Outside linebacker might be the weakest position on the 49ers.
They have Dee Winters who has 54 career tackles, and Dre Greenlaw who will be a free agent this week. And the 49ers probably can't afford to re-sign him according to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer.
"The San Francisco 49ers would like to keep Dre Greenlaw—but there’s some doubt they’ll be able to since he played well enough in limited action coming back from a torn Achilles to drum up a real market," writes Breer.
"Among the available linebackers, he has a pretty solid skill set, and is still just 27 years old coming off his second contract. He should land right around what Derrick Barnes got (three years, $25.5 million) in Detroit."
The 49ers most likely will offer Greenlaw a one-year prove-it deal that would allow him to reenter free agency next season and potentially make even more money after proving he could stay healthy.
But if Greenlaw can get a multi-year deal with guaranteed money from a team this offseason, he should take it. He needs the security. He could go down with an injury at any moment and his career could end.
Which means the 49ers almost certainly will be adding another outside linebacker this offseason. Look for them to add one in the draft because rookies are cheaper than veterans and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh has an eye for linebacker prospects. He's the one who drafted Greenlaw in the first place.
