The San Francisco 49ers’ play for Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo didn’t go well last offseason, but they may be able to get a different piece of a pesky Chiefs defense in free agency.
Pro Football Network predicted the 49ers will go big at linebacker on the free agent market and add Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton to their front seven.
Via PFN:
It is intriguing to put a player like Nick Bolton next to Fred Warner. Bolton was the centerpiece of the Chiefs’ defense and has the chance to be Warner’s long-term partner in the center of the 49ers defense. We have seen that the 49ers place a high importance on the position and Bolton could be the next evolution of that.
Bolton has three 100-tackle seasons in his first four years and has also proven a nuisance around the quarterback. He is a versatile piece that feels like a luxury for the 49ers, but he can get after the passer or drop into coverage. The thought of Warner and Bolton together in a defense will be terrifying for opposing offenses.
With Dre Greenlaw headed for unrestricted free agency and questions about his long-term health looming, perhaps San Francisco shifts gears to find his replacement with a big-name free agent.
It’s true their ability to control the second level has been a key to their defensive success, but it’s unclear how much they’d actually be willing to spend there in free agency. Getting more expensive at a position is tough to justify when they have players like Tatum Bethune and Dee Winters ready to compete for a starting job on affordable contracts.
On the other hand, there’s no guarantee Bethune or Winters can hold down a starting, three-down NFL LB job just yet. If the 49ers lose Greenlaw and are unsure about their young LBs, an established veteran free agent might be a worthwhile investment. They could also land an LB they feel good about early in this year’s draft.
Regardless, replacing Greenlaw if he leaves will be something the 49ers have to think a lot about this offseason. If they think a player like Bolton can replicate or exceed Greenlaw’s value, it’s easy to see them cutting financial corners elsewhere to fit in a new, big-money deal.