As the deadline to cut down rosters from 90 to 53 approaches, the San Francisco 49ers have some tough decisions to make. Some decisions are inevitable due to the injury bug the team has faced in training camp and the preseason, but unfortunately, some good football players will fall victim to the numbers game of roster cutdowns.
Today, we take a look at the linebacker position for the 49ers.
Last season, the 49ers kept six linebackers. Fred Warner, Dee Winters, De’Vondre Campbell (sorry), Tatum Bethune,
Curtis Robinson, and Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles. Let’s operate under the assumption that the team will keep six again in 2025.
Prediction: Fred Warner, Dee Winters, Tatum Bethune, Nick Martin, Luke Gifford, and Chazz Surratt
Warner and Winters will be the starting duo, but Gifford was on the field when the 49ers put three linebackers on the field in base defense. Shouldn’t happen often, given the league’s tilt towards passing, but Gifford is a lock due to his special-teams prowess. Gifford posted a career-high 49 tackles in Tennessee on a career-high 209 defensive snaps (20%), but 77% of his snaps were on special teams.
The same applies to Bethune, with 56% of his snaps coming on special teams. The seventh-round pick has flashed a bit in the preseason and will need to prove his durability if he wants to be called on as a replacement at the position. The team seems to be high on his ability; he just needs to stay on the field.
Nick Martin makes the team, obviously, given the draft capital and potential for the rookie. Martin began his first training camp slowly, but he has harnessed his play speed and had a very nice showing against the Raiders. One more nice performance on Saturday against the Chargers, and Martin will lock up the spot as the primary backup to Winters.
The last spot is a toss-up, and I only chose Surratt because Curtis Robinson is still working his way back from injury, and I believe Jalen Graham will be placed on the practice squad. It feels like the organization prefers Robinson over Graham, but they’ll try to sneak Graham on the PS and keep him close in case of injuries.
Surratt was brought over to San Francisco by Robert Saleh. It feels like he has the edge based on that fact alone. Saleh will feel comfortable if Surratt is pushed into duty. Surratt is a special teams player as well, with 67% of his snaps coming on special teams.
What do you think about my prediction for the linebacker room? Did I miss someone? Who should be replaced? Let us know in the comments!
