The 49ers have to make a big decision about Dre Greenlaw this offseason.
He will be a free agent and he might not be cheap to re-sign even though he missed most of last season as he rehabbed from a torn Achilles. That's how good he was before he got injured.
The 49ers say they want to bring back Greenlaw, but they could get outbid by the Los Angeles Rams who are the ideal landing spot for Greenlaw according to Pro Football Focus.
"Greenlaw’s 2024 season was cut short after just 34 snaps as he worked his way back from the Achilles injury he sustained in the Super Bowl last February," writes PFF analyst Mason Cameron. "Despite the limited action, his strong performances over the two previous seasons—earning 73.0-plus overall grades in both—make him a compelling free-agent option. A move down the Pacific Coast Highway to join the Rams could be an ideal landing spot for Greenlaw. Chris Shula’s defense already features emerging stars like Jared Verse and Kobie Turner, and adding a veteran presence like Greenlaw could help solidify their unit."
The Rams certainly make sense for Greenlaw because they're so young on defense -- they can afford to take a risk on an older, injury-prone player. The 49ers really can't take that risk. They're already old and injury-prone without Greenlaw. They need to get younger, healthier and cheaper.
It's time for the 49ers to draft the next Dre Greenlaw. Robert Saleh is back as the 49ers' defensive coordinator and likely was the person who identified Greenlaw as a talent when he came out of college in 2019. Let's see if Saleh can work his magic again.
