49ers linebacker play could go either way

With a return to his prior self, NaVorro Bowman could also fill a leadership role (ESPN).Could the 49ers’ 2015 season hinge on what their linebackers do? Maybe. The return of inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman cannot be over-estimated. Can Bowman replicate his potential defensive player of the year performance before his horrendous knee injury in the 2013 NFC title game?

If he can, the pieces for the 49ers defense can fall into place. Previously, the defense was designed to funnel runs to the inside backers and that’s the style new defensive coordinator Eric Mangini knows well after growing up in the Bill Parcels-Bill Belichick system. If Bowman is up to the task, expect the defensive line to…