Niner Noise
FanSided

SF 49ers: Post-free agency 53-man roster projection

By Robert Morrison

Head coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers (R) with general manager John Lynch (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Head coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers (R) with general manager John Lynch (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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Fred Warner, SF 49ers
San Francisco 49ers middle linebacker Fred Warner (54) Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports /

SF 49ers Linebackers (4)

Fred Warner

Dre Greenlaw

Azeez Al-Shaair

Rookie LB/ST

This might be the easiest group to predict at this point in the offseason.

All-Pro Fred Warner will of course be manning the middle linebacker position. The only question is whether he’ll be doing it as a newly extended long-term player for the SF 49ers or if he’ll be a little bit of a lame duck playing out the last year of his rookie contract.

Either way, Warner will be back in 2021, but I’d expect the Niners to make good on the improvement the linebacker has shown each season since coming out of BYU. Much like with George Kittle last season, it could be a deal that waits until after free agency and the draft.

Next to him should be budding star Dre Greenlaw, who has also shown signs of significant improvement from his first to his second seasons. Greenlaw was good enough for San Francisco to consider Kwon Alexander an expendable trade piece late last season.

The other two slots should be interesting, with Azeez Al-Shaair and Demetrius Flannagan-Fowles standing as the most recent backup linebackers/special teams aces.

For now, the nod goes to Al-Shaair and a rookie, but it could just as easily be DFF and a rookie or both veterans returning in 2021.