San Francisco 49ers free agent target: Danny Trevathan

While there’s a host of problems that have led to the San Francisco 49ers’ plummet, last season’s missing defensive pieces stand out the most on the field. At the core of that problem was and still is the linebacker corps after two unexpected retirements last offseason.

Is there a way of replacing a borderline Hall of Fame linebacker? Probably not, at least not right away considering how he emotionally charged the team along with stellar play. But the 49ers would be wise to work at replacing, at least, a portion of what he meant to the team.

Last season, the retirement of Willis and Chris Borland caught management off guard, and honestly, there wasn’t time to fill that void. It didn’t help that NaVorro Bowman was returning from injury, giving the impression that pieces like Michael Wilhoite could manage a big role.

Why not go for the best linebacker on the board? At the moment, should he not resign with the Denver Broncos, that man is Danny Trevathan.

Bowman is still one of the best in the league; there’s no doubting that after making his third consecutive All-Pro team. But what was missing was a partner in crime for him, Trevathan can be that guy.

As a member of the Broncos’ vaunted defense, he’ll be fetching high dollars. But with an estimated $53 million in cap space, they can afford to fill such an immediate need with his services. They’ll need to to recoup a portion of that success when Bowman and Willis worked together

05 October 2014: Patrick Willis of the San Francisco 49ers during an NFL game between the Niners and the Kansas City Chiefs at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA. The 49ers won the game 22-17.

From 2011-13, the 49ers’ scoring defense ranked in the top five in the league. Willis and Bowman never missed a Pro Bowl. When Bowman went down (among more slight changes) in 2014, the defense dipped a little bit. Without Willis, the boat crashed despite Bowman’s best efforts, ranking 18th.

Granted, there were a lot of changes last season that still need to be addressed this offseason. But the core of this defense has operated around the linebackers — getting more outside linebackers is next in order.

For the right price, Trevathan can provide at least a portion of Willis’ consistency and positively affect the rest of the defense.

According to Pro Football Focus, Trevathan was one of only five linebackers with 53 or more stops and seven or fewer missed tackles. That stat is a little padded, though, considering he led the Broncos in tackles. In 15 games, he finished with 110 tackles, far more than PFF’s cutoff line.

He won’t be solving the team’s need for a pass rusher, but he would be an asset in pass coverage. Trevathan would be able to assume the role Bowman once held before his knee injury working consistently in coverage.

In his past two full seasons (being injured in 2014), Trevathan defended 17 passes and intercepted another five. He’s a true ballhawk having recovered three fumbles as well.

He won’t fix everything, but he would be a vital cog in mending the nucleus of a once dominant defense. Coming off a Super Bowl win, maybe he can rub some of that success on the rest of the team to follow suit.

This is a tailor-made combination that will be hard to pass on in negotiations.

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