The Biggest Worry For The 49ers’ 2022 Roster
The San Francisco 49ers have arguably one of the deepest and most talented rosters in the NFL. However, there is one issue with the roster that could be detrimental if not addressed. Here’s one area where the 49ers need to address.
The 49ers’ only loss of the preseason came on Thursday night when they were defeated in shutout fashion by the Houston Texans 17-0. While it’s still just a preseason game without the full starting lineups on both sides of the ball there’s still a glaring concern, the trenches.
San Francisco — in their 11 total possessions — failed to put points on the board and only managed a collective 2.1 yards-per-carry. Trey Lance completed seven passes on 11 attempts for 49 yards and was sacked once during a contest. He was constantly under pressure all game. It seemed as though the pocket was consistently collapsing and Lance was running for his life more often than not while only playing a few possessions, but he still managed to take care of the football.
The 49ers’ Offensive Line Remains A Work In Progress For 2022
Truthfully, nobody on the offensive line necessarily had a good day for the Niners. On too many occasions a running lane was never created and Houston’s defenders were infiltrating the back-field way too quickly for any offense to succeed. Three of the five expected starters on the offensive line — Spencer Burford, Aaron Banks, and Jake Brendel — played in the game.
Starting tackles Trent Williams, who the 49ers are saving for the regular season, and Mike McGlinchey, who is nursing a knee injury, did not suit up for Thursday’s preseason finale. Backup tackles Colton McKivitz and Jaylon Moore started at tackle and this is what Niners fans can and should legitimately worry about.
There’s no way to sugar-coat it. The tackles looked horrific on what felt like every single play. McKivitz and Moore were consistently getting beat and allowing the pocket to collapse on Lance. With Lance entering his first full year as a starter there will be growing pains. It would benefit his growth and the team in general if they can find some insurance at the tackle position before week one against the Chicago Bears.
Kyle Shanahan: "Wish I could have kept (Trey Lance) out there longer, but didn't get that opportunity." Translation: "Our offensive line was a flaming mess." — David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) August 26, 2022
McGlinchey, who is coming off a season-ending quadriceps injury was already dealing with irritation in his knee after just eight snaps in the preseason opener vs Green Bay and has yet to play since. Knee issues in his first in-game action since returning from another serious injury has to make the 49ers and their fans question how available the starting right tackle will be in 2022.
The 49ers’ options in a scenario where McGlinchey can’t play during parts of the regular season would likely be between Daniel Brunskill — who is currently injured — or Colton McKivitz and Jaylon Moore, assuming they make the 53-man roster. If one of them is called upon to start multiple games against teams like the Rams, Chargers, or Raiders who have game breakers on the defensive line like Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack, Maxx Crosby, Chandler Jones, and Aaron Donald then the 49ers will have serious problems.
Brunskill should also be the Niners’ next option to fill in on the interior if somebody were to get injured. Especially the center position since he was competing with Brendel for the starting job throughout camp. This is why McGlinchey’s health is constantly up in the air. It would greatly benefit the 49ers to find another swing tackle.
While it’d be difficult to find a better tackle at this time of year that would be a weekly starter, the Niners still need to acquire another tackle as a reliable insurance policy.
There have been numerous reports that the New England Patriots have been shopping starting right tackle Isaiah Wynn. Acquiring the Patriots starter would probably be the best move San Francisco could make.
The potential and probable release of QB Jimmy Garoppolo would grant the Niners the financial freedom required to make this move. Wynn and McGlinchey have a similar cap hit this season in the $10 million range in the final year of both their contracts although Wynn is two years younger than McGlinchey. A trade like this would not only shore up the line this year, but also give the 49ers another option at the right tackle position for the next few years should they choose to re-sign one of them.
Then again, this is hypothetical and Wynn is not the only option the 49ers have to upgrade the tackle position. The top priority should be to protect their 22-year-old franchise quarterback. Whatever options they do have, John Lynch and the front office need to exercise the best one they can.
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