The 49ers will have to explore all options to round out the 53-man roster
With 11 picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, the 49ers are ready to rebuild their roster with young, cheap, impactful players. Rounding out the 53-man roster should be affordable, veteran players who provide a safe floor for the starting position.
The 49ers offense will return every starter except Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, who is returning from his knee injury. Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall with Demarcus Robinson will pick up the slack at the position. Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Trent Williams, and Brock Purdy will all return leaving the 49ers defense to add more in the draft for immediate needs.
The obvious needs are along the defensive line, but with the departure of Dre Greenlaw, Fred Warner will have a new running mate in 2025. The question is will it be Dee Winters, a draft prospect, or a veteran linebacker?
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report believes the 49ers should address the position with a veteran with familiarity to Robert Saleh. Thirty-three-year-old linebacker C.J. Mosley would reunite with the former Jets head coach.
The 49ers lost several key contributors early in free agency, including linebacker Dre Greenlaw. Reloading the linebacker group should still be a priority.
C.J. Mosley was limited to four games in 2024 by toe and neck injuries. He’ll also turn 33 in June. However, he’s a five-time Pro Bowler who spent time with the Jets under Robert Saleh—who returned to San Francisco as the defensive coordinator this offseason.
Before Mosley’s injury-filled 2024, the linebacker played over 1,000 snaps three consecutive years and posted a career-high defensive grade of 82.9 and a 90.0 coverage grade.
The biggest risk is betting on how much Mosley has left in the tank, but there’s nothing wrong with signing Mosley as a safety net. However, giving Winters more time to develop on the field isn’t the worst idea. Mosley’s presence stands in the way of that.
With all the cost-cutting and a renewed purpose to get younger, Mosley’s signing may be a contradiction to the team’s message, but if the money is low, it makes sense to kick the tires on the 33-year-old.