The San Francisco 49ers didn't make a splash in free agency this offseason, choosing instead to lean on their 11 draft picks to retool a roster that lost several key contributors. After a disappointing 6-11 finish in 2024, some analysts expect another challenging season in 2025.
But according to ESPN's Bill Barnwell, the 49ers' most important offseason move didn't happen on the field—it happened on the sideline. Barnwell believes the return of defensive coordinator Robert Saleh could be the franchise's most impactful addition heading into the new season.
Saleh, who previously served as San Francisco's defensive coordinator from 2017 to 2020, helped build one of the NFL's most formidable defenses before becoming head coach of the New York Jets. He was dismissed last season and made his Bay Area return in January.
"The biggest addition for the 49ers might have come off the field," Barnwell wrote. "Robert Saleh was widely heralded as one of the league's best defensive coaches when he left San Francisco to take over as head coach of the Jets, and while DeMeco Ryans did an admirable job behind Saleh before landing the Texans' head coaching job, Steve Wilks and Nick Sorensen were one-and-done in back-to-back seasons. It's telling that the Jets' defense fell apart immediately after Saleh was fired last season."
With Saleh back in charge of the defense, general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan loaded up on young talent to support him, particularly in the trenches with the draft selections of Mykel Williams, Alfred Collins, and CJ West.
"Having shed salary and talent on defense this offseason, the 49ers need Saleh to work his magic quickly and make the most out of the players around Bosa and Warner," Barnwell wrote. "Lynch used all four of his top-100 picks on defensive players, and Saleh will be expected to integrate them into the lineup, with the most important addition being toolsy first-round pick Mykel Williams at edge. Veteran defensive backs Tre Brown and Richie Grant, occasional starters elsewhere, might be called on for more regular snaps."
Barnwell emphasized Saleh's proven track record of developing talent, noting that the coach is able to extract more from players than most expect.
"It's one thing to bring through top-five picks such as defensive end Nick Bosa and cornerback Sauce Gardner," Barwell commented, "but Saleh helped mold Warner, defensive tackle D.J. Jones and linebacker Dre Greenlaw into standouts in San Francisco, then did the same with the Jets for unheralded veterans such as defensive end John Franklin-Myers, linebacker Quincy Williams and cornerback D.J. Reed."
While much of the offseason spotlight has been on the on-field changes and uncertainties following a roster retooling, Robert Saleh's return may be the boost the 49ers need to bounce back.