49ers offseason: 5 roster moves San Francisco should make in 2018
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: Sign Offensive Guard Andrew Norwell
While tackle depth is a concern for the 49ers, interior offensive line play should be more of a concern.
Center Daniel Kilgore and right guard Brandon Fusco are hitting the free-agent market, which opens up at least two voids along the line. And we have no clue what the future holds for two-year pro Joshua Garnett after coming off a season-long knee injury.
Notre Dame offensive guard Quenton Nelson is a player to watch, but I wouldn’t be shocked if the O-line-needy Indianapolis Colts make a play for him at No. 3 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft.
If San Francisco feels as if Nelson won’t fall, general manager John Lynch needs to be proactive.
With cap space not a concern, a player like Carolina Panthers guard Andrew Norwell makes plenty of sense. His 88.8 overall Pro Football Focus grade ranked third among all qualifying guards last year, which helped propel him to a first-team All-Pro selection.
And with Carolina inking fellow guard Trai Turner to an extension earlier last year, it might be a bit more difficult to re-sign Norwell.
Norwell excelled under former Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula’s complex run game, which isn’t overly different from that head coach Kyle Shanahan operates. Making Norwell a prime free-agent target immediately alleviates guard needs and would bulk up a 49ers O-line for the foreseeable future.