San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw had an injury-riddled 2021 season. He suffered a groin injury in the 49ers' Week 1 victory over the Detroit Lions and re-aggravated it upon his return in Week 12 against the Minnesota Vikings.
Overall, Greenlaw suited up in just three regular-season games for the 49ers, starting two of those, but was a fixture in the linebacker corps during the playoffs.
Despite his shortened season, Greenlaw has proven, when healthy, to be an effective linebacker alongside Fred Warner, which is why ESPN's Jeremy Fowler believes he could be an "under-the-radar" trade candidate this offseason.
Fowler listed Greenlaw among his list of 20 players with "sneaky trade value to watch," noting that the linebacker is currently under contract for one more season before becoming a free agent.
"The 49ers paid their top linebacker, Fred Warner, $95 million over five years," wrote Fowler. "Allocating resources for a second linebacker is a tough ask. Greenlaw, a 2023 free agent, has played well enough to attract some teams willing to give up a mid-to-late-round pick and extend him. The Lions are among teams that need an infusion of talent in the middle of the field."
While Greenlaw is a young asset, the idea may not be as far-fetched as one might think because the 49ers have Azeez Al-Shaair, currently a restricted free agent, to fill that linebacker role.
Al-Shaair had a solid season in place of Greenlaw, accumulating 102 tackles, an interception, and a forced fumble while appearing in 13 games.
Both linebackers are just 24 years old, so they could certainly be in San Francisco's long-term plans, but Fowler's idea is an interesting one to gauge, especially if the 49ers are looking to recoup draft capital that they lost in the Trey Lance trade.