49ers mailbag: How much rust will Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams have? How will the offensive line fare against Jets’ defense?

What an eventful last week for the San Francisco 49ers. First, WR Brandon Aiyuk ended his hold-in and signed a huge contract extension. Then, on Saturday, rookie WR Ricky Pearsall was shot in the chest when someone tried to rob him. Thankfully, Pearsall is ok.

Then on Tuesday, LT Trent Williams ended his holdout and showed up for practice after inking a new deal. RB Christian McCaffrey and WR Jauan Jennings also returned to practice after dealing with injuries. And just like that, the 49ers are ready for week one.

We opened the 49ers Webzone Mailbag earlier this week. We looked inside and found some questions just waiting to be answered. So let's jump in and take a look.

Do you see the 49ers & Trent Williams coming to an agreement by the end of the week? - Johnny Y.

Johnny asked this question before Williams signed his new deal with the 49ers, but yes, Williams is back. And the 49ers will need him. The bigger question may be how much he can play on Monday Night against the New York Jets. I can't say how much Williams will play, but I'd expect him to play a lot. I'd rather have Trent Williams, who might not be in football shape yet, over an in-shape and ready Jaylon Moore. The concern is injuries, especially the soft tissue type that often pop up when players have been holding out.

I expect Williams and Aiyuk to be on the field. The perfect scenario is that they can be productive, play a lot of snaps, and come away from the game healthy.

How much rust do you expect from Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams (and Christian McCaffrey) in week 1? - Dave B.

That will be something that the players and Kyle Shanahan have to figure out, but I don't think they will be too rusty. My biggest concerns are:

• Timing: How long will it take Williams to start gelling with the rest of the offensive line? And how long will Aiyuk need to get back in rhythm with QB Brock Purdy? Both should get up to speed soon.
• Injuries: The biggest concern for players returning from injury (or contract disputes) is injuries. If the returning players can get through Monday Night without any pulls, strains, etc., they should be fine.

How do you see our offensive line fairing against Robert Saleh and that Jets defense led by Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner? - Shawniieboy

I feel better about the offensive line and receiver group now that Williams and Aiyuk have returned. The 49ers' offense is timing-based, so as I mentioned before, how long will it take them to get that worked out? If there aren't many kinks and they can pick up where they left off last season, they will be fine.

The 49ers may catch a break because the Jets are currently dealing with a contract dispute of their own with pass rusher Haason Reddick. If Reddick isn't playing, that's an advantage for the 49ers. But the Jets still have a strong defensive front to go along with good linebackers and a talented secondary. So it will be tough to score on New York.

Tom Brady was a guest on The Herd with Colin Cowherd and was asked about the importance of having Williams on the field. Brady said, "I would be driving him to work every day if I was the quarterback. I'd be making sure Trent was with me every single place I went. There's no better protector in the NFL than Trent over the years. Obviously, San Francisco's run game is incredible, the way they scheme their run game up, but having Trent in there it's an entirely different offense because of his athleticism, his rare combination of size, of quickness, of power.

"When he gets out there on the field, he's a matchup advantage for the 49ers every time he takes a snap. So, when they have him out there, they all feel confident, a lot of those plays are going to go to the left side of the line of scrimmage right behind him. They know that when he's in pass protection he's going to hold up as well as anybody, it doesn't matter who he's going up against. He's a tremendous player."

Will Aiyuk be given more opportunities on the field now that he's been paid like a WR1? - Chris W.

Perhaps. Aiyuk will still end up being Purdy's favorite target. He is the best wide receiver on the team, and the best at getting open and creating separation. Will that lead to more opportunities? We'll see. They still have McCaffrey, who is option one. And Deebo Samuel and George Kittle are big targets, as well.

That being said, Aiyuk showed last season that he produces when they throw him the ball. If he gets more targets this season (and he should) it will be because of his production and ability, not because of his contract.

What letter grade would you give to the 49ers front office on how well the roster was constructed this offseason? And what was lousy and what went well in the process? - Ed H.

Let's start with the defense. The front office did a good job in building the secondary and linebacker group. It looks like they did a good job revamping the defensive line, as well, but we won't truly know until the season moves along. I'll give them a "B" for now, but that could be upgraded or downgraded based on how the defensive line performs.

On the offensive side of the ball, the 49ers upgraded the wide receiver and running back rooms. They also look like they'll be better at the tight-end position. But the biggest question mark will be the offensive line. It's much better with Williams than it would be without. But there are still some concerns. How will Jake Brendel hold up at center? How about Colton McKivitz at right tackle? Is Dominick Puni ready for the bright lights at right guard?

The offensive line could potentially be better this season. But depending on Williams' health and level of play, they could take a step back. And if the 49ers offensive line is worse this season than in seasons past, we could see the 49ers struggle to make a deep run in the playoffs this year. For now, I'll give the front office a "B" on offense.

What was "lousy" in the offseason? The lengthy contract disputes. What went well? I think this draft class is going to be very good.

How many games will it take to get Brandon Aiyuk in playing shape? - Lee M.

Every player is different. Missing the entire offseason program and training camp will affect one player differently than it might another. For example, it will likely take Aiyuk a few weeks. If it was Samuel who held out all this time, it might take him an entire season.

How long will it take Williams? He's an offensive lineman, so he doesn't have to run as much as a wide receiver. But he's also well over 300 lbs., and is 36 years old. So it may take him longer than it will take Aiyuk. Both will be fine, though. It's just a matter of moving them slowly along and hoping they stay healthy.

Any idea when Ricky Pearsall might be able to play football again? - Craig B.

On Tuesday, Lynch met with the media and said he is optimistic that Pearsall will be able to play this season, though he will be unavailable for the first four games. Lynch said the bullet didn't even strike a rib. So that's great news, but again, the most important part is that Pearsall is ok. Football is secondary at this point.


It will be interesting to see how this impacts the team. Will it be a distraction? Will it galvanize them and push them over the top? Or will it have no impact at all?

I know we couldn't keep everyone, but which of the player(s) that the Niners actually let go from the roster will end up with the most productive NFL career? - Andy G.

The one that jumps out as the most obvious is RB Cody Schrader. He led the SEC in rushing last season, and that's no small accomplishment. The SEC is the best conference in college football, especially on the defensive side. So leading that conference in rushing is impressive.

If WR Danny Gray can stay healthy and figure things out, he could become a difference-maker, because of his speed. But he's been a disappointment so far for the 49ers. So I don't expect him to have a productive NFL career. But he has the physical tools to do it.

That's all we have for this week's edition of the 49ers Webzone Mailbag. We'll be back next week with a new mailbag. It will be the first of the season that follows a game. Let's hope your questions are happy ones.

• Marc Adams
• Written by:
  Marc Adams
  Speaker. Writer. Covering the San Francisco 49ers. Host of the 49ers Camelot show.
  YouTube.com/@49ersCamelot
  Find the 49ers Camelot show wherever you listen to your podcasts!
  All articles by Marc Adams
  @49ersCamelot
  YouTube Channel