The San Francisco 49ers have seen a lot of players from last year’s squad leave the Bay Area this offseason, mostly on defense. Javon Hargrave, Maliek Collins, Leonard Floyd, Charvarius Ward, Talanoa Hufanga, and Dre Greenlaw will wear different uniforms this upcoming season.
While 49ers fans will miss all those players, San Francisco losing Greenlaw was not ideal for the 49ers' defense. And to make matters worse, the 49ers still haven’t found his replacement in free agency. Last month, Greenlaw signed a huge three-year, $31.5 million contract with the Denver Broncos.
Greenlaw and Fred Warner created one of the best linebacker tandems in the league over the last couple of years.
Before tearing his ACL in Super Bowl 58, Greenlaw had back-to-back seasons (2022, ‘23) with 120-plus tackles. The veteran linebacker eventually made his 2024 debut in Week 15 against the Chicago Bears but only played 30 defensive snaps and four snaps the following week vs. the Miami Dolphins.
Nonetheless, with Greenlaw heading to the AFC West, the 49ers need to find a replacement fast, especially if they want to rebound from a disappointing 2024 season. The pickings at LB in free agency aren’t great, but one available player could be an instant contributor right away.
Veteran linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley, who was released by the New England Patriots last week, would be a good signing for the 49ers to start April on the right foot.
The 28-year-old Bentley spent the last seven seasons in New England. He played in the Patriots’ first two regular-season games last year before suffering a season-ending torn pectoral injury. Before the injury, Bentley posted three consecutive seasons with 100-plus tackles.
In 2023 with the Patriots, Bentley had 114 combined tackles, 12 quarterback hits (career-high), five tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks (career-high), three pass deflections, and a forced fumble. He also had a 67.7 run defense and 59.7 coverage grades, per PFF, which won’t excite 49er fans.
However, in 2022, Bentley was one of the better linebackers in the NFL from a PFF standpoint. The veteran defender boasted an 83.8 run defense, 74.7 tackling, and 72.6 coverage grades. He also produced 125 combined tackles (career-high), six quarterback hits, five tackles for loss, three sacks, two pass deflections, and an interception.
If the 49ers were to sign Bentley, he would be a good addition to what Warner brings to the table as an All-Pro. The former Patriots linebacker is reportedly fully cleared from his torn pec injury, making this a no-brainer signing for San Francisco.