Fusco Proved Worth, Could Re-Sign With 49ers

Brandon Fusco didn't come out of some college football powerhouse program. When the Vikings drafted him in the sixth round of the 2011 draft, they plucked him out of Slippery Rock.But the 6-foot-4, 302-pound guard has made a fine living in the NFL, playing seven seasons – the first six with Minnesota – and has started 80 of 83 games. Sixteen of those starts came in 2017 in his first season with the 49ers.Now Fusco can be a free agent, and the analytic website Pro Football Focus suggests the 49ers would be wise to re-sign him. Though the team must also decide whether to keep more high-profile players such as running back Carlos Hyde and safety Eric Reid, David Neumann of Pro Football Focus says Fusco's play was solid in 2017 and he adds value to the 49ers offense. He was the team's highest-graded guard last season."Like many members of the 49ers offense, Fusco was better over the second half of the season, particularly in pass protection where he allowed just eight quarterback pressures over his final eight games after allowing 21 through his first eight," Neumann wrote. "Admittedly, it's unlikely San Francisco views Fusco as a long-term solution – he's still a...