49ers’ Dee Winters takes his shot at replacing Greenlaw as 49ers’ weakside LB

SANTA CLARA — Too much has been made of the 49ers’ offseason losses, which were a necessary attrition for a 6-11 team.

Financial considerations played a role, but not nearly as much as performance. If there is a gaping hole that needs to be filled in the 49ers’ soul, it was the departure of linebacker Dre Greenlaw.

“Dre Greenlaw, in my opinion, is one of one, one of the best players I’ve ever played with,” tight end George Kittle said. “Especially when he’s on the field. It’s a challenge for us to find guys that we currently have to step up and bring that energy and bring that juice.”

Greenlaw operated to a degree in the shadow of teammate Fred Warner, a consensus All-Pro, and now he’s in Denver. Coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch even made a last-ditch attempt to bring Greenlaw back before he signed a three-year contract with Denver worth a maximum of $31.5 million.

He was the only exiting free agent who got that kind of attention from the 49ers because that’s how highly regarded Greenlaw is personally and professionally. It was all on display for 34 snaps in 30 electric minutes against the Los Angeles Rams last Dec. 12.

Greenlaw didn’t play the second half or the rest of the season, but he made his point. It was conceivable Greenlaw could still be the force he was in previous years even after rehabbing a torn Achilles, a freak injury in the 49ers’ overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.

Now he’s gone, and Greenlaw will be missed in a way others will not, based on his explosive and inspirational play.

That’s where Dee Winters comes in. While it’s true that replacing the second letter of his first name with an “r” would make it “Dre,” Winters said he’s not trying to replicate Greenlaw even as he attempts to become the weakside starter and Warner’s new sidekick.

“I think it’s more important that I play as who I am, and that’s Dee Winters,” Winters said Thursday after the 49ers wrapped up Day 2 of their 2025 training camp. “Just go out and do my job. Play my style of football.”

Which, not coincidentally, is similar to Greenlaw in that Winters is 5-foot-11, 227 pounds and has the speed and agility to roam sideline to sideline as a playmaker. He put that skill to use on Day 1 when he stepped in front of a Brock Purdy pass for an interception.

Another addition is rookie Nick Martin, who is 5-11, 221 and was openly compared by 49ers coaches and scouts to Greenlaw as a rookie out of Oklahoma State. Health and performance will determine which player assumes the Greenlaw role, although both could play in three-linebacker alignments.

Winters insists he’s not trying to be Greenlaw, but paid close attention during his first two seasons.

“Man, he was a great example of how to play the ‘will’ (weakside) linebacker,” Winters said. “Downhill, fast and can cover. He can do it all and that’s something I need to keep in my game moving forward.”

So far, so good.

“I’ve seen a guy who’s ready to take that next step,” Warner said. “Dee has flashed in a big way through his first two seasons. And I think year three is that year where it’s like ‘Man, I know the system, I know what I need to do in the offseason and now it’s time for me to take control and really put it on tape.’ ”

Linebacker Dee Winters fields questions from the media Thursday following the 49ers’ second training camp practice. Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group

After playing just 60 snaps as a rookie, Winters was a candidate to fill in for Greenlaw last season while he rehabbed his Achilles. He was derailed by ankle and neck injuries and a concussion, which led to the regrettable ascension of free agent De’Vondre Campbell. Campbell was stiff, immobile and a poor fit from the start. He wound up quitting on the team on the night Greenlaw made more plays in a half than Campbell had all season.

Winters ended up playing 398 snaps with mixed results.

As far as Shanahan is concerned, there’s no time like the present for Winters to come into his own.

“Well, I just think he has his best opportunity right now,” Shanahan said. “He had a decent one last year, but we were always hoping that Dre could come back. Dee did make a ton of progress last year, and he started to take over that job and he had a number of setbacks with injuries.

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“So, it took him a while to do it. I thought he had a hell of an OTAs, showed that he was capable of doing this, and we just want to see him continually get better at it, be consistent. Hopefully, he has good luck of avoiding any injuries. But Dee’s a guy we believe can be a hell of a player. We’re just hoping he gets there.”

Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh has been encouraged by Winters’ offseason as well as his early play in camp.

“Young guys like Dee, their growth can be stunted when they’re sitting on the bench just watching,” Saleh said. “There’s nothing like doing. And he had an opportunity the last half of last year to get some reps in. Knock on wood, hopefully he can stay healthy and absorb every one of those reps and learn all the nuance required to play linebacker. If he does, he’s going to be fun to watch.”