Special teams coordinator Brant Boyer followed his former head coach, Robert Saleh, to Santa Clara, where Saleh now serves as the San Francisco 49ers' defensive coordinator. Some players might be eager to reunite with Saleh as well.
The 49ers are hopeful they can re-sign Dre Greenlaw, aiming to keep one of the league's top linebacker duos—Greenlaw and Fred Warner—together for at least one more season. Greenlaw, however, saw limited action in 2024 after missing most of the season while recovering from a torn Achilles. He appeared in only two games before being sidelined again.
General manager John Lynch may look to bolster the linebacker room this offseason, and ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler recently listed the 49ers as a potential destination for New York Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood.
"Three different personnel evaluators brought up Sherwood to me unprompted when discussing the free agency class," Fowler wrote. "Watch for Atlanta, which features a lot of former Jets staffing, or San Francisco, where former Jets coach Robert Saleh now runs the defense."
According to Pro Football Reference, Sherwood (6-2, 216) had a breakout 2024 campaign, leading his team with 158 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, two sacks, and three passes defensed in 17 games (16 starts).
"Sherwood can play downhill with speed, cutting off the ball and pursuing the edges. And I see coverage upside here, too," wrote ESPN's Matt Bowen. "Sherwood is a three-down player with special teams coverage ability, and his best football is ahead of him."
Sherwood's nine pressures and 59 stops last season outpaced any linebacker on the 49ers roster. However, his 18 missed tackles would have tied for the team lead with Warner.
Still, at just 25 years old, Sherwood could be an intriguing addition if Saleh pushes the 49ers to pursue the linebacker, a player Saleh drafted as a fifth-round pick during his first offseason with the Jets.
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