49ers reunite with linebacker Dre Greenlaw on one-year contract
On this episode of "49ers Talk," co-hosts Matt Maiocco and Jennifer Lee Chan discuss why Greenlaw's return after one season in Denver makes sense and what kind of impact he'll have.
49ers reunite with linebacker Dre Greenlaw on one-year contract originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Video Transcript
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And I am joined by Jennifer on this, I guess you could call it, an emergency podcast, right?
I mean, it's news.
Dre Greenlaw is back.
That is the big news of the day, and I think it's probably something you saw coming from a few miles away.
Yeah.
I mean, once Dre Greenlaw, the word got out that he might be released from the Denver Broncos, I mean, there was so much chatter like, "Ooh, what if the 49ers could bring him back?
Would they still want him back?"
And, and I just kind of looked back, and in 2022 and 2023, when Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw were together, that was one of the best linebacking tandems we've seen in some time.
And Dre Greenlaw had two really standout seasons those two years, and he was alongside of Fred Warner, and, you know, led them to the Super Bowl that year.
And unfortunately, it didn't pan out the way anyone wanted it to pan out as far as those in the Santa Clara headquarters of the 49ers.
but what a run they had.
And then him coming back, when he played that half a game, when he first came back from the Achilles injuries, I remember you and I in the press box were like, "Oh, he's back.
He looks like he's back."
And so if they can get that type of player back, I think it's a win for the 49ers.
Yeah.
So Dre Greenlaw comes back to the 49ers, a one-year deal, deal, 7.5 million, as a reported dollar figure on that, which seems to be a, a very reasonable price.
Th-the interesting thing is that, I, I mean, there was no issue at, at all about the 49ers wanting to bring him back.
I mean, they were intent a year ago on re-signing him.
In fact, he was the only one they really tried to re-sign.
Of all those free agents that left at the beginning of the 2025 new league year, Greenlaw was the one that they wanted, and it didn't work out for him in Denver because of the injuries, but it's that's a risk the 49ers are willing to take.
But it does push Dee Winters back a little bit.
I mean, Dee Winters was an every down player last season, started all 17 games in the regular season.
This year, you know, he'll probably be that third linebacker, which basically plays a third of the snaps because when the 49ers and teams around the league go to their nickel defense, a linebacker comes off the field, so that would probably be or that would be Dee Winters.
but I, I guess just ultimately, man, you know, the, the gravitational pull of, of Dre Greenlaw, I mean, a guy that the 49ers know what they're getting from a player standpoint, they know what they're getting from a person.
you know, th- this was a team last year that didn't have that oomph that they have when Fred Warner is out there and Dre Greenlaw is out there.
And even when Fred Warner is out there, th- there's just that spark that Greenlaw brings to the team, that aggression, that, that passion.
And so, I think it was a temptation, that they just could not pass up to have that opportunity to re-sign Dre Greenlaw.
Yeah.
I mean, Dre Greenlaw is a tone-setter.
He There We've seen it so many times where he's hit somebody on opposing offenses, and they're not quite as aggressively coming across the line once they've made contact with Dre Greenlaw once in the game.
He's aggressive.
He pushes the limit.
He plays through the whistle.
He's a guy who sets the tone.
You never have to worry about effort from a guy like Dre Greenlaw, and, you know, I think he brings knowledge, he brings veteran know-how to that linebackers room.
And yes, of course, it's, it's Fred Warner's room.
He is the guy who is the team captain over there.
But when he's with Dre Greenlaw, they know each other so well.
I don't think they really need to talk much when they're on the field.
They already know what the other one is thinking.
They already know what the game plan is.
They're both great at tackling.
They're both great in coverage.
having both of them out there, I think is it does a lot for the 49ers defense.
And Fred Warner's healthy.
He probably would've played in the NFC Championship game if the 49ers had advanced that far.
But now, I mean, they're really kind of fortified with depth, you know, with Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw being the every down linebackers.
They also have Dee Winters, Tatum Bethune, Nick Martin.
They re-signed Garrett Walow this week.
So they have depth there with, I would assume, Winters, Bethune, Walow will be, like, core special teams guys as well.
So, it wasn't necessarily a position of need, but they felt like they needed to re-sign and bring back Dee, Dre Greenlaw.
It was a position of need last year when all of their linebackers went down with injuries.
Fred Warner went out.
Tatum Bethune had an ankle injury.
I mean, there were just injuries.
Nick Martin with a concussion.
It was I mean, they went down to get Arik Kendricks off of his couch, out of his living room, to bring him into the fold.
so they definitely needed depth last year.
So they're starting out looking like they have much more depth this year.
And then s- shortly after that news broke that Dre Greenlaw was coming back to the 49ers, there was more news with Bryce Huff, 27-year-old edge rusher, Bryce Huff, who the 49ers acquired from Philadelphia a year ago in a trade for a fifth round draft pick.
49ers end up having him only one season.
He announces his retirement.
Now-Frankly, Jennifer, I don't think this was such a big deal in the sense that I really didn't expect Bryce Huff to be on the team anyway.
Mm-hmm.
He was due a $1 million, bonus on Friday, and then there was another option bonus of 14.6 million that he was due before the start of the season, and I just didn't think that that would be a price the 49ers were willing to pay.
He, he got off to a good start- Mm-hmm as a member of the 49ers, but then, just wasn't much of a factor and, you know, he I think, you know, ultimately he was part of the problem, not part of the solution.
That's why the 49ers had 20 sacks in 17 games, lowest by far in the league.
And as the, the f- the wire came out on Thursday, the 49ers released him.
Now, I was told that was kind of a procedural move, that kind of was in, in tandem with him announcing his retirement.
But the 49ers officially release him.
he announced his retirement.
And so I guess the bottom line would be, even though Bryce Huff said that, you know, he's, he's done with football, it's, it's been his life, he's looking forward to do th- doing things outside of football, if he were to want to come back, he would be free to sign with any team at any time because the 49ers no longer hold his rights.
Yeah.
Interesting there w- especially when you look at how the 2025 season kind of unfolded.
Nick Bosa goes down early in the season.
It kind of sets up Bryce Huff to be the guy who's the anchor of that defensive line, and really 20 sacks for the defensive line throughout the entire season, not good enough.
And, you know, he was out there for, I think, a lot more snaps than they had intended him to be out there for.
Because Nick Bosa was injured, he's kind of a guy who goes out there on third downs.
They needed him to play a lot more than he normally does.
kind of, I think, decreases efficacy a little bit.
but definitely underperforming defensive line as a whole.
Nick Bosa is injured.
Mykel Williams is injured.
they just couldn't get it together, and now, you know, they've, they've fortified it with O- Osa Digizuah, and, they move forward on that defensive line.
Yeah.
We'll talk more about that after the break, but, the, the acquisition of a defensive tackle.
Bryce Huff, six years in the league, you know, he had that one really good season with the New York Jets.
Mm-hmm.
10 sacks.
I think he, he, he made about 48 million in his football career.
Um- Undrafted free agent.
Mm-hmm.
Undrafted free agent.
He, he had four sacks last year with the 49ers, which tied for a team high.
but I, I think that what it really does, wh- when you look at what the 49ers have done in, in free agency, you know, they, they welcomed in Mike Evans, they, they signed him to the contract.
They signed Brett Toth.
They signed, Vadarian Lowe.
all those guys came in and signed their contracts on Thursday.
I think it really kind of amplifies that edge rusher is a spot of interest, and, and I would assume they will at some point be adding some defensive ends.
but I really think now, even more so that now that they've, you know, they've filled wide receiver, they, they have a defensive tackle, y- you really gotta look at edge rusher early in the draft for the 49ers, starting at number 27 overall.
Right.
I think the Originally, before the Mike Evans signing, I was thinking, "Okay, they've got to get a wide receiver."
It's a very deep class of wide receivers.
You know, we've talked about, several of them.
And now after getting Mike Evans and the, and Bryce Huff being released, retired, I think it definitely shifts that number 27 pick to edge rusher.
And this draft, again, is very deep in ash re- edge rushers and wide receivers.
Now it just, I think it tips the scales for sure that they are leaning towards that edge rusher position in the first round.
All right.
When we come back, we'll talk more about some of the moves, including a, deep dive into the defensive tackle.
The 49ers, decided to make a trade for about, oh, what would you say, about three minutes after we recorded our podcast on Wednesday.
So we'll talk about that after these words from our sponsors.
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We are back on 49ers Talk, brought to you by your local Toyota dealers.
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How about the timing of the 49ers adding a defensive tackle on Wednesday and as you noted, not a H- here- here's one for you.
what if their new defensive tackle and Nick Bosa get along so well that Bosa decides to name his child after his new teammate?
it would be, Osa Bosa.
Osa Bosa.
I know.
Just, just throwing it out there.
Oh.
Nothing like the dad jokes on 49ers Talk.
It happens during the off season.
It happens the day two of the new league year.
Osa Bosa factor right there on the defensive line.
the 49ers needed to get a defensive tackle.
When you look at the production of who they have, C.J.
West was out there a lot.
Alfred Collins, shoulder surgery.
Mykel Williams, ACL injury.
So are those guys going to be ready for week one?
We're not sure.
We don't know the timelines yet, but, you know, it kind of will come down closer to training camp.
So with that in mind, they brought in Osa Digizuah, is how I believe it is said, and he has a lot of experience, garnered a four d- four-year, $80 million contract from the Dallas Cowboys.
49ers trade a third round pick.For 2026 to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange.
So they've got a guy who is productive.
He- it looked like, there were some stories that he was not happy with the defensive tackle position being a little bit overcrowded after they traded for Quinnen Williams.
So wanted to go to a team where he would get more play, and definitely will have it here with the 49ers.
Yeah.
He's a good player.
You know, he's, he's a really good player.
As you mentioned, he, he earned that second contract from the Cowboys.
17 sacks in his career, but that, I don't think that really tells the story.
A lot of pressures.
Mm-hmm.
he's disruptive.
He makes plays in the defensive backfield or in the, offensive backfield.
So y- I mean, he's, he's a good player, and, you know, I At the time, on Wednesday, I was thinking, like, that, that surprised me that the 49ers did not even give a qualifying offer to Kwon Alexander who started every game for them in defensive tackle last year.
But now it kind of tells you why.
you know, they see an upgrade there.
a- and so I mean, the, he, he comes in.
He, he's gonna be an every-down guy.
You know, he's not one of these, you know, big lumbering guys who is only gonna be there on rundowns.
he's a guy that, should be a three-down player.
He's, he's gonna see a lot of action.
They expect pass rush from him, pushin' the pocket, which should help out everybody around him, including- Mm-hmm those defensive ends.
So I, I, I think that when, when I heard about the trade, I, you know, you had to wonder, like, "Okay, well, what would they give up for, to bring in a player?"
'Cause y- you, you didn't think those first couple picks were gonna be, something that the 49ers would wanna part ways with.
And when you see it's a third-round pick, they still have their pick in the first and second round, it does make sense 'cause I don't think they could've even come close to getting a defensive tackle in this draft that they got, that they ended up getting from, from Dallas in this trade.
Yeah, and a- according to Next Gen Stats, Adeguoye has faced double teams a lot.
And so their tweet yesterday said, "He has generated 32 pressures when double teamed since the start of 2024, which is the second most in the, in the league.
His 9.1% pressure rate on those pass rushes is third highest in that span, and that's for players with a minimum of 200 double teams."
That's a lot of double teams.
And if you know what happens when players, opposing offenses double team someone other than Nick Bosa?
Nick Bosa probably is not double teamed.
So that definitely helps out the defensive line and pressures that they can get on opposing quarterbacks.
All right, so Adeguoye comes in.
a good pickup for the 49ers at a definite position of need.
another position of need the 49ers filled.
And we got our chance to talk to Mike Evans for the first time.
He was in the 49ers practice facility, met everybody.
And, and, I- I tell you that the kind of the, the statement that, that stands out to me, probably stood out to everybody, was when he just, he f- he flat out said that, you know, watching the 49ers, doing his due diligence, seeing, where they finished last season with all the injuries and everything else, he said, "I feel like they were one piece away, and I think I'm that piece.
I look forward to coming here and proving that."
So I'm sure th- all the words that the 49ers w- wanted to hear, the, the fan base wanted to hear, Mike Evans comes in after hi- the only time he's really been impacted by injuries in his NFL career, and that happened in, in year 12 last season with Tampa Bay.
Mike Evans comes in with something to prove and feels like he can help the 49ers, he can help Brock Purdy.
He can, he, he feels like he's kind of rejuvenated, coming to a new environment.
Yeah, I think Mike Evans, obviously we've talked about it ad nauseam how the 49ers needed a wide receiver to stretch the field, to be a good route runner, to have someone for Brock Purdy to rely on, and he brings that to the field.
And I think there's, you know, he has a lot to prove like you said.
He said, "I always feel like I've got to prove something, even after 11 1,000-yard seasons."
He said, "I always feel like I'd be, I could be better.
I want to show them that I'm still who people believe that I am, and that's one of the best to ever do it."
And I also found it interesting that he believed that Brock Purdy is a guy he wanted to work with, wants to help him be an MVP, win a Super Bowl championship.
He said that first start against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he knew right then and there that this was a good quarterback.
So, you know, he wants to help him out, and I think that he can.
I mean, he can be that guy who's a go-to.
We watched Brock Purdy direct traffic.
Mike Evans is a guy who he's not going to have to direct much.
I think he's going to learn the system.
He's gonna go out there and do exactly what the 49ers need, exactly what Kyle Shanahan needs, and that will change how the 49ers can run their offense.
So Evans said that, that he did his, his research going into free agency, and it, it certainly sounded like, it was the 49ers and the Buffalo Bills were at the top of his list.
And he said ul- ultimately, the 49ers were at the top of the list.
but this year for the first time in that open negotiating period starting on Monday, teams could have phone calls or video calls with players on other team.
I think it was up to five of those calls that they could have, and it could only last an hour.
Mike Evans did talk to Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch.
And so, yeah, he said that, he's always admired Kyle Shanahan's play calling.
And once he got on that call, he was already thinking 49ers, but that just kind of really solidified it for him.
He said that, that Shanahan kind of laid out, how they expect to use him.
And, you know, and it, it's probably obvious.
You know, he's, he's a-A boundary X.
So he's, he's a split end, big-bodied guy, 6'5", 230, who basically lines up on the, the short side of the field, and he gives the 49ers something that they haven't had in just the I mean, he's a well-decorated receiver, right?
I mean, he's- Yeah he's one of It, it, you, there, there aren't too many guys who've put up better stats in their careers than Mike Evans.
10th all-time in touchdown catches, 21st all-time in receiving yards, 31st all-time in receptions.
And you mentioned Brock Purdy.
I mean, talk about just a nice big target for him to throw to.
And, you know- Right you get the sense watching Mike Evans through the years that even when he's covered, he's not, because whether it's a back shoulder or a fade or just going up and getting the ball, there's always an opportunity for him to make catches.
And he sound like he's excited about joining this program.
And, and Jennifer, I know that, a certain 49er, played a role in recruiting him and getting him excited to come to Santa Clara.
A- and it's not surprising that it's George Kittle, right?
he's the That's what Mike Evans said, is the biggest salesman in trying to get Mike Evans to come to the Bay Area.
It was George Kittle recruiting him, and we've seen that in the past from George Kittle.
And he was the first player to kind of said, "Yes, let's go," announcing it on his social media as well.
So yeah, George Kittle always doing his job to try and get the best players into the Bay Area, and Mike Evans fell prey to George Kittle's sales pitch.
yeah, I think Mike Evans is going to, really be able to help Kyle Shanahan and Brock Purdy do different things with this offense.
They haven't had a 1,000-yard receiver since Brandon Aiyuk put 1,342 yards up in 2023. and before, you know, since then, it was George Kittle with 1,100 yards.
Last year, no 1,000-yard receiver.
Christian McCaffrey was the closest with over 900 yards.
So they've been looking for a one, a wide receiver one for quite some time, and now they have it.
Yeah, and, you know, speaking of Brandon Aiyuk, you know, John Lynch said at the scouting combine that no, no move with Brandon Aiyuk would be made until after the start of the new league year.
there was reporting from Adam Schefter on Wednesday that they aren't gonna do anything with him for a long period of time.
So I don't know if that's petty.
I don't know if it's good business.
maybe the 49ers do believe that if there's a team that wants him, that eventually they'll step up and give them a seventh round pick in 2047.
I don't know what the, the deal might be.
But, I it sounds like the 49ers are very much content with just letting Brandon Aiyuk twist in the wind a little bit.
Let it ride.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, let it ride.
they, let's rem- let's remind everybody, the 49ers do not have a pick in the fifth, sixth, or seventh round.
I'm sure they would be really happy to get something in those later rounds.
they now have a first round, a second round.
They traded the third round to the Dallas Cowboys, and then they have four picks in the fourth round.
Nothing in the fifth, sixth, and seventh.
I think at this point, any pick for Brandon Aiyuk would be a win for them, right?
Because otherwise they would release him.
So I think they're just, you know, holding on.
They could, to see what they might be able to get.
And Adam Peters is the guy that has been connected to Brandon Aiyuk previously.
I asked him about him at the scouting combine.
And, you know, I do know that Jaden Daniels has been in contact with Brandon Aiyuk.
he's one of the only players in the NFL that has been.
other players and coaches and staff members have not heard from him.
But Jaden Daniels is one that he is close to and that he has been in contact with.
So, I mean, all signs point to something potentially going on with the, with Brandon Aiyuk and the Commanders, but nothing as of yet.
Yeah.
So here we are.
the, the week isn't even complete yet.
49ers have added Dre Greenlaw, Mike Evans, couple of offensive linemen, you know, probably, figured to be backup kind of guys.
Trent Williams, his status is still kind of up in the air.
the, the guys who won't be back, Bryce Huff, who announced his retirement, Jordan Elliott going to the Tennessee Titans, Kendrick Bourne going to Arizona, Skyy Moore going to Green Bay.
So I, I, I'm not sure if there are any others.
I don't think there's anybody else that I can think of.
Clea Davis, they didn't tender him, so he won't be back.
Jake Tonges, they, they keep him around on a two-year deal.
They keep Eddie Pinero around.
So things are starting to take shape, and, you know, I, I don't think the 49ers are done making moves.
Might not have the splash of, of Mike Evans or Dre Greenlaw from this point forward or, or the defensive tackle they pick up, Oso Odighizuwa.
but this is where the 49ers were last year in that they surprised me because they lost all those players, and they picked up certain guys in free agency, and the draft I guess, where I thought that they were gonna be, like, paper thin as far as the depth goes, and they ended up having really good depth because despite all those injuries that we've talked about, they still managed to win a lot of games and be in the hunt for the number one overall seed.
So now I think it's a matter of finding the right guys for the right spots.Um, did we talk about, I think we talked about Joey Bosa on Wednesday.
wouldn't surprise me, I don't think it would shock me if the 49ers- Yeah made a move for him, again, at the right price.
Right.
But that's what, you know, they'll need to bring in some more players and, and i- i- it might not be the big money guys, 'cause I don't think, I don't know that Joey Bosa's a big money guy anymore.
but it'll, they'll have to be very strategic in the guys that they pinpoint to go after who they feel can fit certain specific roles on this team.
Yep.
Edge rusher is one of them.
Joey Bosa's a guy who could fit in there.
I would think again, like Dre Greenlaw, probably not a huge contract, probably very much incentive-based, based on games played, snap counts, whatnot.
Clelin Ferrell is a guy that we mentioned yesterday as well that could easily slot in at edge because he has experience with the team.
so yeah, I think, you know, that's a, a position of need now is edge.
They've got to get that, solidified over there and, you know, it could potentially come during the draft.
Last year they drafted three defensive linemen, could end up again this year, the draft that they have, heavy in defensive linemen.
Yeah.
All right.
Well, there's the news of the day, the big news, Dre Greenlaw back with the 49ers after just a, a one-year hiatus.
who says you can't go home again?
Dre Greenlaw had a home with the 49ers, decided to, to move on out and, and 49ers could've done a lot more, I think, last year early on to keep him.
I think that that's one, they kind of gnawed on him, at him all year- Mm-hmm losing Dre Greenlaw, but, but he is back and I, I think he's, there's gonna be a lot of happy teammates to see him back in the building.
His announcement on social media was, "Home is where the heart is," and it was a picture of him in his 49ers uniform, so apparently he is also happy to be back in the Bay Area.
Yeah, absolutely.
Okay, well we, that wraps up this emergency podcast of 49ers Talk, and Jennifer and I will be back as news warrants as, the 49ers march on with their off-season moves, acquisitions, and transactions.
