49ers predicted to land athletic Colts LB in surprise free-agent signing

A pressure-packed season for the San Francisco 49ers is already ratcheting up severely.

The 49ers dropped a game to the upstart Minnesota Vikings for the second straight year on Sunday, as quarterback Brock Purdy was outplayed by his old backup, free-agent signee Sam Darnold.

It's only one loss, but it's also an early wake-up call for San Francisco. After this season, Purdy's contract will become much more expensive, and many of the other talented veterans the 49ers currently have expiring contracts may not be back in 2025.

The linebacker position, which is a strength for the 49ers as things currently stand, could become one of the positions that needs an overhaul once Purdy is on a new deal. They won't have to change the way they play, but they could be shopping for players beneath their current price range.

On Monday, Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department predicted the 49ers would sign current Indianapolis Colts outside linebacker E.J. Speed in free agency to offset the potential losses of Dre Greenlaw and De'Vondre Campbell Sr."

"With Dre Greenlaw's and De'Vondre Campbell Sr.'s contracts about to expire, San Francisco will be looking for some linebacker help this offseason," the authors said.

"Speed fits what the organization likes at the position as he's an impressive athlete, registering a 9.21 RAS out of 10 coming out of college. Also, the 29-year-old who turns 30 in June shouldn't break the bank on the open market."

Speed, 29, is in his sixth NFL season, all with the Colts. He's a strong coverage linebacker, with a 57.6% completion rate allowed on 45 career targets. Last season, he set a new career-high with 102 tackles.

Though Speed may not have the upside of a player like Greenlaw, who proved to be a game-changer in last year's playoffs for San Francisco, he could slide into a talented defense and play a solid role.

If Speed were to help the 49ers maintain their defensive identity while paying Purdy, he'd be one of the steals of the NFL offseason.

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