The San Francisco 49ers have officially announced that the team has agreed to terms with former New York Giants offensive lineman Weston Richburg on a five-year deal.
On Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that Richburg, who has experience playing both center and guard, intended to sign with the 49ers at the start of free agency, which kicked off at 1 p.m. PT.
"We see Weston as one of the top young interior offensive linemen in the NFL," said 49ers general manager John Lynch via a statement issued by the team. "His athleticism, intelligence and attitude are a perfect fit for our scheme."
The 49ers signed center Daniel Kilgore to a three-year extension worth $11.78 million on February 14. Former NFL guard Geoff Schwartz, who was with the Giants when the team used a second-round draft pick to select Richburg in 2014, insists the 26-year-old offensive lineman will play center with the 49ers.
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"He's going to play center," said Schwartz via the Sacramento Bee. "I've been asked that a bunch today. I know what (Kyle) Shanahan said last week about Daniel Kilgore. That was last week. I don't expect them to sign Weston to the money that they did and then not put him at his best position, which is center."
Richburg has started 50 of his 51 game appearances with New York over the last four seasons. Due to injuries along the Giants' offensive line, he played guard during his rookie season but moved to center in 2015. That year, Richburg was graded as the second-best center in the NFL by Pro Football Focus.
Richburg's 2017 season was cut short by a concussion, which landed the offensive lineman on injured reserve after just four games. In the three seasons before 2017, he started at least 15 games in each.
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"I don't think he's quite Alex Mack, who is the best center (Shanahan) had in this system whether it was Atlanta or Cleveland," Schwartz continued. "But I do think Weston can reach block, can get out in space. He did that in college. He just was never asked to do that in New York. That wasn't really their offense. It was a lot of inside zone and one-back power. It's not what Shanahan's going to do. I do think that he is able to fit well in that system."
Schwartz isn't the only one to praise Richburg. Eagles defensive tackle Tim Jernigan considers Richburg to be among the best centers in the NFL.
"I think he's a great player," Jernigan told NJ Advance Media last season. "I think he's one of the better centers that I've faced, I played him in the preseason in the past, but never in the regular season before this week. This year, I think he'll be one of the better centers in the NFL that we face. He's a physical guy. He's definitely chippy, and he definitely finishes plays."
