The San Francisco 49ers knew they had a problem on the interior of their offensive line. The unit went up against a really good Carolina Panthers defensive line on Sunday. Quarterback Brian Hoyer was sacked four times. It will face another tough test this coming Sunday in Seattle.
Left guard Zane Beadles struggled against the Panthers as he did throughout training camp. Quarterback Brian Hoyer's game-changing fumble turned turnover was because of failed protection by Beadles.
On August 31, the 49ers acquired guard Laken Tomlinson via a trade with the Detroit Lions. Tomlinson, who has been working hard to learn the 49ers' playbook, might have a shot at starting in place of the ineffective Beadles on Sunday.
"The scheme is a lot to learn," Tomlinson recently told NBC Sports Bay Area, "but I can handle it. I'm going out there and trying my best to exhibit that on the practice field."
On Friday, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan discussed the addition of Tomlinson while speaking to the media.
"Laken is a guy that I know, athletically, is capable of doing some of the things that we're asking him to do," Shanahan said. "But that's just a starting point. You've got to get a lot of reps. You've got to get good at it. We definitely thought he, out of the options we had, he gave us the best chance to improve our team."
Shanahan also shares how his newest offensive lineman has progressed in practice this week.
"He's done better like you'd expect," Shanahan said. "Last week was his first week and he's attacked it very hard. He's a very smart person. I think he graduated from Duke as a doctor – however you say that the right way – which I know I couldn't do. So he's definitely a smart person. He can understand it all intellectually. That's just where it starts.
"You've got to get through the reps and you've got to go over and over and over it again. A lot more reps this week than last week so he's definitely further along this week than last week but I hope each day he's here, he continues to get better."