse of what could have happened if San Francisco had hired Vic Fangio in 2023 and asked guys like Nick Bosa or Fred Warner to convert to a 3-4. Even if you respect the coach, you can’t force square pegs into round holes forever. Or maybe those two would flourish in a 3-4. There’s evidence to support both.
There’s a long list of guys who’ve had the same issue: Dante Fowler Jr. going from the Rams (4-3) to the Falcons (3-4), Tank Carradine’s early career wasted as a miscast 3-4 defensive tackle before Saleh flipped the scheme in 2017.
Now flip the lens: Huff might’ve been viewed as a free agent bust, but maybe he was just a system guy in the wrong system.
While Saleh will be a huge factor, don’t overlook the scheme change at large here. This might be less about mentorship and more about letting Huff do what he does best—fire off the edge in a 4-3 and cause chaos. And if he doesn’t? Well, if you’re a fan of the 49ers, you’re probably used to it by now (again, see: Ford, Dee).
Reuniting with Saleh is great, but getting out of a 3-4 is probably the better win for Huff. So what’s the bigger factor—Saleh, or the scheme? Because if this works, it won’t just be a reunion story. It’ll be a reminder of how much fit still matters in this league.