Thanks again to nocal81 for posting this as a FanShot. He's absolutely on fire lately. As he indicated in the fanshot, former Dolphins linebacker Akin Ayodele is planning on visit the 49ers this coming week. Over at Twitter, Maiocco is reporting it will be a Monday visit. Once again I thought it'd be worthwhile to expand this into a front page post so we can roll out a few more details on Ayodele.
As nocal81 mentioned, Adam Schefter views this as a depth addition, with Ayodele being added to the crew competing for starting time with Takeo Spikes. Here is his Insider scouting report:
He isn't an explosive player . . . but plays hard and wins with toughness, technique and aggression. He is a solid reactor and understands angles and how to leverage the football. He uses his hands well to ward off and separate from blockers and stays active to the pile. He [is] a solid open field tackler. He [is] limited in man schemes and is best in short zone coverage's. Ayodele is a good football player but appears to have reached his ceiling . . . but brings experience, toughness and stability to the position.
So, we're looking at a general over-achieving type of player. Not just a training camp body, but rather somebody who will get a chance to get some solid playing time with the team. The 49ers seem to be using free agency to focus on depth. They're visiting with slightly older veterans who bring something to the table, but are not needed to make a big impact for the team. This makes the upcoming draft all the more interesting.