It's understandable why few fans heeded the San Francisco 49ers' free-agent pickup of former Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Brett Toth earlier this offseason. After all, when the Niners inked future Hall of Fame wide receiver Mike Evans, a signing like Toth wouldn't exactly move the headlines.
Despite a mere one-year deal, Toth could ultimately play a pivotable role for head coach Kyle Shanahan's offensive line.
Although it's not yet clear what kind of role that could be.
Training camp and the preseason will ultimately go a long way toward determining Toth's impact in 2026. But, if there are any questions whether or not he'll survive cuts and make the 53-man roster, they should all but be eliminated.
He'll be there in one capacity or another.
Brett Toth should have no issue making 49ers' 53-man roster
San Francisco signed the 29-year-old Toth to a one-year deal worth up to $2.5 million, according to Spotrac, and $2.215 million of that is guaranteed. The 49ers aren't going to hand the lineman that much in guarantees to simply go away ahead of Week 1, essentially securing Toth a spot on the regular-season roster.
But there's more to Toth's excellent roster chances than just the money. Philly used him in reserve situations on both the outside of its offensive line, as well as the three interior spots, making the former Army standout a versatile chesspiece.
In some regard, think of how the Niners used to value another former offensive lineman with a similar skill set, Daniel Brunskill.
Having someone who can back up (and even start) at multiple spots holds weight.
Where will 49ers deploy Brett Toth?
While Toth's roster chances seem all but guaranteed, his role on the depth chart is anything but.
San Francisco has an open competition for its starting left guard job, and it'd be reasonable to see Toth get a shot alongside Robert Jones, Connor Colby and the rookie, Carver Willis, among others. It's also plausible the 49ers look at Toth as a swing tackle, although veteran Vederian Lowe and rookie Enrique Cruz Jr. will be fighting for that duty, too.
One plausible outcome, as Niners Nation's Kyle Posey pointed out, is Toth winds up serving as center Jake Brendel's primary backup. The 49ers don't have a true No. 2 center on the depth chart, so if Toth can be Brendel's insurance policy in case of injury, it'd be another indicator of the former's versatility.
The good news is Toth's versatility is there. And while he might not exactly be an above-average starting-caliber lineman, particularly at tackle, he's serviceable enough to play extended snaps along the interior and can double as a tackle in a pinch.
Tack on some hefty guarantees, and there's no way Toth fails to make the roster.
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