The San Francisco 49ers are 4-1 and currently lead the NFC West. But they have a tough matchup on Sunday when they travel to Tampa to face the 4-1 Buccaneers. This will be one of the 49ers' stiffest tests so far.
We opened the 49ers Webzone Mailbag and received some great questions. Thank you to those who submitted them. Let's jump in and take a look.
Now that Jake Tonges has proven to be a viable pass-catching option, do you think we'll see more two-TE sets when Kittle comes back? I think that would be pretty unstoppable with Juice, CMC, and/or B-Rob in the backfield. - Andy G.
It's possible. I'd certainly like to see it, especially with the current state of the wide receiver room. The thing I'm unsure of is how Kyle Shanahan will see this. Will he want more emphasis on passing, which would be George Kittle and Jake Tonges? Or will he be more focused on running the ball, which could mean more Kittle and Luke Farrell?
When Kittle returns, I do expect more two-tight-end sets. However, I'm not sure how much more and what they will look like.
Is Mac Jones the best NFL backup QB? If not, then who might be? - Ed H.
Yes, I believe Mac Jones is the top backup quarterback in the NFL. There are others that some may put ahead of Jones, like Carson Wentz, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Kirk Cousins. But when you combine the ability of the QB with the fit in his team's system, I'd still put Jones ahead of the others.
Brock's turf toe was a lot worse than initially reported. Do you see the 49ers placing Brock on IR? Or will the 49ers keep him on the active roster and play it by ear week-to-week? - Johnny Y.
No, Shanahan made it clear on Wednesday that it wasn't going to happen when he said, "That hasn't been a thought. He's progressing well."
Brock Purdy will stay on the active roster. He's currently considered week-to-week, since he's making progress, so there's no need to make any moves regarding him.
Our offensive line is the biggest weakness on our team. They can't even open a hole to allow our running backs to gain yards on the ground. When is John Lynch going to address it? The longer he waits, the tougher it gets on our quarterbacks. The injuries continue to pile up. It's still possible to go 6 and 11. - Mel H.
First, the 49ers have already won four games. For them to end the season 6-11 would take a catastrophic implosion. I don't see that happening. They have a solid chance of winning the division and getting into the postseason.
As for the offensive line, which I agree is the team's most glaring weakness, I doubt the 49ers will make any moves this season. If they do, it won't be a big move. The best we can hope for is to see some free agent additions next March, and more likely, a few draft picks.
Let's get the Trey Hendricks or Max Crosby trade discussion out of the way because the Niners are not going to make the trade. With that being said, which pass rusher do you think the front office should go for at the trade deadline? - Sasha R.
I agree. I'm still not sure the Bengals will trade away Trey Hendrickson. They just traded for QB Joe Flacco, which signals they're not giving up on the season. If Cincinnati is trying to hold things together until Joe Burrow returns, why would they trade away one of the league's best pass rushers?
Maybe they will, though, and if they're listening to offers, the 49ers are likely speaking to them. GM John Lynch addressed this on KNBR on Thursday. "I'm having a lot of conversations, a lot of good and productive ones," Lynch said. "If we find a way to make our football team better and it aligns, then we will not be shy on pulling the trigger."
But Shanahan also said earlier this week that they aren't going to mortgage the future. That makes me doubt they'll go get a big name like Hendrickson. As I've predicted before, I think they're more likely to trade for a depth piece rather than a starter. Think Arden Key.
Are the 49ers looking for a long-term contributor in any potential trade for a pass rusher, or simply a one-year rental to replace Nick Bosa? - Dave B.
If it's a starter, it will be a rental. They will have to give up too much draft capital for a player with multiple years remaining on their current deal. Everything the 49ers have said and done since March tells us they want to get younger and cheaper.
With Kalia Davis' injury, do you think we'll finally see Sebastian Valdez (aka the Hulk) or Evan Anderson, or both, on the active roster? - Andy G.
I would say both are possible elevations for Sunday's game, but I'm not sure they would elevate both. They can only elevate a player so many times before they have to decide whether to add them to the active roster or not. It's also possible that neither player is elevated, as there's a chance that Kalia Davis will play. Alfred Collins' availability is in question, though, so they could elevate one of them just in case they need help.
Of the two, I can see Evan Anderson being elevated before Sebastian Valdez, mainly because of experience. But maybe they like Valdez more, so we'll see.
I live in Sweden, not the US, so I don't know the tradition. But why are so many so happy to criticize Brock? Is it some sort of "the scouts can't have been wrong, if he was drafted 262 he can't be good"? Now they are trying to say Mac is better. If Brock makes one mistake, he is worthless. Please explain how the American media works. - Stefan A.
For some reason, if a quarterback isn't drafted high and doesn't have the big arm or elite athleticism, people tend to doubt the player. That's part of the issue for Purdy. He was drafted late, and he doesn't have the measurables that the media believes an NFL starting QB should have. So they talk negatively about him.
Not all of the media is like that. Most of the local media believe in Purdy. And not all of the national media criticize him. But Purdy does have to deal with that more than most do.
That's all we have for this week's edition of the 49ers Webzone Mailbag. Thank you for reading. We'll be back with a new one next week.