3 moves 49ers must make immediately following 2022 NFL Draft
By Peter Panacy
49ers move No. 2: Sign free-agent center J.C. Tretter
San Francisco knows the situation with veteran Pro Bowl center Alex Mack much better than most insiders and fans, but there’s still a strong chance the 36-year-old standout winds up retiring this offseason.
According to the latest reports from the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch, Mack remains undecided.
That’s not a good thing.
The 49ers do have immediate contingency plans, yes. They could move right guard Daniel Brunskill over to center if Mack retires, while UDFA Dohnovan West out of Arizona State was pegged as a possible in-draft replacement, too.
Read More: Niners won undrafted free agency by landing Dohnovan West
But Brunskill struggled at center in 2020, and Kyle Shanahan has long preferred veterans over young players at this position, too.
This is one reason why parting ways with Jimmy Garoppolo makes even more sense, as it would free up the necessary money to onboard 31-year-old veteran center J.C. Tretter, who spent the last five years with the Cleveland Browns and should be considered a worthy free-agent target.
Tretter has played in Shanahan-like offenses before and would make the transition away from Mack a much easier one.