San Francisco 49ers: 5 starting positions up for grabs in 2020
By Peter Panacy
No. 5: Right Guard
In 2018, San Francisco’s offensive line enjoyed almost a fully clean bill of health, which unfortunately didn’t carry over into last year. The 49ers missed substantial time from both their starting tackles, Joe Staley and Mike McGlinchey, while also losing center Weston Richburg to a season-ending knee injury.
This tested the Niners depth. And for the most part, that depth panned out well. Particularly backup offensive lineman Daniel Brunskill, who emerged as the de facto swing tackle midway through the year.
Brunskill served in both tackle spots, filled in for a briefly injured right guard, Mike Person, and even took some practice snaps at center. While Brunskill is an exclusive-rights free agent in 2020, the fact he can only negotiate with the team holding his rights, the 49ers, means he’s essentially a shoo-in to return to the squad in 2020.
And perhaps his role increases, too.
NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco suggested a possible change to the starting lineup this season, promoting the idea Brunskill could take over for Person:
"The wild card is Brunskill. Wherever the 49ers put him, he stepped in and did a fine job. He saw significant time at right tackle, left tackle and right guard while starting seven games. He started the final two games of the regular season at right guard when Person was out with a neck condition. Offensive line coach John Benton half-jokingly referred to Brunskill as the team MVP. Brunskill has put himself in position to compete for a starting job with Person. If he is not a starter, Brunskill could take on a role as the sixth man on the offensive line."
One should also point out Person has zero in guaranteed money for 2020, meaning the 49ers could look to be more cost-effective by letting the perennial journeyman, turned starter, go while saving $3 million in cap space.
Things tend to get weird when there’s nothing left in guaranteed cash in a contract. And while teams always want to have a versatile backup along the line, Brunskill could find himself taking over for Person this season, should Maiocco’s suggestion turn out to be true.