SF 49ers: 4 reasons why promoting DeMeco Ryans was the right move

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Inside Linebackers Coach DeMeco Ryans and Defensive Coordinator Robert Saleh of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images) /

No. 1: Promoting DeMeco Ryans shows SF 49ers staff is strong

San Francisco knew Robert Saleh was likely gone at the end of 2020, so Kyle Shanahan and Co. had plenty of time to weigh their other options.

If Shanahan’s staff wasn’t particularly impressive or didn’t have the “thump” to maintain the SF 49ers’ level of defensive fortitude, it’s likely Shanahan would have wanted to bring in another assistant from elsewhere. Again, there may have been some other names in the mix.

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But DeMeco Ryans was quickly named to the position not long after Saleh’s official hiring was announced.

This is a clear indication the Niners coaching staff is deep and full of talented individuals who strive to get the most out of the team’s players. Ryans had the opportunity to experience this at one position, promoting San Francisco’s linebacking corps into an elite unit.

While it helps to have elite players like Fred Warner, getting the kind of production out of Dre Greenlaw, a former fifth-round NFL Draft pick, speaks even better to the level of talent the SF 49ers have within their coaching staff.

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Now, Ryans will be the next one to showcase his maturation and abilities, and hopefully, the results end up being just as promising as what Saleh managed to do over the last two years.