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49ers comprehensive training camp preview: Interior O-Line

Editor’s note: In preparation for the start of 49ers training camp later this month, we’ll go through each position and break down our projected depth chart and project each player’s chances at making the team. The first practice is scheduled for July 26.

The interior of the offensive line might have been the 49ers’ most pressing weakness heading into the offseason. Center Daniel Kilgore, one of the longest-tenured players and a favorite in the locker room, was too often overpowered in pass protection. Left guard Laken Tomlinson was inserted into the starting lineup Week 2 after being acquired in a trade with the Lions during final cuts. He got off to a predictably slow start.

Brandon Fusco played admirably at right guard, even while dealing with a late-season biceps injury. But he left in free agency to sign with the Falcons, forcing Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch to make an adjustment. Pro Football Focus ranked San Francisco’s line as the 20th best in the NFL last season.

The 49ers wound up allowing 43 sacks, tied for the seventh most in the NFL. It was an alarming number given the team had two reliable pass protecting tackles in Joe Staley and Trent Brown. The interior clearly needed to improve at protecting the quarterback. The 49ers believe they took steps in that direction this offseason with some notable additions.

Let’s break down how the interior of the offensive line is shaping up with training camp just around the corner, starting with an expensive free agent addition snapping the ball to Jimmy Garoppolo.

Weston Richburg, C

The 49ers’ decision to add Richburg was surprising. The team gave Kilgore a three-year contract extension in the winter, indicating he would be sticking around for the foreseeable future. But once the team landed Richburg, one of the best pass-protecting centers in the league, Kilgore was traded to the Dolphins to make room.

(Weston Richburg #70 – Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

“When you have a center in our offense that can play at the level that Weston can, it gives a huge advantage,” Shanahan said in March. “I’ve been around some real good ones in my career. He’s put it all on tape and he looks right there with all those guys and that’s why I value him a ton off the tape.”

The 49ers gave Richburg a five-year, $47.5 million contract, making him the third richest center in the league. It became clear Shanahan emphasizes the need for top-tier centers and tackles, more so than guards, to effectively run his offense. Richburg in four seasons allowed just four sacks on 2,112 pass blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. He was a second-round pick out of Colorado State and has the requisite mobility Shanahan covets.

The addition of Richburg was similar to the Falcons adding Pro-Bowl snapper Alex Mack when Shanahan was the offensive coordinator in 2016. Atlanta went on to have one of the most efficient offenses in history and played in the Super Bowl. Mack signed a five-year, $45 million pact.

The only question surrounding Richburg was his health. He appeared in four games in 2017 after suffering an early-season concussion. He said he was cleared to play later in the year but there was a disconnect with Ben McAdoo and his coaching staff (which has since been replaced), leading to Richburg remaining sidelined.

Projection: starting center

Chances Richburg makes the roster: 99 percent

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