7 free agents who could reunite with Robert Saleh on the NY Jets

6. NY Jets target: Kerry Hyder, DE

If there's one thing that Robert Saleh loves, it's defensive line depth. The Jets already reunited Saleh with one former 49ers defensive lineman in Solomon Thomas last offseason. Perhaps they bring in another this year.

Kerry Hyder was actually originally signed by the Jets as an undrafted free agent back in 2014, but it was in Detroit that he first made a name for himself. That said, his best season didn't come until he joined Saleh and the 49ers in 2020.

Hyder finished that year with a career-high 8.5 sacks as a key part of the 49ers' dominant defensive line rotation. Unfortunately, he's managed just 2.5 total sacks in 31 games since then.

Saleh was a big supporter of Hyder during his time with the 49ers, and it would make sense for the two to reunite and try and recapture that spark in New York.

5. NY Jets target: Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, LB

Robert Saleh and converting college safeties to NFL linebackers: name a better duo. Yes, Jamien Sherwood and Hamsah Nasirildeen weren't the first two former safeties to make the switch to linebacker under Saleh's watch.

Former undrafted free agent Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles underwent a similar transformation while working under Saleh in San Francisco. After spending his rookie season transitioning on the practice squad, Flannigan-Fowles made the team's Week 1 roster in 2020.

He's gone on to appear in all 34 games over the last two seasons, and while his defensive snaps have been rather limited (305 in three years), he's maintained a regular presence on special teams.

If Tarvarius Moore wouldn't be the Marcell Harris signing of this offseason, Demetrius Flanningan-Fowles would. He makes a ton of sense for the Jets.