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5 Moves the 49ers Need to Make this Offseason

By Robert Smith

Nov 6, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers fans hold signs referencing general manager Trent Baalke and CEO Jed York before the game against the New Orleans Saints.Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 6, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers fans hold signs referencing general manager Trent Baalke and CEO Jed York before the game against the New Orleans Saints.Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 21, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Raekwon McMillan (5) lines up against the Michigan State Spartans at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 21, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Raekwon McMillan (5) lines up against the Michigan State Spartans at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 5: Find an Impact Inside Linebacker

With NaVorro Bowman rehabbing once again from a season-ending injury, it is imperative for the team to solidify a position that, just a few short seasons ago, was considered the heart of a championship-caliber defense.

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There are plenty of options for the 49ers to address this position, whether in free agency or the draft.

One option in free agency could be to target the Buffalo Bills’ Zack Brown.

Currently, Brown has totaled 130 tackles and four sacks on the season. These numbers most certainly will garner a huge contract for the 27 year old, and the 49ers most certainly can throw the kind of cash needed to sign him.

The real question will be if any big name free agents will want to sign with an organization that seems to be unsettled and chaotic.

If the team cannot lure a free-agent linebacker, the draft appears to have a few plug-and-play options, including Ohio State’s Raekwon McMillan, Alabama’s Reuben Foster or Zach Cunningham of Vanderbilt.

A lot of this will depend on what the team does with their first-round pick. Foster currently is viewed as a top-10 pick. So if the Niners pass on him early, there are still going to be a multitude of players left to choose in the middle rounds.

Picking a middle linebacker could also help clog up running lanes on a defense that has set records for rushing yards allowed in a season.