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departed the San Francisco 49ers during free agency to join the Minnesota Vikings.
Zane Beadles was acquired to replace him. Beadles, who has quickly formed a friendship with the man lining up next to him,
Joe Staley, has been playing on the left side of the offensive line during practices. Rookie guard
Joshua Garnett has practiced exclusively on the right side. For Garnett, that changed on Tuesday.
When Garnett arrived Tuesday morning, he was told by offensive line coach Pat Flaherty that he would be lining up for the first time on the left side. "I can go wherever the coaches need me to go and be that versatile guy,"
said Garnett via
CSN Bay Area. "I didn't ask for an explanation. Didn't need one. Wherever they put me, I'm going to go there with a smile on my face."
Garnett worked at left guard with the second-team unit during practice on Tuesday. "Garnett played at that spot last year at Stanford," reports Matt Barrows. "With Garnett on the left side, Ian Silberman played right guard (next to tackle Anthony Davis) with the second-team unit."
Beadles continued to practice at left guard with the first-team unit, but Matt Maiocco of
CSN Bay Area wonders if Garnett's move is an indication that the lineup could change. "Garnett's move could mean that Beadles' position is now in question with [Andrew Tiller] strengthening his hold on a starting spot," said Maiocco.
Based on 2015 statistics, Tiller is the team's second best offensive lineman behind only Staley and the NFL's 18th ranked guard, per
Pro Football Focus. By comparison, Beadles was the 64th ranked guard in the league. The team may be trying to find a way to get him more involved and continue to give Garnett a good chance to make the starting lineup.
"Or it could mean that the 49ers want to give Garnett work on both sides to keep their options open for where he is the best fit for the team's offensive live," continued Maiocco.
How has Beadles been doing in practice? Chris Biderman of Niners Wire believes that he may be a weak link along the 49ers' offensive line. "However, if there's been a weak point on the starting offensive line, it's been left guard Zane Beadles, who's regularly been victimized by Armstead and Buckner during the first week of camp," says Biderman.
"(Garnett) beat fellow first-round pick DeForest Buckner in a one-on-one pass-rush drill," reports Grant Cohn of the
Press Democrat. "Buckner tried to move Garnett with a swim move. Garnett didn't budge."
The 49ers may simply be trying to evaluate Garnett's abilities at multiple positions. However, if Beadles shows that he may be a liability, the team's starting lineup along the offensive line may shift.
Garnett, the 28th overall pick in this year's draft, was the 2015 John Outland Trophy Winner, an award given to the most outstanding interior lineman of the year. He was considered to be the best run blocker in this year's draft.
The 6-foot-4, 305 pound Beadles was drafted by the Denver Broncos out of Utah in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He was named to his first Pro Bowl in 2012. In 2014, Beadles signed a 5-year, $30 million contract with $13 million guaranteed with the intent to be a veteran presence on a rebuilding Jacksonville Jaguars offensive line.
The 29-year old Beadles has started all 16 games in each of his four seasons with the Broncos and two seasons with the Jaguars.
The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of wide receiver Trent Taylor to a one-year deal, reuniting with the team's former fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was the first to report that the 49ers were discussing a potential reunion with Taylor. The receiver was part of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's first draft class in 2017 and spent his first four NFL seasons with the team.
The #49ers are talking with free-agent slot receiver/return man
The San Francisco 49ers are hosting several draft prospects this week as the deadline for pre-draft visits draws near. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the team will host former Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley on Wednesday.
Corley is expected to be a Day 2 pick. San Francisco owns two selections on Day 2—the No. 63 overall pick in the second round and the No. 94 overall pick in the third round. Currently, the receiver is visiting with the Seattle Seahawks.
Western Kentucky @WKUFootball receiver Malachi Worley
Ian Rapoport didn't offer much of an update on the ongoing contract negotiations between the San Francisco 49ers and their standout wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk. However, the NFL insider emphasized one thing: The team is not entertaining trade discussions at this juncture.
Reacting to Aiyuk's decision to unfollow the 49ers on Instagram, Rapoport couldn't help but chuckle at the latest development. This practice has become commonplace among players who are unhappy with their contract situations. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel similarly took this action in 2022 before requesting to be traded just before the draft.
Things have yet to escalate that far with Aiyuk, but Rapoport sees his
With the 2024 NFL Draft less than a week away, it's common for the rumor mill to start churning, especially with players who are actively seeking a new contract. It was just two short years ago that WR Deebo Samuel requested a trade from the San Francisco 49ers prior to draft day, only for cooler heads to prevail and eventually agree to a new deal.
Now, it's WR Brandon Aiyuk's turn to try and get paid and rumors surfaced over the weekend that he too would request to be dealt. While that report was quickly shot down by his agent, there's still a lot of discussion about Aiyuk's future and if other teams will come calling on draft night.
Legendary columnist Mike Silver joined
