It seems the 49ers finally came to their senses and settled on playing Solomon Thomas at weak side defensive end (LEO). The LEO, as defined by Pete Carroll, is an athletic player you want to get in space. Size doesn’t matter as much - it’s all about disruption through athleticism.
Up until this week Thomas backed up Tank Carradine at the strong side defensive end position. Tank’s injury, however, seems to have put things in their natural order. The strong side or “big” end requires holding up at the point of attack versus double teams, and in some cases, being responsible for two gaps.