On a very young team, journeyman linebacker and ST ace Dekoda Watson is a wise old man at 30. The 2010 seventh-round pick is a strong veteran special teamer — he was Denver’s ST captain when the Niners signed him in free agency — and a credible backup SAM linebacker.
He made a lot of sense for the Niners last year, with his combination of solid play, veteran smarts, and experience playing under defensive coordinator Robert Saleh for one season when Saleh was the linebackers coach at Jacksonville. But the talent level is rising rapidly and he’ll have to ball out in training camp to make this roster.