Breaking Down the 49ers Roster Needs - Defense

By Scooter_McG 

Last week I looked at the 49ers roster needs on offense, breaking down the key players that are coming off contract and where I think the team's main holes were on that side of the ball. This week its time to look at the other side of the ball, where there are a lot of key players coming off contract.  

DL: Under contract: Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead, Javon Kinlaw, Dee Ford, Samson Ebukam, Charles Omenihu. UFA: DJ Jones, Arden Key, Jordan Willis, Maurice Hurst, Kentavius Street. ERFA: Kevin Givens.

The 49ers have their two main DL stars, Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead, locked up for a couple more years, with Bosa also likely to get an extension some time this offseason. Armstead really shined during the second half of 2021 after moving to his more natural DT position full time, and it would be a surprise if the team doesn't now decide to keep him there.  The hope will be that 2020 1st round pick Javon Kinlaw, who returns in 2022 from knee surgery, can now put his knee troubles behind him, live up to his draft status and make a strong contribution as part of the interior rotation. After Armstead and Kinlaw the 49ers cupboard is currently bare at DT, however, Kevin Givens will be an easy one to retain as an ERFA.  

DJ Jones was the team's most consistent DT all season and made a number of defensive stops throughout the year, but is off contract and will likely draw a decent amount of interest on the open market. Kentavius Street also saw a lot of time at DT throughout the year, though was mostly underwhelming.

At DE, aside from Bosa, the 49ers have Ford, Ebukam and Omenihu under contract. Ford has now, effectively, missed two straight seasons due to recurring neck and back issues and it wouldn't surprise if he either retires or is let go as a designated post-June cut. Ebukam and Omenihu both came on strong towards the back end of 2021 and provide nice rotational pieces along the DL. 

Arden Key and Jordan Willis are the two main FAs at DE for the 49ers. Key in particular played well in 2021, and was the team's second leading sack maker after Bosa. As with a lot of the 49ers DL, he improved as the season went on and was playing at a high level to finish the year as he split time between DE and DT on passing downs. Willis also provided some memorable and important contributions down the stretch - none more so than the blocked punt against the Packers.

In part the strong play of many of the DL down the stretch can be attributed to Bosa getting more and more attention as the year went on, but it is also an example of how DL coach Kris Kocurek can get the most out of strong, linear athletes. 

Needs: With DJ Jones a FA and only two DTs under contract there is an obvious need for some additions there. Givens will be an easy one to retain, but ideally the team would have at least five players on the roster they feel comfortable can be part of the interior DL rotation. At DE, while Ebukam and Omenihu are under contract and played well to close out 2021, the team's success was largely a matter of having good depth that could rotate and be fresh. Key and Willis were part of that strong rotation and the 49ers will need to find replacements should they leave. No doubt the team will be interested in retaining both Key and Willis should the price be right, but I also suspect the team will allow them to test the FA waters and not get into a bidding war for either. Kocurek has proven himself to be the great leveller the past two years, getting nice production from other teams discards by putting them in a system that suits their skills. 

It also feels like a piece has been missing from the DL since Ford's injury. Given the type of DEs the team has been targeting the past two years have all been long, strong, linear types I doubt they will go out and get a Ford clone, but having another dominant DE opposite Bosa, no matter their play style, would take a good DL and make it great. 

LB: Under contract: Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw. UFA: Marcell Harris. RFA: Azeez Al-Shaair. ERFA: Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles. 

Warner is the undisputed leader of the team on defense and is signed long term. The 49ers primarily play with just two LBs on the field and when everyone is healthy that second LB has primarily been Greenlaw the past two years, who is also under contract for 2022. Flannigan-Fowles will likely be retained for depth on the cheap as an ERFA. 

After that, however, things get a little murky. Al-Shaair got an opportunity in 2021 as Greenlaw was hurt early in the year and he made the most of it. By the end of the season Al-Shaair was competing with Greenlaw for the LB spot next to Warner in nickel. If both players were FAs this year it wouldn't surprise if Al-Shaair was considered the higher priority signing than Greenlaw by the 49ers. 

Al-Shaair is a RFA so the 49ers have the power to retain him fairly easily should they choose to. But the problem the 49ers face, and in fact will face with all of their RFAs, is that Al-Shaair was originally undrafted, meaning to get any compensation for him being signed elsewhere they would need to off a 2nd round tender at nearly $4M. That may be more than the team is looking to spend. The right of first refusal tender (around $2.4M) may be more palatable for the 49ers, but runs the risk of seeing another team sign him with no requirement of compensation - in which case the 49ers may just be better off letting him test the FA waters. 

Harris, the former safety, transitioned to LB in 2021 after being re-signed last offseason but will likely be allowed to test FA once again in 2022.

Needs: The "need" at LB is all about depth. Warner and Greenlaw are fine as the starters, and DFF saw a lot of time at the strong side LB position last season. If they decide to tender Al-Shaair, or re-sign him without tendering, then this position group won't need much attention this offseason. If Al-Shaair departs, a low cost veteran for competition and/ or a mid to late round draft pick should be sufficient. 

DB: Under contract: Jimmie Ward, Emmanuel Moseley, Ambry Thomas, Tarvarius Moore, Talanoa Hufanga, Deommodore Lenoir. UFA: Jason Verrett, K'Waun Williams, Jaquiski Tartt, Tavon Wilson, Josh Norman, Dontae Johnson. 

Last offseason the 49ers entered free agency with a lot of holes at DB, with Jimmie Ward the lone starter under contract. Aside from the two year deal they gave to Moseley, the other three starters they re-signed (Verrett, Williams and Tartt) were all signed to one year deals and now find themselves back on the FA market in 2022. A couple of depth pieces in Dontae "the Boomerang" Johnson and Tavon Wilson, both of whom were called upon at various points in the season to take starter snaps, are also FAs, as well as Josh Norman who was signed just as the season was starting and ended up playing a lot of starting snaps once Verrett went down with injury before being replaced towards the end of the season by rookie Ambry Thomas. 

As a result the 49ers are once again going to need to restock the DB room this offseason. 

Ward and Moseley return as the veteran starters and both have become reliable players when healthy. However, as has been the case throughout his career to date, Moseley was banged up numerous times during the year and missed some time. 

As noted Ambry Thomas got some starter experience towards the end of the season after he replaced Norman and showed improvement each week. He will no doubt be in the mix for a starting CB spot in 2022. Hufanga and Lenoir also saw action, but with mixed results. Hufanga brings a lot of energy and fire, but looks like a potential option to move closer to the line of scrimmage as a pseudo LB as he was found out for speed a few times when playing as the deep safety. Lenoir ended up starting the first few weeks of the season filling in for injuries, but after the Packers game rarely saw another opportunity and tumbled down the depth chart. 

The 49ers will also get Tarvarius Moore back in 2022. While he was scheduled for FA this offseason, he landed on PUP after tearing his Achilles in June and as this was the last season of his rookie contract, his contract will 'toll' to 2022. Moore has flirted with challenging for a starting role for a couple of years and was being looked at as the potential starter at SS before the injury, following an offseason where he had bulked up to compete for the role. 

Needs: With Moseley, Thomas, Ward and Moore, the 49ers at least have potential starting options at both outside CB and safety positions. But depth is sorely lacking and it would be surprise if the team doesn't look to bring in a CB and SS that can at least compete for those starting roles, if not flat out be expected to take them. At CB for example, rumours are that Stephon Gilmore may be an option. That would allow Moseley and Thomas to compete for the other CB spot while also improving depth. And given the history of injuries at CB for the 49ers it wouldn't surprise if they aim to have four starting calibre CBs on the books.  

The slot CB spot is wide open. No doubt Lenoir will be given a chance to compete for the spot, but it won't be handed to him. If the 49ers do look to add an outside CB or two, there is potential that Moseley may be given some looks inside to compete for the role, but even so it would be a surprise if the team doesn't add a starter or some competition here too.