49ers to sign LB James Burgess to one-year deal

The 49ers are set to sign James Burgess (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). It’ll be a one-year deal for the former Packers and Jets linebacker.

Burgess went undrafted out of Louisville in 2016 and didn’t see the field until 2017 with the Browns. But, when he arrived in Cleveland, he notched four sacks and wound up starting nine of his 14 games. He later moved on to the Jets, serving as their starting middle linebacker for ten games in 2019. That year, he notched 80 total tackles, one interception, three passes defensed, and eight tackles for loss.

His 2020 with the Packers was a little less noteworthy — he saw just four games before losing the year to a hamstring injury. Now, he’ll get a shot to stick with the Niners, who are also taking a look at ex-Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall. Marshall, 32 in September, was a key player for Denver’s 2015 Super Bowl squad, but he’s been slowed by injuries of his own in recent years. It’s not immediately clear whether Marshall is still in the mix for SF after the addition of Burgess.