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Will the 49ers Sign Linebacker Eric Kendricks?

A year ago, the 49ers thought they had a deal in place with linebacker Eric Kendricks. At the last minute, he backed out and signed with the Dallas Cowboys instead.
Grant Cohn|
Dec 29, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker Eric Kendricks (50) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Dec 29, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker Eric Kendricks (50) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

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San Francisco 49ers

A year ago, the 49ers thought they had a deal in place with linebacker Eric Kendricks. At the last minute, he backed out and signed with the Dallas Cowboys instead.

Now, Kendricks is a free agent once again and the 49ers still need a linebacker to replace Dre Greenlaw. That's why Pro Football Network believes the 49ers should sign Kendricks.

"Fred Warner is still one of the best defensive players in the NFL, regardless of position, but he needs help, especially after Dre Greenlaw’s departure in free agency," writes PFN's Brandon Austin. "Dee Winters is the projected starter at the WILL spot, but he’s far from a rock-solid replacement for Greenlaw. Third-round pick Nick Martin could also compete for a starting job, but Kendricks would offer experience for a defense that took a massive step back in 2024 (26th in Defense+).

"Kendricks had an up-and-down 2024 campaign. He remained highly productive against the run, posting a career-high 94 tackles and an impressive 25% tackle rate, but his effectiveness in coverage declined. His liabilities in coverage suggest he’s trending toward a role as an early-down linebacker rather than an every-down defender.

"Still, he could provide a boost for a defense that ranked 28th in EPA per rush and 25th in rushing success rate."

This is a good idea. The 49ers have nothing to lose by signing Kendricks. He still would have to compete for a starting job. They wouldn't have to promise him anything at this point in his career. And he just might be an upgrade over Dee Winters in terms of stopping the run. Winters clearly is better in coverage than Kendricks considering his age, so those two could complement each other.

The 49ers just added a veteran defensive end to the team in Bryce Huff. Why not add another veteran to the linebacker core? The defense has plenty of youth. Now it needs some experience.

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Grant Cohn
GRANT COHN

Grant Cohn has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily since 2011. He spent the first nine years of his career with the Santa Rosa Press Democrat where he wrote the Inside the 49ers blog and covered famous coaches and athletes such as Jim Harbaugh, Colin Kaepernick and Patrick Willis. In 2012, Inside the 49ers won Sports Blog of the Year from the Peninsula Press Club. In 2020, Cohn joined FanNation and began writing All49ers. In addition, he created a YouTube channel which has become the go-to place on YouTube to consume 49ers content. Cohn's channel typically generates roughly 3.5 million viewers per month, while the 49ers' official YouTube channel generates roughly 1.5 million viewers per month. Cohn live streams almost every day and posts videos hourly during the football season. Cohn is committed to asking the questions that 49ers fans want answered, and providing the most honest and interactive coverage in the country. His loyalty is to the reader and the viewer, not the team or any player or coach. Cohn is a new-age multimedia journalist with an old-school mentality, because his father is Lowell Cohn, the legendary sports columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle from 1979 to 1993. The two have a live podcast every Tuesday. Grant Cohn grew up in Oakland and studied English Literature at UCLA from 2006 to 2010. He currently lives in Oakland with his wife.

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