Before the San Francisco 49ers signed De’Vondre Campbell during the 2024 offseason, they wanted veteran Eric Kendricks. Actually, both sides had agreed to a deal.
The idea was that Kendricks would replace Dre Greenlaw, who had just torn his Achilles. Kendricks, now 33, played in 15 games for the Dallas Cowboys last year, recording 138 tackles, and three sacks and one interception. He has not appeared in any games this season.
The 49ers won against the Carolina Panthers playing Curtis Robinson. Robinson struggled, to say the least. He missed most of the team’s tackles, and was lucky that some of them did not result in big plays. There was enough in the film to warrant a change.
The problem is that Tatum Bethune is still sidelined, there is no other option. Anyway, not until Kendricks. We’ll see how fast Kendricks can progress. You have to think there’s a reason Kendricks is available the day before Thanksgiving.
But his experience could help speed up the learning curve, and, at least from a talent perspective, it shouldn’t take long to get a feel for what Kendricks brings to the table versus Robinson, provided he’s not completely undrafted as an athlete.
It will be interesting to see what happens when Bethune returns. Bethune is an excellent run defender, but pass coverage has not been his strongest suit. If Kendricks can add something to the 49ers’ passing defense, it could prove to be a good sign.
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