SANTA CLARA — It’s widely accepted that the 49ers will have one of the NFL’s most stacked rosters when they make their final cut to 53 players before the regular-season begins.
Most of the concern is about a new quarterback in Trey Lance, but it’s fair to wonder about the men who will be blocking for Lance as well as what appears to be a deep group of rushers.
There’s Trent Willams, and then there’s everybody else.
Williams, 34, is in his prime, a first-team All-Pro selection for the first time at left tackle. When NFL.com releases the rest of its Top 100 list, Williams will be somewhere in the top 20 — maybe even the top 10.
But when Williams looks to his right, he’s got three new starters at left guard, center and right guard. It’s not a sure thing that Mike McGlinchey, the right tackle who had quadriceps surgery last year and is currently on the mend from a sore knee, will assume his starting role for Week 1.
For a team that stresses a heavy dose of rushing as well as breaking in a new quarterback, it doesn’t sound ideal. Williams has watched closely during OTAs, the mandatory minicamp and training camp and likes what he sees.
Left guard Aaron Banks, a second-round pick a year ago out of Notre Dame, replaces veteran Laken Tomlinson, who signed with the New York Jets in free agency. Center Alex Mack retired after starting all 17 games, with Jake Brendel the likely starter. As much as the 49ers would have liked to have Mack give it another year, the switch to Brendel has appeared seamless.
Brendel, in his fifth year out of UCLA, backed up Mack last season and worked extensively with Lance during practice with the second team. He also played under line coach Chris Foerster with Miami.
At right guard there’s Spencer Burford, a fourth-round rookie from Texas-San Antonio who has been working with the first team since camp began. If McGlinchey can’t go, Colton McKivitz, a who stepped in capably for Williams when he missed the Week 17 game due to injury last year, will step in.
“It doesn’t feel like we’re in some kind of rebuilding phase,” Williams said Tuesday as the 49ers concluded preparations for their preseason finale. “We’ve got a second-rounder we’ve plugged in in Aaron Banks and we’ve got Spence who was a fourth-rounder but has first- or second-round talent. We got a steal in the fourth round. It’s not like we’re putting journeymen in there.”
While the starters appear entrenched, there has been an interesting wrinkle in the development of Jason Poe, a 6-foot-1, 300-pound guard from Mercer who has seen extensive time in both preseason games at guard. Poe even got some work during practice with the first team on both sides Tuesday. Shanahan downplayed the seeming ascension, attributing it to Foerster’s wishes.
A Division II All-America selection, Poe has impressed with how he’s stepped up his game against the 49ers dominating defensive front.
“He’s playing a lot better than anyone can imagine being where he came from and the type of football he played last year to be blocking Javon Kinlaw,” Williams said. “I’m pretty sure he didn’t see too many guys that looked like 99 (Kinlaw) or 91 (Arik Armstead.)”
Relatively undersized for his position, Poe looks like a sawed-off version of the 6-foot-5, 320-pound Williams.
“With his low center of gravity, and his natural leverage, he’s as strong as an ox and quick as a cat,” Williams said.
The 49ers have been hit and miss offensively since camp began. Lance has had his share of interceptions and the 49ers’ defensive front seven of linemen and linebackers have forced a lot of mistakes.
None of that concerns Williams for a couple of reasons: The defense essentially knows what’s coming and there has been no offensive planning for a specific opponent. It’s also true the 49ers’ defensive personnel looks strong on all three levels and the system is basically rigged for the defense to look good.
“Our 20, 30 plays are scripted and it’s not just for our eyes. It’s universal,” Williams said. “Fred Warner can pick up the offensive script and know what’s coming. I’m not saying he does — I’m not putting that out there. But it’s difficult. It’s been this way every year since I’ve been here. That defensive is incredible. They play extremely hard. They have only one speed, so it’s a great learning curve, a great measuring stick.”
Source: www.mercurynews.com