A daily compilation of 49ers news from around the net. Sunday, April 7th, 2019 edition.
With the meat of free agency in the rear-view and the draft a mere two and a half weeks away, it seems like a good time to review the question marks that remain on the 49ers roster. Chris Biderman of the Sacramento Bee put together a great list which covered positions that the team might be looking to address in the upcoming weeks. I’d suggest giving it a read, as he makes some cogent points.
The glaring holes on the roster remain wide receiver and free safety. Despite the resigning of Jimmie Ward and the signing of Jordan Matthews, the team can obviously look to upgrade at both positions. The 49ers are likely very excited about the return of a healthy Trent Taylor, and the growth of Dante Pettis entering his second season after a quietly impressive freshman campaign. However, doubts surround Adrian Colbert, who had something of a sophomore slump after a capable showing as a rookie.
Offensive tackle is a position group that will need to be addressed at some point, as Joe Staley is getting up there in age. His contract only goes through the end of the upcoming season, and there’s no telling at this point if he’ll decide to return after that. Whether the team addresses a plan for the future this year or next, it couldn’t hurt to find a guy this year who can function as a swing tackle or compete at guard, and go from there. OT doesn’t appear to be a particular strength in this draft, so it wouldn’t be terribly surprising to see the 49ers put this problem on ice for another year. Unfortunately, the team has several enormous contracts, plus DeForest Buckner’s impending mega-deal, meaning that a 2020 free agency splurge is probably out of the question.
Cornerback is kind of a mess at this point, with no clear cut option to pair with Richard Sherman. Ahkello Witherspoon has had an up-and-down career arc thus far, newly-signed Jason Verrett has faced significant troubles in staying healthy (as well as not fitting the prototypical build for the defense), and Tarvarius Moore likely remains a project. I’m not exactly proficient at scouting corners, but it seems that the 49ers would be well served by adding a rookie to compete. Between sophomore slump, project, and made-of-glass, I find myself uncomfortable with the positional group moving forward.
Finally, edge rusher. This position doesn’t really feel like much of a need, considering the recent trade for Dee Ford. The group is already significantly better than what we had last year, but it doesn’t seem as though the team is ready to stand pat here. Nick Bosa or Josh Allen seem to be the favorites to be added during the draft, but I’ve been keeping tabs on Ziggy Ansah. Although the free agent feeding frenzy has been over for some time, Ansah notably remains unsigned. The conjecture that I find most reasonable is that his surgically-repaired shoulder isn’t up to form yet, and he’s waiting until he’s confident in his ability to perform to find a team. The reality is that he might not be ready to work out for teams until after the draft, so pinning hopes on him to fill this role, unfortunately, doesn’t seem to be a logical decision.
Not included in Biderman’s list were offensive guard and strongside linebacker. These positions both seem to be the unheralded “everyman” spots on the team – although that might be a function of having merely solid-if-unspectacular talent at the roles. Offensive guard has serviceable starting options in Laken Tomlinson and Mike Person, but Joshua Garnett’s availability is seemingly always questionable, and there’s really nothing behind him. While the plan for SAM backer might not be a question for the 49ers, I’m entirely puzzled as to what the plan is. Is Dee Ford slated to play SAM? If not, does the team intend to roll with a collection of Mark Nzeocha, Dekoda Watson, and Pita Taumoepenu? Either way, both positions can definitely use some competition.
Roster questions remain after free agency | Biderman, Sac Bee
Kentavius Street aims to be ready by training camp | Panacy, 49ers Webzone
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