Niners get veteran edge rusher Randy Gregory from Broncos - ESPN

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Since coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch arrived in 2017, the San Francisco 49ers have made a habit of devoting resources to bolstering their defensive line. They did it again Friday when they agreed to a trade with the Denver Broncos that will bring edge rusher Randy Gregory to the Bay Area.

The Niners acquired Gregory and a 2024 seventh-round pick from the Broncos in exchange for a 2024 sixth-round pick, the teams announced.

«Two years ago, when we played them in Dallas, he was as good of a rusher as we had gone against,» Shanahan said. «Being able to add a guy like that, we feel he will make our team better and that's why we didn't hesitate to do it.»

One key part of the deal was the economics. As part of the agreement, the Broncos will pay Gregory roughly $10 million for the rest of the season while the Niners will pay him the veteran minimum for that time, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. Gregory has three years left on his deal, but none of it is guaranteed beyond 2023.

While the 49ers have around $40 million in salary cap space, their hope is to roll most of that over to future years so they can re-sign key players like wideout Brandon Aiyuk, who is set to play on the fifth year of his rookie deal in 2024.

«That's why we felt extremely good about it,» Shanahan said. «Especially making a trade just having to flip sixth and seventh and not hurt anything moneywise. So, we feel fortunate to have him on our team.»

The deal comes together after a week of speculation surrounding Gregory's future with the Broncos. Gregory had not been present at Denver's practice facility after he and his representatives asked for a release earlier in the week, sources told ESPN. Broncos head coach