With OTAs and mandatory minicamps complete, the San Francisco 49ers and other NFL teams are looking towards training camps, set to open in July, as the final step before the 2023 season. The 49ers roster is largely set- and any big moves, such as the Javon Hargrave signing- have already been made.

But that doesn't mean that the roster couldn't use a little last-minute tinkering from general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan.

San Francisco was, in the eyes of many, a healthy quarterback away from a potential Super Bowl win last year, as they bowed out in the NFC Championship Game to the Philadelphia Eagles after rookie sensation Brock Purdy was knocked out of the game due to injury.

That should reflect just how close this team is to winning a Super Bowl. While the 49ers are seemingly set at QB- Purdy and Trey Lance will be returning from injury and the team signed former first rounder Sam Darnold- the team could use an extra boost on the other side of the ball in terms of their ability to rush the passer.

A 49ers team that has reigning Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa and just signed a stud pass rusher in Hargrave needs… another pass rusher? 

In today's pass-happy league, you can never have too many pass rushers. That's why the 49ers need to make a move that will perfectly fill out the roster before training camp: sign veteran Justin Houston.

Why Justin Houston is perfect 49ers fit 

Houston, 34, has played 12 seasons in the NFL and ranks inside the top 40 players in career sacks. He has made four Pro Bowls and has earned All-Pro honors once.

After shaking off a groin injury last season, Houston became the Baltimore Ravens' most productive pass rusher, earning a 73.6 overall grade from Pro Football Focus while tallying 9.5 sacks and seven tackles for loss.

Houston is only getting older, has only played a full slate of games four times in his 12-year career and has openly contemplated retirement.

While he said back in January that he would like to play another season, that came with the caveat that he would also like to return to Baltimore. So, why should the 49ers even want him?

Simply put, because San Francisco needs a veteran presence alongside Bosa, who has accounted for the vast majority of the team's sack production over the last two seasons.

Having a proven veteran like Houston, who knows every pass rushing move in the book, would help take some pressure- and perhaps double teams- away from Bosa.

Not only that, but Houston, who thrived while playing just 44 percent of the defensive snaps, needs to land with a team where he won't be relied upon to start.

San Francisco, where Bosa mans one defensive end spot and 2022 second-rounder Drake Jackson occupies the other, is that team.

Jackson, who bulked up this offseason, is a prime 49ers breakout candidate in 2023. Not only could a Houston signing help serve as added motivation, but the veteran could also be a source of wisdom and guidance for Jackson as he hopes for a second-year ascension.

For the 49ers, a Houston signing would have its benefits both on and off the field.

Why should Houston want San Francisco?

Simply put, winning. He's done a fair amount of that lately, bouncing from the Kansas City Chiefs to the Indianapolis Colts and then the Ravens. During the last six seasons, Houston has missed the playoffs just once.

If he were to join the 49ers, a team that has advanced to the NFC Championship Game in each of the last two seasons, there's a very good chance that he can count on advancing to the playoffs again.

How a Houston-San Francisco signing would work

The 49ers have a Nick Bosa contract extension to work out first. That's the priority. And with a little over $10 million in cap space, it's hard to see where there's room for any more signings.

But with a little bit of tinkering with money already on the books and the potential figures in Bosa's contract, Lynch and company should be able to make this work.

Plus, Houston, who played the 2022 season on a one-year, $2.0 million deal with the Ravens, will come cheap.

Final verdict 

Let's be clear. San Francisco, which has an All-Pro in Bosa, a Pro Bowler in Hargrave and an underrated interior lineman in Arik Armstead on their front, doesn't need another pass rusher.

But adding Houston to an already formidable 49ers pass rush would allow this team to attack opposing quarterbacks in waves.