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DeMeco Ryans on Arik Armstead: “Arik was the key for us last year.”

From Week 10 last season until the NFC Championship game, the 49ers played in 12 games. Arik Armstead logged double-digit snaps from the edge and the interior in each of those 12 games, all while playing at an All-Pro level.

Who better to ask about the value of Armstead’s versatility and what it brings to the 49ers' defense than defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans? This is exactly what I did when Ryans took the podium after the conclusion of Wednesday’s practice. Here was Ryans’ response.

Arik is a very important piece to our defense.