The San Francisco 49ers have a young defense and showed that they are willing to bring in veteran free agents this offseason. On offense, the Niners signed Mike Evans and Christian Kirk, but could the front office look to add another veteran player or two on defense?
San Francisco has roughly $69.8 million in cap space, per OverTheCap, but the number shrinks drastically for 2027 as the Niners are way over the cap. As a result, the 49ers probably want much of this to roll over, but if a one-year contract makes sense, they might be willing to act.
One name the 49ers could consider is Bobby Wagner, a player with experience in the NFC West for the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams after spending the last two seasons with the Washington Commanders.
FOX Sports’ Ben Arthur explained why he believes the veteran linebacker makes sense for the 49ers.
“At 35 years old, Wagner is well past his prime,” Arthur wrote in his May 19 article. “But he remains a very cerebral and effective player in the run game, coming off his 10th straight season with at least 130 tackles.
“It’s why he makes sense as a top backup option for the 49ers, who have injury concerns at both inside linebacker positions — former All-Pro Fred Warner is coming off a season-ending ankle injury, and Dre Greenlaw has played in just 10 games over the past two seasons combined. Wagner’s longtime Seahawks teammate, KJ Wright, is also San Francisco’s linebackers coach.”
What Would Bobby Wagner Bring to a Team?
Last season with the Commanders, Wagner played 1,132 total snaps on defense, recording a 78.6 overall PFF defensive grade. Moreover, the 35-year-old registered 107 solo tackles, 20 total pressures, five sacks, and eight missed tackles.
The 49ers did bring back Dre Greenlaw to reunite him with Fred Warner and run back their successful linebacker tandem. Nonetheless, both players dealt with an injury last season, so veteran depth wouldn’t hurt.
Behind Warner and Greenlaw, the linebacker room consists of: Luke Gifford, Tatum Bethune, Garret Wallow, Jaden Dugger, Nick Martin, and Jalen Graham. It will be interesting to see whether the 49ers believe these players are enough to round out the linebacker room or if questions begin to surface once OTAs and mandatory minicamp get underway.
49ers Given In-Season Trade Target for Later This Year
Although the summer months are nearing, the 2026 NFL season is still a ways away, the SF Standard’s David Lombardi already sees one potential in-season trade target that the Niners should visit to bolster their safety position if things don’t pan out with their current group.
For Lombardi, Atlanta Falcons veteran Jessie Bates III would make sense, given that he has played for defensive coordinator Raheem Morris.
“There’s perpetual chatter about the 49ers’ recent shortcomings at safety,” Lombardi wrote in a May 13 article. “But keep this in mind: Safety production is strongly correlated with a team’s pass rush, and the 49ers finished with a league-low 20 sacks in 2025. There’s a reason they’ve redone nearly all of their D-line over the past 14 months.
“Missed tackles have been an issue for safeties outside of Sigle (who, in turn, suffered through major issues in coverage), but they should see better opportunities to succeed in 2026. And perhaps an in-season trade for a former Morris safety might be in the cards. Jessie Bates III, anyone?”
49ers Issued Compelling Message on Free Agent Bobby Wagner