After watching the San Francisco 49ers offensive line on Thursday night against the Houston Texans, it's pretty clear that the unit's interior could be a problem this season. On the edges, the team plans to have Trent Williams and Mike McGlinchey. Inside, though, it's a pretty inexperienced group competing for those spots.
That inexperience has shown, and some have worried about the 49ers' ability to adequately protect second-year quarterback Trey Lance.
According to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle, the 49ers have inquired about adding an offensive lineman via a trade. That shouldn't come as a surprise considering what we've seen and heard so far.
"The 49ers have recently made trade inquiries to add an interior offensive lineman, but a deal doesn't appear imminent, according to league sources," wrote Branch.
Lance was under duress during his three series against the Texans. While he was only sacked once, the quarterback constantly had to avoid pressure.
The loss of guard Laken Tomlinson, who signed with the New York Jets, and the retirement of center Alex Mack have diminished the strength in the middle. With Williams and McGlinchey sitting out Thursday night's contest, things started and stayed ugly.
"It's been sporadic each week, so hopefully, we'll get Trent back," head coach Kyle Shanahan said in his post-game comments. "Hopefully, we'll get McGlinchey back. We've been mixing these young guys in there. It's been good for them to get a lot of reps. You always want more, but we've got 17 days here until Week 1, so hopefully, we'll get some guys back. And if you don't, you've got to keep working on that continuity throughout the year."
Right now, it looks like rookie guard Spencer Burford, second-year guard Aaron Banks, and Jake Brendel could be penciled in at the top of the depth chart. However, Shanahan admitted that the team has not decided on the interior O-line's Week 1 starters yet.
Shanahan confirmed that Jimmie Ward was headed to injured reserve, something general manager John Lynch said was likely before Thursday's kickoff. That move will be made after Tuesday's roster cut-down, allowing the safety to return after sitting out a minimum of four games.
Branch reports that Ward is dealing with Grade 3 hamstring strain, the most severe grade. The injury can take up to 8-12 weeks to heal, depending on the location.
Ward will be eligible to return for the 49ers' Week 5 matchup against the Carolina Panthers, at the earliest.