4 free agents the SF 49ers should call right now

No. 4: Offensive Lineman Justin Britt

If the SF 49ers defensive line was the No. 1 factor in the team’s success last season, their offensive line was a close second. The 49ers won last season by dominating in the trenches.

This season, the 49ers offensive line has been less than stellar, and that’s putting it nicely.

San Francisco 49ers

Backup center Ben Garland is still starting for the team and is not playing well. The Niners should look to add depth to the offensive line, both to spell Garland until starter Weston Richburg’s return from a knee injury suffered last year, and to backup wherever is needed along the line.

Former Seattle Seahawk Justin Britt may be the perfect fit for San Francisco in this role.

Most recently, Britt was the starting center for the Seahawks. But in his time in Seattle, he played nearly every position along the line. His experience playing center is particularly useful to the Niners right now, but his versatility and experience along the entire O-line would be useful to in the long term, too.

So much of the success of Kyle Shanahan’s offense, and all NFL offenses, is tied to the success of the O-line, and the 49ers always seem to suffer injuries at the position. So, adding an experienced, versatile lineman like Britt seems like a great move.

Add in the bonus of taking a divisional rival’s former player, and there is no reason not to call Britt.

The SF 49ers have had a disappointing start to the 2020 season. However, with a competitive conference and seven playoff spots, it is not yet time to throw in the towel. If the 49ers make the right free-agent additions, combined with getting healthier, they may still have a shot to compete this year.

If they want to do this, four free agents they must call are receiver Taylor Gabriel, safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, edge rusher Clay Matthews, and offensive lineman Justin Britt.