Upgrades for Garoppolo top to-do list
Shanahan, Lynch could use draft to give QB more options
As Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch lead the 49ers brigade into this week’s NFL scouting combine, their to-do list stretches far beyond Friday’s coin flip with the Raiders for the draft’s ninth or 10th overall pick.
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, as the NFL’s highest-paid player, deserves an upgraded supporting cast, and that now takes precedence.
Here are the most pressing issues facing the 49ers:
RUNNING BACK ROULETTE >> The 49ers need to solve their running back dilemma. Do they re-sign Carlos Hyde or let him test free agency March 14, where they might be OK with getting outbid? Do they put
out feelers for other free agents, ahead of the allowed tampering period commencing March 12?
What they will do for sure is meet top running back prospects this week in Indianapolis, and there are no shortage to interview. Headlining the 32man class is Penn State’s Saquon Barkley, followed by USC’s Ronald Jones, LSU’s Derrius Guice and Georgia’s Sony Michel and Nick Chubb.
Running backs, along with offensive linemen and specialists, open the combine workouts Friday.
Former 49ers running back Michael Robinson, in a column for NFL.com, listed Barkley, Jones and Hyde as the top available rushers behind Le’Veon Bell, assuming the Pittsburgh Steelers don’t franchise-tag him again. Although Robinson dubbed Hyde “the perfect runner” for Kyle Shanahan’s offense, it should be noted Hyde’s pass protection and receiving reliability got him benched a couple of times last season. REUBEN FOSTER FALLOUT >> Shanahan and Lynch will make headlines whatever they say Thursday in Indy, where they will make their first comments since Reuben Foster’s Feb. 11 arrest
(on suspicion of domestic violence, making threats and possession of an assault weapon). But what will the 49ers’ power brokers actually say to clarify the situation? One suggestion: avoid using the “due process” term that brings up bad memories how the past regime dealt with a crime wave.
Foster’s fate is in the hands of Santa Clara County prosecutors as they debate whether to formally charge him, and his NFL status is being gauged by league investigators rather than the 49ers, per the league’s personal-conduct policy.
Foster’s injury-plagued rookie season, coupled with potential discipline for his recent arrests, should prompt the 49ers to make contingency plans at his position. Unearthing a mid-round linebacker would allow them to use higher picks on more blatant holes at cornerback, pass rusher and offensive line.
CORNERBACK ENCORE >> After spending so much on Garoppolo, would it really be “aggressively prudent” — John Lynch’s free agency motto — to also set a new salary bar at cornerback? Perhaps if that means Trumaine Johnson is their ideal guy.
Otherwise, the 49ers might think they can cultivate a cornerback from the draft, as they did last
year with Ahkello Witherspoon, a third-round pick who blossomed into a rookie starter. If the 49ers grab a cheaper veteran in free agency to complement a young unit, they can develop a middle-round cornerback rather than thrust him into action.
With 43 cornerbacks at the combine, the 49ers are going to have to do plenty of speed dating, and hopefully with input from secondary coach Jeff Hafley. Top prospects for a top-10 pick are Alabama’s Minkah Fitzpatrick and Ohio State’s Denzel Ward, but there are so many others to evaluate over the next two months to see which fit the 49ers’ desired mold of a tall, fast playmaker.
OH, THE LINE >> The 49ers’ offensive line, often a target for justified criticism, played exceptionally for Garoppolo. But changes are afoot, both now and in the coming years.
After ignoring the offensive line in last year’s draft, the 49ers must groom a couple of linemen this year. Using their top pick on an offensive tackle shouldn’t be a surprise, and that’s not because of Joe Staley’s aging knees, but rather Trent Brown’s unsettled standing based on his shoulder injury and commitment level.
At guard, 2016 firstround pick Joshua Garnett returns from his 2017 medical redshirt (knee). But he, Laken Tomlinson and other
incumbents surely will get tougher competition than last year for starting spots.
The combine’s most heralded linemen: tackles Mike McGlinchey (Notre Dame), Connor Williams (Texas), Orlando Brown (Oklahoma), and Martinas Rankin (Mississippi State); guards Quenten Nelson (Notre Dame), Billy Price (Ohio State) and Isaiah Wynn (Georgia). MORE RECEIVING TARGETS >> A year after overhauling their receiving corps, the 49ers might want to add more options through the draft to complement incumbent starters Pierre Garçon, Marquise Goodwin and Trent Taylor. Alabama’s Calvin Ridley might be the cream of the wide receiver crop but he’s just 6-foot like most 49ers options. A bigger-body receiver would be ideal, and perhaps the 49ers sit down with Oklahoma’s 6-5 tight end Mark Andrews.
ONE MORE THING >> The 49ers, like all other teams, need better pass rushers. But after exhausting their top pick in the past three drafts on defensive linemen, it would be hard to sell the fan base on another first-rounder there. So, yes, this combine should lead the 49ers to scour deep into the edge-rusher class and find a gem, or find out why a touted prospect might drop into the laps (see: LSU’s Arden Key).