Originally posted by NCommand:
Originally posted by NinerGM:
Originally posted by NCommand:
Originally posted by NinerGM:
Originally posted by NCommand:
Originally posted by NinerGM:
Possible Moves:
49ers have something of a logjam in the offensive line coaching room, with Chris Foerster currently the assistant offensive line coach.
- John Benton: Offensive line coach —-> Offensive line coach, New York Jets
https://www.knbr.com/2021/01/15/offseason-shuffle-how-49ers-coaching-staff-front-office-may-look-in-2021/
Chris Foerster again? Oh man that would be terrible for the OL.
Yeah, he's been a consultant for couple/few years now. Kyle threw him a bone after the coke and hookers incident. I guess he's been sober and worked his way back so this doesn't surprise me.
When Foerster was here in a previous tenure, again he had some terrible PP numbers for his OL. Just please no. Since coming to the 49ers in 2008 during his first stint, his lines even at other stops have just been meh. Yes, run blocking has been incredible, but I think that's the problem; we have an OL coach who seems to know not much else. Interesting coincidence he officially joined the team this year as a co-OL assistant and McG precipitous decline with pass protection.
I remember 2008 and 2009. Foerster was convinced he could make a players out of Chilo Rachal and Adam Snyder. The Mike Nolan/Mike Singletary regimes. OL was so mediocre, 2010 we take 2 OL picks in the first round.
I know Foerster coached in Washington with the Shannys but even there his units were meh. His name isn't ever connected to great lines or teams, nothing pops out on the page when you look at the resume.
I hear this concern big time.
So here's what we knew coming into the season and still know today.
Trent Williams - 90+ Elite run and pass blocker who will command $19.3M or more APY and positioned himself for a bidding war.
Laken Tomlinson - 80+ run blocker but gave up the 2nd most QB pressures again. No challengers. Reduced penalties to only 2 this year. But he is what he is.
Center - Another lost year for the extra expensive Weston Richjured. Garland, Brunskill and Grasu are get-by-players you can use for 2 or 3 games. Nothing more. Brunskill is more ideal as a swing-T.
Colton McKivitz - Another get-by-player and best relegated to developing depth.
Mike McGlinchey - 90+ run blocker but gave up the most QB pressures (50-) again. No challengers. PRP injections in his knee and calculated weight loss down to 295 which wasn't monitored by the staff. Shon Coleman is a ghost only partially existing in the physical world. But MM is what he is...the most bipolar skill set OL in the game.
Benton & Foerster
Excellent at run schemes and preparing their young low-end talent OL for run blocking responsibilities and off-the-bench play. Prepared. Top talents like Mike McGlinchey never improved in pass protection and this year, actually declined. Top 5 run blocking production but #2 in QB hits/pressures in 2017, 2018 and 2020. 2019 we went to the Superbowl on the 2nd most rushing attempts but 2nd least passing attempts disguising this obvious trend.
So what's likely to change? Would giving Benton and Foerster more Kocurek-like talent in the draft be the answer? Neither Tomlinson nor McGlinchey have improved a lick from what they've always been (1st round picks). The most concerning aspect of McGlinchey's game isn't his weight, but poor foot and hand work and that's on the coaching staff.
Bring in a finished product like C Corey Linsley in free agency? Too expensive unless Trent Williams leaves but it's highly unlikely a top OL like this hits free agency (they rarely do) not named Trent Williams.
Dude, nail on the head here. Even with talent in Washington, that line wasn't ever really good at PP. Foerster has been coaching in the NFL for like 28 years and the lines he's been associated with, weather talented or not just have only been meh in PP. He's developed some gems in the running game at Washington and in SF, both tenures
This is why I'm done building OL talent into my off season plans. I've seen enough to know where they prioritize their talent capital. I'm not even confident Trent Williams will be back, honestly and I've been saying that since he was granted by this FO to become a free agent after this season.
Trent leaving would be death to any aspirations of a deep playoff run. Yes we have a picks where we could take a top tackle, but our picks would be better spent on filling existing holes (guard and C), not creating new ones. I think they will sign Williams. He is the priority free agent. Hopefully it goes better than what it did last year with Buckner. I think Buckner was the priority guy for an extension last year. I think our front office and coaching staff overall are pretty smart and should be smart enough to see what has not worked in the last four years. I absolutely would love better QB play, but it's more likely that we can upgrade the O-line play by adding better players than by selling the farm in hopes of adding a better QB.
I agree with your assessment that Tomlinson is who he is. What's worse is that as you stated, there is no one that can even challenge our starters. We were able to ship off Kwon Alexander because of Dre Greenlaw. We were able to trade Matt Breida because of the emergence of Raheem Mostert. We were able to cut Pettis because of the emergence of Brandon Aiyuk. There are no such situations developing with O-line. I already wanted to draft two O-lineman. All interior guys. Sign a veteran center if you can. Then let the best of the FA center, Ben Garland, our two IOL draft picks, Tomlison, and McKivitz compete for the starting LG-C-RG spots. Have Skule, Coleman, and Brunkskill compete for the backup tackles spots. We should come out of that with a better PP O-line than we had in 2020 and possibly an even better run blocking unit.
[ Edited by LifelongNiner on Jan 16, 2021 at 3:22 PM ]
Really nice assessment and I fully subscribe to this. I especially hope for your last sentence too! 