Of course, one of the more shocking moments in recent Super Bowl memory occurred early on in Super Bowl 58 when 49ers’ defensive star Dre Greenlaw went down with an Achilles injury while jogging from the sidelines onto the field of play in between series. With Greenlaw now out of the lineup for the foreseeable future due to the devastating injury, it figures that the 49ers may be on the market for another linebacker this offseason.

One of those potential options, according to the latest intel, is Lavonte David of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“The Buccaneers will likely try to re-sign linebacker Lavonte David, who made $7.3 million last season and held up well at age 34. One potential team to watch for him is San Francisco. The 49ers are in the market because of Dre Greenlaw’s Achilles injury but might not spend at the top of it,” reported Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN recently.

Indeed, Lavonte David has continued to produce at an elite clip despite his relatively advanced NFL age, and in theory would make sense for the 49ers to at least consider this offseason.

Why the 49ers Should Re-Sign Javon Kinlaw

A whopping 21 players are set to become free agents from the San Francisco 49ers.

Only some players will be back on the 49ers, while others will not be retained or find better deals. One of those free agents that the 49ers should definitely re-sign is defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw.

2023 was an impressive year from Kinlaw where he finally was able to finish an entire season. Injuries did not play a part at any point for him dating as far back as training camp. Clearly Kinlaw has found a way to mitigate those injuries and is starting to find his stride. The 49ers should bank on that “stride” of Kinlaw.

I think there is a decent chance that Kinlaw ascends in 2024, so whatever deal they sign him to will easily look like a bargain if he does. It’s worth the shot to see if he does given how his arrow looks to finally be pointed upward. At the very least, they know they are bringing back a solid player who gives them what they need against the run and as a pass rusher.

Re-signing him will most likely not prove costly. I would imagine a one-year deal worth $3 million with incentives will get it done, and I’d suspect Kinlaw would want to come back. He’s finally putting it together, so it would be tough for him to want to potentially ruin that going elsewhere. A deal with Kinlaw makes so much sense.

The 49ers should also want to retain as much continuity on the defensive line as possible. A handful of players at the position are set to be free agents. It would be wise to bring at least a couple of them back with Kinlaw as one of them. Roll the dice on him for one more year and see if he doesn’t come close to the player they envisioned when they drafted him four years ago.