The 49ers had several departures this past offseason. There are a few that could prove costly. Today, we look at which former Niner will have the most success in their new home.
The roster turnover on the 49ers doesn’t seem as high as one might think, as the majority of starters from the NFC Championship game return in 2023. But the quality of players lost will prove difficult to replace.
We are going to find out quickly how much right tackle Mike McGlinchey meant to this roster. McGlinchey wasn’t without his faults, and they were glaring at times, but he was consistent. Denver gave big Mike an $87.5 million contract, which tells you all you need to know about the Broncos expectations for him.
Losing Charles Omenihu, Samson Ebukam, and Azeez Al-Shaair will prove to be a bigger challenge. Kyle Shanahan’s scheme has squeezed every ounce of talent out of mid-tier starters at every position. Unfortunately, it’s not as easy to do the same on the other side of the ball.
From Kerry Hyder to Arden Key, we’ve seen San Francisco combat the losses of edge rushers who moved on for bigger paydays and roles on new teams. One would assume Omenihu has the best chance to succeed, since he’ll presumably be playing with the lead most of the time as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs.
And we can’t forget the former longest-tenured Niner, Jimmie Ward. He was the attitude of the defense and will return to a position he so desperately wanted to play last season, safety. Ward will continue to shine in DeMeco Ryans’ defense, but his lack of turnovers may hurt his chances for box score success.
That leads me to my answer. I’m rolling with Azeez. Obviously, this is contingent on his health. The Titan’s new linebacker gets to play behind a stud defensive tackle in Jeffery Simmons. He’s also playing for a brilliant coach in Mike Vrabel. Add in a division full of young quarterbacks prone to making mistakes, and it’s easy to see why Al-Shaair could stuff the stat sheet in 2023.
Plus, Azeez is wearing No. 2 in Tennessee. That automatically gives him an aesthetic boost. We saw the caliber of player Al-Shaair could be in 2021 when Dre Greenlaw was sidelined nearly all season. I’m betting on another season full of tackles for loss in the AFC South.
Emmanuel Moseley could be a sneaky good selection if you believe he’ll regain his physical form one year after ACL surgery. Tarvarius Moore may get a chance to shine in Green Bay, but health has been a concern for him seemingly every year.
Back to offense, where’s Daniel Brunskill, and, of course, Jimmy Garoppolo. You have plenty of options and there are no wrong answers. Let us know in the comments who you believe will have the most success on their new team.
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