5 mid-tier free agents 49ers must pursue (and can afford)
By Peter Panacy
![San Francisco 49ers cornerback Emmanuel Moseley (L) vs Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (R) San Francisco 49ers cornerback Emmanuel Moseley (L) vs Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (R)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2151,h_1209,x_0,y_768/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/42/01hqbr948esxteb5s4f2.jpg)
No. 4: Offensive tackle Trent Brown (Patriots)
If not cornerback, the 49ers' No. 1 problem last year was the offensive line, specifically the right side of it.
The Niners need an upgrade over incumbent starting right tackle Colton McKivitz, and while the 2024 NFL Draft has plenty of good-quality options for teams needing O-line help, head coach Kyle Shanahan has typically opted for experience over promising youth.
Shanahan traded off right tackle Trent Brown to the New England Patriots in 2018 in favor of a rookie, Mike McGlinchey, and Brown went on to have a modestly successful career with both the Pats and Las Vegas Raiders that included a Pro Bowl nod from 2019.
Turning 31 years old this offseason, Brown has struggled with injuries and isn't quite the lineman that he used to be back four or five years ago.
However, as a cheapish stopgap option to fill the void, he'd be a solid target.