{"id":163868,"date":"2026-03-14T09:48:53","date_gmt":"2026-03-14T09:48:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=163868"},"modified":"2026-03-14T09:48:53","modified_gmt":"2026-03-14T09:48:53","slug":"%f0%9f%9a%a8breaking-dre-greenlaws-reunion-makes-a-fellow-49ers-lb-expendable-what-does-this-mean-for-the-teams-defense-is-a-trade-or-release-looming-fans-are-on-edge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=163868","title":{"rendered":"\ud83d\udea8BREAKING: Dre Greenlaw\u2019s reunion makes a fellow 49ers LB expendable\u2014what does this mean for the team\u2019s defense? Is a trade or release looming? Fans are on edge! \ud83d\udc47\ud83d\udc47\ud83d\udc47"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Niners have a lot of excess here.<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

It wasn\u2019t too shocking to see the San Francisco 49ers\u00a0make an immediate move\u00a0to reunite with linebacker Dre Greenlaw not long after the Denver\u00a0Broncos\u00a0released him just one year into a three-year contract signed last offseason.<\/p>\n

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Despite a notable injury history, including his Denver stint, Greenlaw pairing back with All-Pro Fred Warner is a sight Niners fans can\u2019t wait to see again.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s not necessarily great news for everyone else on the\u00a0offseason roster.<\/p>\n

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Granted, San Francisco understood the hard way why having depth backers can be so important. Injuries decimated the position a year ago, forcing general manager John Lynch to sign available free agents off the street late last year, including veteran Eric Kendricks.<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

Heading deeper into the offseason, though, Greenlaw\u2019s return ultimately puts several linebackers on the hot seat, including one who might see his 49ers tenure come to a close sooner than expected now.<\/p>\n

\n
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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Dre Greenlaw suddenly makes Dee Winters an expendable commodity<\/h2>\n

As soon as Greenlaw left in free agency for Denver last offseason, thoughts of promoting then two-year pro Dee Winters into a prominent role surfaced, and there were even\u00a0comparisons between the two\u00a0at various points throughout 2025.<\/p>\n

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But Winters isn\u2019t a Greenlaw-caliber player, and the Niners already have plenty of depth options rostered who can help guard against the likelihood of another Greenlaw injury.<\/p>\n

Tatum Bethune served well in interim roles last season, as did the recently re-signed Luke Gifford. And while his rookie year was an utter disappointment, Nick Martin still commands some hope of a major leap in year two.<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

As for Winters, he\u2019s entering a contract year and will count for $3.7 million against the salary cap. Should San Francisco decide his roster spot isn\u2019t worthy, it could\u00a0save $3.67 million in cap space\u00a0by waiving him ahead of the regular season. The 49ers may also seek out a potential trade partner, too, although Lynch may have to be patient and see how that market develops over the course of summer.<\/p>\n

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About the only way Winters can solidify a prominent spot on the Niners roster is by outplaying the rest of the depth options and becoming as much a Greenlaw-like player as possible.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Niners have a lot of excess here. It wasn\u2019t too shocking to see the San Francisco 49ers\u00a0make an immediate move\u00a0to reunite with linebacker Dre Greenlaw not… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":163936,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-163868","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n\ud83d\udea8BREAKING: Dre Greenlaw\u2019s reunion makes a fellow 49ers LB expendable\u2014what does this mean for the team\u2019s defense? Is a trade or release looming? 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