Aside from their defensive line, the San Francisco 49ers overhauled no other position more than their linebacker group, some of which was intentional while other pieces were begrudgingly let go.
Dre Greenlaw, easily the biggest loss, presents a tough void to fill. And while the free-agent departure of Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles certainly doesn't hurt on the defensive side, his contributions on special teams will nevertheless be missed.
In light of the return of defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and onboarding of new special teams coordinator Brant Boyer, a revamped linebacker room behind All-Pro Fred Warner sets up for an intriguing battle this training camp and preseason. While Warner is cemented in as a lock, the depth behind him is awfully fluid.
Warner is an obvious lock, as is most likely the third-round rookie, Nick Martin. And there's a good chance some of the offseason free-agent pickups, preferred by either Saleh and/or Boyer, survive cuts.
But, who makes those cuts?
If anything, the linebacker battle might boil down to four different fringe players vying for one remaining job on the 53-man roster.
4 linebackers are fighting for 1 spot on 49ers' 53-man roster
Assuming the Niners keep six backers on their regular-season roster, it's not hard to look at the current crop of options on the 90-man offseason roster and see a logjam:
Tatum Bethune
Stone Blanton*
Luke Gifford
Jalen Graham
Nick Martin*
Curtis Robinson
Chazz Surratt
Fred Warner
Dee Winters
* denotes rookie
Warner and Martin are locks, although the latter's role is yet to be determined, specifically if he comes off the field on nickel packages. In that competition, third-year pro Dee Winters is the name to watch as Greenlaw's replacement.
But those three aren't key here in this competition bout as they'll be on the roster, come Week 1.
Gifford and Surratt, meanwhile, were hand-picked offseason additions from both Saleh and Boyer, particularly the former, whom San Francisco inked on the first day of free agency while offering $600,000 in guaranteed money to help reinforce special teams.
Surratt served under Saleh with the New York Jets the last three seasons, so that's of note and helps indicate both he and Gifford are earmarked for depth spots on the 53-man roster.
Five spots claimed. One remaining.
Blanton, the undrafted free agent, appears to be a long shot despite some upsides displayed at Mississippi State. Yet he's certainly a darkhorse candidate to surprise for a roster spot, provided the competition bounces his way.
Yet that would mean pushing out some more-established veterans, particularly Robinson, who displayed some serious prowess last preseason and seemed to finally crack the practice squad ceiling before suffering a devastating torn ACL that ruined those chances. Likewise, Bethune and Graham are desperately holding onto their own roster chances at the tail end of the depth chart.
What'll likely be determining factors will be special teams prowess and injuries, particularly if a better-established linebacker suffers some sort of setback between now and Week 1.
Either way, that final spot should be an enticing battle to monitor between the start of camp and the regular season.
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