"If you want to make a 49ers fan's blood pressure spike like the temperatures in the Bay this week, you don't talk about Brock Purdy's contract, Kyle Shanahans clock-management, or the team's errant trade for Trey Lance. No, you say two simple, powerful, and seemingly maddening words: Offensive line. It's the part of football that is, for most fans, a complete mystery a series of grunts and shoves and bodies piling up."
"The secrets of a zone run or a pass-pro slide are known only to a crazy few with bad backs, oversized t-shirts, dirt under their mangled fingernails, and a permanent dent on their foreheads. Yet even a 5-foot-5, 150-pound pencil pusher understands that a bad offensive line is an incurable disease for a football team. Despite that, for years, the Niners have treated it like I treat my home improvement projects: They"
San Francisco underinvested in offensive line talent, avoiding large contracts and high draft picks while relying on Kyle Shanahan's scheme and Chris Foerster's coaching to mask deficiencies. Trent Williams has aged without a clear replacement, contributing to inconsistent protection for Brock Purdy. The franchise emphasizes schematic solutions over spending, creating skepticism when backups must play. In a recent game, starting left guard Ben Bartch exited with an ankle sprain after ten snaps. Seventh-round rookie Connor Colby, labeled a project fighting for a roster spot, replaced him and helped stabilize the line, validating the schematic approach in action.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]