The way the 49ers paid attention to the WR position in the draft, and even drafting Isaac Guerendo, a speedy pass-catching RB, who would seem to be a niightmare matchup for any linebacker out there, makes me think Shanahan may be looking to open up the passing game more.
But (this is always my big but) what have they done to improve the pass blocking? As the 49ers have shown, they can score points and they can defend. But their biggest losses in the past 6 seasons have all come at the offensive line failing when they need them most. Sure, there are other factors, but our pass blocking has graded out usually around 18th. And yeah we drafted a couple guys that should work out, but I wanted a better RT.
I’d love to see them be more aggressive, even with McCaffrey, Mitchell, and Deebo as running threats, but they have to do something to improve the O line. This has been the soapbox that I’ve been camped on for a while. Design more roll-outs. Mainly to the left side. Because McKivitz isn’t all that good at pass pro. A better RT would give the roll-right play more effectiveness as you look at the last 400 roll-right plays, and the LDE is usually unblocked and in Purdy’s face within 2 seconds.
Anyhow, that’s my take on things.
San Francisco 49ers Forever 
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Chiefs opened with zone coverage and the Niners went up and down the field. Once they switched to man coverage the Niners couldn’t get consistently open. With 8 in the box and man coverage there was basically nowhere to get penetration.
If the Niners had a quick underneath guy you have another way to attack 8 in the box and man coverage.
The O line performed well enough IMO until they lost the RG in the SB.
I would have liked to see a good T picked but also don’t see that as meaning the Niners aren’t good enough to win the SB as is.
TE’s especially kittle have mostly stay in and block on passing downs to protect Purdy from our bottom batch unit of at best average pass pro.
When Trent was out a few games in November the line was pass pro incompetent with LG,RG, RT inthe 20’s in pff game ratings.
That OL is a danger to Brock Purdy if Trent is absent. Shanalynch 100% responsible without a peep from the Homer’s journalist club.
kittle would have beat 8 in a box with short passes if not stuck pass blocking with the bottom bitches
Detroit and Philadelphia don’t have a bottom batch OL problem. The biggest franchise investment in precarious situation by OL bottom pitching by shanalynch.
Not sure Shanny is capable of changing his spots drastically. He loves the run game, my beef with that is defenses also know that and at times he’s predictable. I would love to see him open up the offense like Walsh used to do but time and again he seems unwilling to do it. We just have to figure a way to confuse the defenses. One thing that might move that needle is if Pearsall is as adverised the more weapons we can throw at em at one time can’t hurt.
I think that’s the plan Winder.
Shanahan almost had this with Trent Taylor, a quick twitch guy who could separate over the middle by the second QB step, which would be perfect for Purdy, his vision and quick decision making would pair beautifully.
Unfortunately Taylor couldn’t stay on the field because of injuries and when he came back he didn’t have that same short area burst. I think they are going back to that philosophy with Slick Rick Pearsall.
Hi Tom,
Sorry if any of this comes off as preachy, just my opinions.
Pass pro and the WR/TE/RB ability to get open quickly are completely reliant on each other to avoid sacks, much the same as pass rush and DB is at getting sacks.
Niners almost won the SB with what you consider a sub-standard O Line and it was only after the starting RG Feliciano went out that the line collapsed.
Any O line with Silverback in it becomes vulnerable without him, he is certainly the best LT in the league and may well be the best player period, arguably.
I have been reading your comments on the Oline and the guys they picked up and whilst I agree I would have liked to see a top tier T taken, I think they have enough talent to win as is and that they did strengthen the line with 2 drafted and 2 undrafted guys.
You place a lot of emphasis on the 40 time for a linemen but a far better indicator is the short area speed. Both Puni and Kingston excel at it, which is what zone blocking requires. 300lb men 40 yards downfield has no value, the first 10 has immense value.
Unless one of the rookies really stands out in camp or pre-season I would tend to believe the Niners stay with last years line and whichever 3 guys shine will be the back ups and I’m ok with that.
5 starters returning after a long year and trip to the SB is a great foundation to have. The left side was solid, C got beat from time to time by power and Im guessing he is hitting the weights right now. Feliciano at RG was solid and McKivitz needs to improve in his second year as a starter which I believe he will.
Just my 2c but I think the line was almost good enough last year and will be better this year.
I believe I posted combine info on 6th rd Kingston, arm length 32 1/8. The 6 rder 2 years ago was Zakelj with 32 1/2 and 1 inch taller and 6 lbs heavier. Why draft him.
the stretch of games around November that we lost had Trent playing injured or out. I don’t see the games but one game with Trent out those 3 starters had terrible pass pro pff game numbers.
why risk a season on TW being healthy for 17 games. I won’t question trex arms at #31 , it is what it is. Rosengarten should have been traded up for no later than middle of 2nd rd. Your savant gm/hc valued a 2nd tier CB over a good sized zbs OT that was RT this or next year.
their bottom bitch treatment of OL unit is derelict. If TW injured at minimum someone gets last word on day 1 and 2 picks for the rest of their employment.
Honestly Tom I don’t understand your reasoning here. If Trent Williams goes down there isn’t a back up tackle in the league that can hold his jock strap and that applies to 90% of the starters. Of course they plan on the starters starting, every one of them, unless you have elite players on the bench at all the major positions they have to.
I can’t think of a single team that has a stating quality back up LT.
I presume your point is the Niners have very poor backups? I don’t really agree and both Puni and Kingston have amazing short area speed. I don’t see them beating out a starter initially but it’s possible. I do see them providing decent depth, particularly Puni, along with the other established depth guys.
The guys on the right side were both first year starters who played above average by the end of the season, particularly Feliciano who the resigned, incidentaly neither of those starters caused or even contributed in a major way to the SB loss.
You may end up being right about Rosengarten, but statistically that’s a coin flip if he pans out or not, no certainty by any stretch of the imagination, yet you keep pounding on not taking him as though he is the second coming of Trent Williams instead of a possibly decent/serviceable rookie with a lot to learn. I don’t see him as an NFL ready certainty at all.
He was your draft crush at that time on the board, nothing more until proven otherwise. I don’t see where all your issues are with Shanalynch based on nothing more than your speculation of the player. Your entitled to your opinion, which you have shared repeatedly. They added 4 O linemen, I’m happy to see how it all plays out.
On another note, Jared Goff signed a 4 year extension, guaranteed 170m, that’s 42.5m per year at least as far as the early reporting goes. He makes a nice comp for Purdy who I see as a 45m a year signing, unless he blows the doors off or wins a SB this year, which he might.
We needed DB’s just as bad as OL’s and we got both whether they are any good we will find out soon. I just wish we could have figured a way to move around and get WR Luke McCaffrey before Peters got him at the end of the 3rd. He’s gonna be around the league for a long-time and would have been more ammo for us.
I agree they needed DB as much as O line Winder. I admit that taking Pearsall first was a surprise for me. I was expecting CB or O line. Having said that I like the draft they had and the players were solid back ups/borderline starters at a few positions. Given the talent on a SB caliber team that’s a win, at least on paper.
Now we get to see how they pan out and hopefully a few get into the rotation because of talent and not because of injury. They were so thin at DB they took a player off a cruise ship last year IIRC and he almost got a SB ring.
I can’t say I’m as certain Luke is as talented as his Dad and brother but I am sure he will give his maximum effort to maintain the family name.
we were in the same position last year and we didn’t draft one lineman. I don’t get it.
Chuck, I need help in getting the OL alarm out. TW is the only above average ol starter in the unit. He goes out the unit is below average. We need to protect the savior franchise QB as top priority.
instead the first two picks, both overdrafted. Overall this draft was poor. Puni and Moustafa were the value good choices.
Drafting high is no guarantee of success. McGlinchey was taken the 9th pick of the 2st round in the draft, was McKivitz any worse than him?
McKivitz and Feliciano were first year starters who by playoff time were playing at a decent level and now they have an off-season to work on their weaknesses. The mistake I think the Niners made was signing Feliciano for 1 year instead of 2, but I figure they know what the bigger picture is.
They added 4 rookies as well as the backups they already had and they signed a veteran today.
They have not ignored the position by any stretch of the imagination.
*1st round
https://tinyurl.com/hkaycrw7
NYJ @ SF MNF 9/9 being teased here
https://www.ninersnation.com/2024/5/13/24156078/shakel-brown-spencer-waege-49ers-rookie-minicamp-tryout
Niners signed a RT Chris Hubbard who was with the Titans last year before going on IR. $1,375m
There will be strong competition for back up spots as well as a slight possibility of beating out a starter.
The idea of a rookie coming in and starting on the line is limited to a small handful of top draft picks, for all the noise about it its unlikely to make much difference this year barring injuries.
fat fingers, McGlinchey was 9th pick of the 1st round
Niners open at home against the Jets! First home opener since 2020, and it’s a Monday night game. Love it.
Oooooh, beating down Aaron Rodgers again should be fun!
4 in a row baby!
Tennessee had the worst OL in the nfl in 2023. Tackles the worst of the bunch. Only bright spot was LG 1st rd rookie skorinski. They took at #7 JCLatham for their franchise LT.
They even had our Brunskill as starting RG. Never saw Hubbard mentioned last season.
bottom bitching shout out to the niners. Rapaport said. He made nine starts with the Tennessee Titans last season, allowing four sacks and 18 pressures while playing 473 offensive snaps and 292 pass-blocking snaps, per Pro Football Focus.
UDFA in 2013. He came on.after Andre Dillard failed I guess. Wait, that was LT. He must have been battling it out with NPF and Dillan radunz at RT.
this is embarrassing
https://ninerswire.usatoday.com/2024/05/14/49ers-news-roster-moves-chris-hubbard-shakel-brown/?utm_source=49ersWebZone&utm_medium=dt&utm_campaign=affref
33, 6’4″ 295
Well, McKivitz earned a 65 grade ion pass pro. What does that tell you?
who did it: pff or ??? Is iol and ot different, depends on opponents?
Hubbard was a mid pack guy at T stats wise. To have a mid tier guy as your swing T who can also play both guard positions for $1.3m is a win. He’s not starting material because he got hurt 3 years running, but as a swing with limited reps he fits the bill.
I’m fine with the guy. Jaylon More was terrible.
The 49ers will host the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7 on Oct. 20 at Levi’s Stadium, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported Tuesday afternoon, citing sources.
No international game this year for the Niners!