The San Francisco 49ers are clearly all-in when it comes to ruling the NFC this season and gaining a chance to play for the Super Bowl. They have been the most consistent team in the league to this point as they hope to unseat the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles, and they continue to upgrade their roster by acquiring outside linebacker Randy Gregory from the Denver Broncos.
In order to make room on the roster for Randy Gregory, the 49ers released DL Kerry Hyder Jr. https://t.co/3CMW8wkYUf
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 6, 2023
The Niners don't have a lot of weak spots on their roster, and it's clear general manager John Lynch wants to add to the team's depth. The league's trade deadline is not until October 31, so he should have additional opportunities to add to the team's overall talent level by that date.
To make room for Gregory, the 49ers have waived defensive lineman Kerry Hyder Jr. The addition of Gregory gives the Niners a chance to change up their basic defensive alignment from time to time. Head coach Kyle Shanahan and defensive coordinator Steve Wilks regularly employ linebackers Dre Greenlaw and Fred Warner, and both players are stars.
However, the Niners often use 5 defensive backs, meaning Greenlaw and Warner are the only 2 linebackers on the field. This philosophy has clearly worked to this point, but there are likely to be times when the Niners will want to employ a more traditional 4-3 setup and not the 4-2-5 they have regularly used. That would allow them to use Randy Gregory when that kind of defense is needed.
The Niners are likely to face multiple challenges this season, but the biggest will likely come from the undefeated Eagles. While the two teams will not meet in the regular season, they could be on a collision course for a postseason meeting.
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