The offensive line of the San Francisco 49ers has proven itself to be a blessing and a curse. Few injuries ever occurred to it during Jim Harbaugh’s time as the head coach, but any injury to it proved costly. Entering the 2015 preseason with 13 active players, the list dwindled down to nine by the season’s end.
It doesn’t help that last year the 49ers got only seven rushing touchdowns and the offensive line gave up 53 sacks. It’s been quite the year of change for San Francisco as they try to adjust to get back to winning ways. Chip Kelly takes over as head coach, and even the assurance of Colin Kaepernick as starting quarterback has come into question. It’s no different for the O-Line.
Alex Boone is no longer with the team; he joined the Minnesota Vikings during the offseason. The Niners picked guard Joshua Garnett in the first round of the 2016 Draft, and guard Zane Beadles signed with the team. In addition, with Kelly trying to quicken the pace the offense plays at, it should be interesting to see how the players respond — both those who haven’t had much starting time pre-Kelly and those who have.
And keeping with the theme of change, Offensive Line Coach Pat Flaherty told The Sacramento Bee that only person is guaranteed a starting spot on the line — LT Joe Staley.
“Nothing’s handed to anybody, really,” Flaherty said. “Joe’d probably be the only one. But Joe’s earned it over the years. I mean, this is his 10th year, and he’s played a high level of football for the 49ers.”
Of course, with how devastating an injury can be for this line, Staley will need some backup just in case. This is where Erik Pears and Colin Kelly come into play. Pears has played with multiple teams between the NFL and CFL since he went undrafted in 2005. He has gone three seasons in a row as an every-game starter now though, as he played every game in 2013 and 2014 for the Buffalo Bills, and every game in 2015 for the 49ers (as a right tackle). Colin Kelly spent 2013 on the Kansas City Chiefs’ injured reserve before being released, and the 49ers signed him out of the CFL back in January.
Flaherty has also indicated via Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area that Pears and another player, possibly Kelly though not officially named, could be swing tackles on game days.
Over at right tackle, it’s a battle for the starting position between Trent Brown and Anthony Davis, who has returned after a one-year hiatus from the league. Brown did not see much action in 2015, playing only five games with two starts. Meanwhile, Davis left the NFL in 2015 citing a want to heal his body and brain. He filed reinstatement papers on July 25 and was officially reinstated by the league on July 30, re-joining the 49ers for training camp.
“One guy has been out of football and the other has just [started] playing football,” Flaherty said. “[Brown] didn’t play a whole lot last year. I hope those questions are answered every day.”
Flaherty gave no indication if whoever loses the starting battle between the two could compete for one of the guard positions, or at least be a second-string guard.
Speaking of which, the battle at right guard appears to be over, with the team choosing Andrew Tiller over Joshua Garnett. Tiller signed with the team in October 2014, but eventually, he was cut after being signed to the team when they needed to make a 53-man roster. He was signed to the practice squad again back on Sept. 6, 2015, and eventually onto the 53-man roster. He and Jordan Devey alternated snaps, and now ultimately Tiller has been picked to take over the right guard role.
It’s not all over for Garnett, however, as the team has decided to move the 2016 draft pick to the opposite side of the field, competing with Beadles, a seven-year veteran, for the left guard starting role. Beadles was selected with the 45th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos. He played all 16 games in each season, and participated in the 2012 Pro Bowl as a replacement for New England’s Logan Mankins. Beadles has spent the last two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, starting every game before being released on March 3. He signed with the 49ers on March 22. Garnett, who played college football at Stanford, was a Consensus All-American in 2015, as well as the Outland Trophy and Morris Trophy winner.
Finally, at center, the starter will be either Daniel Kilgore or Marcus Martin, though it will more likely than not be Kilgore. Kilgore, who has been with San Francisco since 2011, only has 10 starts under his belt, with just three last year, as he has been battling a lower leg injury for the past two seasons. Martin has 22 stars since Kilgore has been working his way back, but he has shown inconsistency. Martin, however, is versatile, as he can be a backup at center, left guard or right guard.
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