Predicting the San Francisco 49ers Starting Lineup in 2017
By Peter Panacy
Offensive Line
It might be a good thing the 49ers didn’t trade off veteran left tackle Joe Staley prior to the NFL trade deadline.
Staley might not be the same player he was in years prior, but he’s still the best offensive lineman the Niners have. And protecting a quarterback’s blind side will remain crucial in San Francisco’s development of its next signal-caller (assuming this is the direction the Niners go in 2017).
Left guard Zane Beadles has been a disappointment ever since signing a three-year, $9.75 million contract last offseason. He should be benched for Andrew Tiller, who will be an exclusive-rights free agent in 2017.
The ERFA tag means only the Niners can negotiate with Tiller this offseason. And there’s no reason not to re-sign him at this point.
Center Daniel Kilgore isn’t going anywhere. Neither is right guard Joshua Garnett or right tackle Trent Brown.
So look for a swap from Beadles to Tiller being the only change up front.