The 49ers decision to release Reuben Foster following his latest arrest in connection with a domestic violence incident Saturday will have a dramatic ripple effect on how the 49ers approach their offseason. San Francisco suddenly finds themselves in need of a linebacker to slide in alongside rookie Fred Warner.
Foster, a first-round pick in 2017, was supposed to be a foundational piece on the 49ers defense. He perfectly fits the requirements of a linebacker in the modern NFL with a combination of size and speed that allows him to stay on the field in passing and running situations. Replacing him won’t be easy.
It looked for the 49ers like they’d have the luxury of adding multiple pass rushers, a receiver and a cornerback in the early rounds of the draft to try and bolster their top-end depth. Linebacker wasn’t necessarily even on their radar for the 2019 draft given their starters, Foster and Warner, were both going to be under 26 at the start of next season.
Now it looks like the 49ers will need to put off their search for receiver and cornerback depth in exchange for adding a starting linebacker early in the draft.
There’s a chance the team waits to find a player to fill their new vacancy. They could continue rolling with Malcolm Smith despite his underperformance this season. They may also slide Elijah Lee into the WILL linebacker spot for a year. Free agency is an option as well, although good, starting-caliber players who fit what the 49ers do defensively don’t hit the market very often.
It’ll be interesting to see how the 49ers attack the linebacker position moving forward. They have several options, but it’s hard to believe they won’t be aggressive in trying to replace Foster through next year’s draft.
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