San Francisco 49ers: Best in-House Options to Replace RT Anthony Davis
Noteworthy San Francisco 49ers' retirements have been a major story this offseason. Right tackle Anthony Davis is the latest Niner to hang up his cleats.
Davis announced his retirement on June 5, as reported via the team's website. The 25-year-old veteran leaves after being selected by the 49ers in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft.
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With Davis gone, San Francisco now has a glaring hole on the right side of its offensive line. But who are the best fits? How will the 49ers' coaching staff fill this void?
There are, fortunately, a number of in-house options that may fit the bill, per Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News:
San Francisco might have already anticipated a need for a viable backup for Davis, according to a recent report by Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio. After all, Davis missed all but seven games last year as various injuries took their toll. Those forced the 49ers to insert swing tackle Jonathan Martin into Davis' stead with less-than stellar results.
Martin has since been released.
Still, it's a worrisome concern especially paired with some of the other offseason losses.
Former 49ers defensive back and current NFL Network analyst Eric Davis noted, per Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee:
"You lose Davis on that offensive line, you lose a lot of the attitude. He and Alex Boone, that’s really the attitude of that offensive line. He’s a major part of their run game. You take away Frank Gore, you take away Mike Iupati, you take away (Davis)—they’re not going to be the same.
I don’t care what they’re trying to say, how they’re trying to feel about it and how you try to sugarcoat it, that offensive line is not going to be the same and that offensive running game is not going to be the same.
"
The offense won't be the same. But the 49ers need to figure out a solution.
And soon.
Rookie Offensive Tackle Trenton Brown
General manager Trent Baalke utilized a seventh-round pick in the 2015 NFL draft to select former Florida offensive tackle Trenton Brown.
Round 7 picks rarely emerge as starters during their rookie seasons, but Brown's sheer size (6'9", 376 lbs) and his durability—he appeared in 23 games over two years with the Gators—makes him an intriguing candidate to take over the starting job.
San Francisco's coaching staff has appeared to show some interest in this possibility.
Brown spent much of the 49ers' OTA period working with the first-team unit, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
“Being with the first team, I definitely feel like I got to look like I’m part of the first team,” Brown said (via Maiocco). “I feel like I have to match what they’re doing and their tempo. That’s been a positive thing for me.”
Brown's potential has also been a positive thing for head coach Jim Tomsula, who remarked on the rookie's progress, per Tyler Emerick of 49ers.com:
"Trent Brown has got tremendous ability. There’s a lot of development that needs to take place, but absolutely. I really like that guy, and I like the way he’s working. I’m not looking at you now telling you Trent Brown is going to start at right tackle.
But I’m also not telling you he won’t. He’s just got a lot of work to do, but his potential and his development is really exciting.
"
First-team reps are a good indication on whether or not a player like Brown will be named the starter in Week 1 of the regular season. But there is little doubt that the rookie still has a lot of learning to do in order to claim that role.
And the remaining competition will still be vying for the open spot.
Offensive Tackle Erik Pears
Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Erik Pears' free-agent signing was probably intended to serve as an upgrade over backup swing tackle Jonathan Martin.
Pears, who started all 32 games for the Bills in 2013 and 2014, has experience at both the tackle and guard positions, which gives San Francisco some added flexibility along its O-line. But does Davis' retirement open the door for Pears to remain in a starting role?
Perhaps the numbers suggest whether or not the 49ers intend on using Pears as a first-team starter at the position.
According to Jeff Deeney of Pro Football Focus, Pears graded out with a minus-25.0 rating in 2014 and was ranked 76th out of 78 linemen in this category:
Those numbers aren't exactly inspiring if the team is considering this specific change.
David Fucillo of Niners Nation describes why Pears might not be the best choice to start at right tackle:
"He's getting older [32 years old], and entering a new system. My guess is he is more likely to remain pretty similar to what he has been the last few years. A backup option that you don't really want starting on a regular basis. For a guy like Pears, it strikes me as fairly simple in that regard.
"
The change in scenery could be beneficial for Pears. Or the new scenario may not make much of a difference. It's hard to say at this point.
Training camp and the preseason will provide the venue for Pears to prove himself. He may have a decent chance to thwart a player like Brown on the depth chart, but he doesn't appear to be the best option to start.
It would be a short-term desperation move at best.
Right Guard Alex Boone
One reason that Brown received a lot of first-team reps during OTAs was because of players, such as Davis and right guard Alex Boone absent from camp.
But unlike last year, when Boone held out from OTAs, mandatory minicamp and the preseason, the five-year veteran has elected to show up ahead of time for this season's mandatory session, per Eric Branch of SFGate.com:
Perhaps the move is because Boone wants to avoid the holdout fiasco that clouded his efforts in 2014. It may also be a good-faith move that might secure a long-term extension with the team.
Boone will enter the final year of a four-year, $6.1 million modified deal (following his holdout), and it is safe to assume that he'll receive a hefty raise in 2016 and beyond as long as his playing level stays at or about where it has been over his five-year career.
So how does this factor into moving Boone from guard to tackle?
According to Branch, tackles frequently earn more than guards; he writes:
"In the NFL, tackles are more coveted than guards and are paid accordingly. For example, Boone’s average annual salary ($3.05 million) ranks 10th among right guards, but it would rank 19th among right tackles (not including Davis), according to OverTheCap.com.
If Boone proves he’s a top-level tackle in 2015, he would in line for a hefty free-agent contract next year, if he can’t leverage the siatution into a contract extension this year.
"
And the change wouldn't be anything unfamiliar to Boone either.
Boone has never started an NFL game at tackle. But he did perform particularly well in a reserve tackle role in 2013 against the St. Louis Rams while relieving an injured Joe Staley.
“It is like riding a bike,” Boone said (via Branch) on playing his collegiate position. “I did it for eight years. Coming back home, it feels good.”
Moving Boone to right tackle is also an easy option for the 49ers to entertain. San Francisco has amicable depth along its interior O-line positions. This means a positional move for Boone wouldn't take away too much from solidifying starters at center or guard.
While Davis' retirement creates a notable problem for the 49ers' coaching staff, a workable solution shouldn't be that hard to find.
The only question is which answer will provide the best results.
Brown has turned some heads in his first pro camp. That's a good sign of things to come. But this doesn't imply that Brown will immediately be a worthy solution at right tackle when the 49ers take on legitimate defenses.
And Pears' lowly Pro Football Focus grades also don't reveal a likable option for the right side of the line.
Perhaps the 49ers' best option would be to slate Boone into the role formerly held by the guy on his right. He has shown the ability to hold down this role before—albeit in limited snaps at the NFL level—and would already be familiar with San Francisco's offensive scheme despite recent coaching changes.
Boone should get the nod at right tackle, with guys like Pears and Brown serving as backups. This scenario wouldn't sacrifice any experience on the outside, and it would provide the best solution to what has become a serious problem.
All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated.
Peter Panacy is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, covering the San Francisco 49ers.
Follow him @PeterPanacy on Twitter
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