One of the 49ers’ few potential training camp competitions appears to be settled before it even had a chance to begin.
Coach Kyle Shanahan said at the conclusion of the 49ers' first practice on Saturday he fully expects veteran linebacker Kwon Alexander to start at weakside linebacker over second-year player Dre Greenlaw.
Greenlaw made the defensive play that clinched the NFC West and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs while Alexander was sidelined with an injury last season.
The difference between starting at weakside linebacker and strongside is notable. The weakside linebacker generally does not come off the field, whereas the strongside position is on the field only for base downs -- or approximately one-third of the team’s defensive snaps.
“We compete all the time, so no one just has a job set in stone, but I don't see that as open competition right now,” Shanahan said. “We brought Kwon here for a reason. He did exactly what we wanted when he was out there and did even more than we anticipated from a leadership standpoint.
"Kwon has been great here.”
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The 49ers signed Alexander at the start of free agency in 2019 to a four-year, $54 million contract. Alexander started eight games in the regular season before sustaining a torn pectoral that sidelined him for the remaining of the regular season.
Greenlaw stepped into that position in Alexander’s absence and played well. His goal-line tackle of Seattle Seahawks tight end Jacob Hollister on a fourth-down play in the closing seconds preserved the 49ers’ 26-21 victory in Week 17 to clinch the 49ers’ division title and top seeding in the playoffs.
Alexander returned for the playoffs, but Greenlaw remained as the starter while Alexander was worked back in slowly.
[RELATED: Shanahan hopes Deebo can be ready for season opener]
Despite of how well Greenlaw played in the second half of his rookie season, Shanahan said he does not view Alexander’s starting role as up for grabs as the club opens training camp.
“That’s not taking anything away from Dre. He had a hell of a rookie year,” Shanahan said. “The more he got his opportunities, the better he got. But we’ve got a few good guys there, and we see that as Kwon’s job right now.”
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August 16, 2020 at 10:32PM
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