49ers depth chart: Kyle Shanahan must make these 3 tweaks now
By Tee Epps
The 49ers will look to build off their Week 4 win over the Rams, and while it was an amazing team win, head coach Kyle Shanahan must make these three tweaks as quickly as possible.
The San Francisco 49ers should be feeling good after getting back to the .500 mark after knocking off the Los Angeles Rams in Week 4 in decisive fashion.
That said, there are some notable roster deficiencies that head coach Kyle Shanahan is dealing with right now.
The loss of All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams for multiple weeks to an ankle sprain is a huge blow to an otherwise inexperienced offensive line. Surprisingly, though, this unit was extremely impressive against the defending Super Bowl champions and their star defensive lineman, Aaron Donald. While San Francisco’s defense was able to generate seven sacks on the night, the offensive line gave up zero.
This is a pretty remarkable accomplishment, especially when considering how short-handed and inexperienced the group is. However, in light of reserve offensive lineman Colton McKivitz, who was slated to start in place of Trent Williams, going down during the game with a significant leg injury that’ll keep him sidelined for several weeks, Shanahan is going to be forced to make more tweaks.
Here are three to the roster and depth chart the head coach will need to usher in going forward.
Kyle Shanahan must tweak 49ers offensive line with tight ends
After McKivitz’s injury, second-year lineman Jaylon Moore entered the fray and performed well enough but still struggled in both pass protection and run blocking.
Despite this, the Niners didn’t miss a beat en route to a zero-sacks-allowed performance. However, in order for San Francisco to maintain competitive positioning in the NFC, Shanahan must continue to tweak schemes for the O-line that’ll help quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo keep his uniform clean.
This might involve adding tight ends as extra blockers, including Charlie Woerner and All-Pro George Kittle. And while blocking will cut into Kittle’s stats, having his prowess in protection is almost necessary until players like Williams and McKivitz return.
Once that happens on a consistent basis, the offense will truly begin to flourish.