SANTA CLARA — Fast, title an excellent offensive line within the NFL.
You most likely stated the Philadelphia Eagles, and also you’d be proper. The Tremendous Bowl champions’ o-line is incredible.
However what’s the second-best offensive line within the NFL?
Once I ask that to of us across the league, I hear a number of totally different names: Baltimore, Detroit, Denver, and even Tampa Bay.
And that tells me the state of offensive line play within the NFL right this moment is decidedly mediocre.
Which tells me that there’s nonetheless fairly strong logic within the 49ers’ offensive line sport plan.
This time final yr, I wrote that the 49ers had been going all-in on offensive line coach Chris Foerster. They didn’t have to signal a big-time free agent or draft a linemen within the first or second spherical — they might belief that Foerster would take regardless of the Niners gave him and he’d flip it right into a good-enough unit.
Thus far, he has.
The Niners’ offensive line is just not good, nevertheless it’s not horrible, both. And there needs to be optimism that this season, it would even be “OK.” Ben Bartch, who’s making $1.2 million this season, needs to be the beginning left guard in September and will characterize an improve from Aaron Banks. Austen Plesants and transformed guard Spencer Burford have appeared the half at sort out (as a lot as one can) in offseason drills — they’re affordable replacements for departed swing sort out Jaylon Moore. Even when the high-end expertise isn’t there, the 49ers’ offensive line has some depth this season.
And extra importantly, it’s cost-effective.
That issues so much when you’ve gotten a quarterback on a giant, fats contract.
Certain, the Niners can spend on offensive linemen — cash isn’t that tight — however they’d favor to place the cash in different places. They’re not able to spend no matter wherever.
And when Banks — who was the weak hyperlink of the five-man beginning entrance final season — lands a four-year, $77 million contract from the Packers, and Moore indicators a two-year, $30 million contract after solely enjoying 19 p.c of the Niners’ 4,336 offensive snaps the final 4 seasons, it’s simple that the offensive line market is damaged.
Throwing cash on the subject is just not the answer to a staff’s o-line issues. It can most likely simply create extra issues.
And drafting offensive linemen early isn’t more likely to be the answer, both. The faculty sport barely resembles the skilled sport on the offensive line nowadays, which means that even first-round picks may want a redshirt yr as a rookie to catch up. There’s additionally a place pedigree that’s creating, like with quarterbacks. Offensive linemen are being taken earlier and sooner than their collegiate play suggests. In order for you one of many few guys who can plug-and-play, you’d higher get after them early. (Therefore, the Niners taking Dom Puni final yr two rounds earlier than his consensus draft grade — no matter that’s value.)
However doesn’t it say one thing that different groups need the blokes the 49ers appear content material with letting go away?
And it’s not as if the Niners wouldn’t take an offensive line prospect they deem worthy of that draft slot.
It’s all to say that they consider that with Forester on the helm, they’ll get by with out the intense investments different groups are making.
They’re not unsuitable.
Being an offensive lineman is a thankless job. It’s additionally a gig the place good and dangerous appear apparent, however all the things else is tough to discern.
It’s additionally a place that’s simply — or appropriately, I’d argue — quantified.
Buffalo’s offensive line will get immense credit score for not permitting sacks final season. Was that them or quarterback Josh Allen?
Was the Chiefs’ offensive line really good, as Professional Soccer Focus implies, or did their three good offensive linemen (the admittedly wonderful guard-center-guard combo of Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey, and Trey Smith) cowl up the grades of the worst sort out duo within the league (which was attacked all season)?
That applies to the 49ers, too. Heart Jake Brendel had a foul season, not less than by my eyes, in 2024. Tuesday, Foerster advised reporters that he was the best-graded heart the Niners have had since Shanahan arrived in 2017.
All this to say that judging offensive line play is critically subjective at finest and borderline irresponsible with out figuring out the precise play name on the sphere.
And nowadays, with the regular deterioration of play on the place — a byproduct of unfold offenses, dangerous teaching, and an absence of our bodies on the decrease ranges of the sport — it doesn’t take a lot to be ok.
I’m guessing that, well being allowing, the 49ers’ strain price will go down in 2025.
Nonetheless, Purdy was among the best quarterbacks within the NFL per Anticipated Factors Added, regardless of being pressured greater than 35 p.c of the time final season. He was certainly one of two quarterbacks amongst the top-15 most-pressured signal-callers to have a constructive EPA. He doubled the opposite, Sam Darnold, with 67 EPA to 26. (Will Levis was minus-94.4, which nearly appears unattainable.)
And Purdy did all that with the twenty sixth highest price of play-action passes and the twenty ninth ranked common separation for focused receivers. Issues weren’t made straightforward for him.
A bit bit higher than ok on the offensive line might spur Purdy to have a monster, maybe MVP-caliber season.
I can see not solely that for the 49ers this upcoming season, but additionally how this offensive line shakes out within the years to come back.
Opposite to the parents who name into my KNBR exhibits and touch upon my podcast, Forester helped flip proper sort out Colton McKivitz right into a strong participant in latest seasons. I’d go so far as to say he was fairly good final yr — arguably the Niners’ finest offensive lineman.
And seeing as McKivitz was higher than Moore, who, once more, is now a $15 million-a-year lineman, the Niners might need to wave goodbye to him after this season.
Cue the understudies, Burford and Pleasants, who’re each in contract years however will assuredly be cheaper to re-sign.
Puni wants large cash in a few years? That’s why Foerster introduced in seventh-round decide Connor Colby and undrafted free agent Drew Moss (he appears to favor the latter at this extraordinarily early juncture) this offseason.
Brendel’s grade begins slipping? Drake Nugent is ready within the wings.
The one factor that the Niners don’t have is a real substitute for Trent Williams.
However the idea of changing one of many biggest tackles of all time is laughable. That’s a bridge you cross solely when it’s a must to, as a result of there’s no manner you’re going to reach that quest.
In any other case, the Foerster Machine is working exactly as supposed.
Which is to say that the Niners can be simply fantastic — no higher, no worse — on the offensive line.
And that, nowadays, will do.
