Cassius Marsh was just a bit player for the 49ers in 2017, but a productive one. Now entering an offseason when he can become an unrestricted free agent in March, it seems likely the Niners will try to bring him back.
As Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee noted recently, Marsh, a linebacker and edge rusher who also played special teams, was a significant contributor when the 49ers signed him after he’d been waived by the New England Patriots.
“Most newcomers in NFL locker rooms wait weeks to play as they adjust to teammates and learn a new playbook,” wrote Barrows. “Marsh was claimed by San Francisco and was in uniform four days later. He appeared in every contest from that point forth, often playing ahead of defensive ends who had been on the roster all year.”
Marsh, a 6-foot-4, 252-pounder who originally was a fourth-round pick by the Seahawks out of UCLA in 2014, played in six games for the 49ers, was in on 10 tackles, had two sacks and two forced fumbles.
As Barrows noted, once Marsh joined the 49ers, he had the second-most snaps on special teams while also getting on the field for 189 defensive plays. Marsh said he never felt comfortable with the Patriots, for whom he played nine games in 2017 after three seasons in Seattle.
“From the moment I got here I felt at home,” Marsh said, according to Barrows. “And I was coming from something that, for the first time, really felt like I was away from home and turned the game I love into true work.”
Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh took an immediate liking to Marsh and the way he plays. Barrows said Saleh called him “relentless.”
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“He does not stop,” said Saleh. "He’s the definition of ‘all gas, no brakes.'"
Marsh’s four-year rookie contract is expiring, and he could be a low-salary pickup for the 49ers. In 2017 he earned just over $243,000.
