Late trade brings offensive line help
With Garnett injured, 49ers pick up guard from Lions
SANTA CLARA » Thursday brought an end to the 49ers’ encouraging exhibition season but not before they added one more piece to their still- evolving roster.
Laken Tomlinson, a potential starting guard, arrived via trade from the Detroit Lions before the 49ers beat the Los Angeles Chargers 23-13 as the franchise debates how much time Joshua Gar- nett will miss this season, if not all of it.
Garnett, a first-round draft pick last year, had knee surgery three weeks ago and could go on injured reserve, which would keep him out all season or at least from games until Week 8 as a shortterm designee.
“We’re going to figure that all out ( Friday),” general manager John Lynch said before the 49ers played their final exhibition. “We’ll have a summit with trainers, doctors and Josh himself.”
Lynch noted that Garnett’s surgery revealed no surprises. Thus, it’s unlikely the second-year Stanford product actually goes on season- ending injured reserve, the worst- case scenario.
Once Garnett got hurt a week into training camp, veteran Zane Beadles took over at left guard on the starting unit, where he mostly played last year. Brandon Fusco has been the starting right guard.
All projected starters except linebacker Eli Harold did not play in Thursday’s finale, and 29 total players were to sit.
Tomlinson (6- foot- 3, 312 pounds) was acquired for a 2019 fifth-round draft pick, NFL Media first reported. He was a 2015 firstround draft pick (No. 28 overall) by then-Lions general manager
Martin Mayhew, who’s now a senior personnel executive with the 49ers.
“He’s known more as a gap guy, but we saw the ability to get out and go,” Lynch said.
“It helped that Martin drafted him, so he knows what he’s capable of. Kyle scouted him out of Duke. Everyone had a pretty good feel, then we watched the film, and we liked what we saw.”
Plugging in a new left guard so close to the season opener would be nothing new for 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan.
In 2015, when Shanahan was the Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator, Los Gatos native Andy Levitre arrived in a Sept. 4 trade from the Tennessee Titans and has started every game since.
“We’ll work to get him as up to speed as fast as fast as possible,” Lynch said.
Tomlinson played mostly left guard with the Lions, with 14 starts as a rookie there and ultimately losing that job last season to Graham Glasgow. Tomlinson was a standout right guard in four seasons at Duke. He will make $1.2 million in base salary this season, $1.6 million next year, with a team option for 2019.
If Tomlinson unseats Beadles at left guard, the only returning starters from last season’s offense would be Staley, Brown, center Daniel Kilgore, running back Carlos Hyde and possibly slot receiver Jeremy Kerley, plus Garnett once healthy.
• Rookie C. J. Beathard scrambled for a 62-yard touchdown in the second quarter as he started at quarterback for the 49ers, further affirmation he’s won the No. 2 job over Matt Barkley.
Other offensive starters: running back Tim Hightower, wide receivers Kendrick Bourne and Victor Bolden, tight ends Blake Bell and Logan Paulsen, and offensive linemen (left to right) Garry Gilliam, Erik Magnuson, Tim Barnes, J.P. Flynn and John Theus.
• Bolden had a 92-yard punt return for a touchdown midway through the second quarter. The un- drafted rookie had a 104yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the 49ers other exhibition at home, against Denver.
• The 49ers need to move 53 players off their roster before 1 p.m. Saturday, with cuts coming as soon as Friday. A walk-through practice will be held Saturday with those retained.
• Cornerback Asa Jackson likely helped his roster bid with a first-series interception.
• About 10 teammates stood behind and/or had their hands on Eric Reid as he knelt for the national anthem. He plans to protest for a second season.
• Cornerback Will Davis made an end zone interception with 6:17 remaining and that play coming on third-and-goal.
• Nick Mullens, an undrafted rookie from Southern Mississippi, made his pro debut. He was 6 of 8 before a fourth- quarter pass got intercepted and returned for a touchdown.
• Safety Don Jones left in the third quarter with a knee injury.
• The 49ers went 2-2 for the fourth consecutive exhibition season.
• Game-time temperature was 90 degrees.