In 2006, the Pittsburgh Steelers released linebacker/edge rusher Joey Porter rather than pay him a large roster bonus. For years, Porter had been the star of the defense, a four-time Pro Bowler and a first-team All-Pro. At the time, I thought they were crazy. Why would they do something so obviously foolish?
They had James Harrison on the roster. And Harrison would go on to have 20 more sacks in his career than Porter did.
After the 2005 season, Seattle allowed two-time All-Pro guard Steve Hutchinson to leave in free agency. He played one of the—supposedly—easiest positions to replace. Running back Shaun Alexander was a beast. He was a first-team All-Pro, had won the rushing title the year before, and had scored 27 touchdowns (still the second most of all time). The team was outstanding. They had just been to the Super Bowl. A guard can't make that much difference, right?
They replaced Hutchinson with Floyd Womack, and Alexander never reached 1,000 yards again.
The difference between the two situations is that Pittsburgh had a replacement in place, who they knew would be a star. Seattle was replacing a superstar with a serviceable backup.
The 49ers are in a similar situation now with offensive tackle Trent Williams. Yes, he is old and nearing the end of his career, and yes, he has a large cap number. But Williams has been willing to renegotiate his contract in the past and sounds willing to do the same this time. There is reason to hope.
But many in the media believe the 49ers may move on.
That would be very, very foolish.
First, the Niners do not have a good offensive line. It is their unit of least investment. Williams is the one good member of that group. And there is no backup on the team who is even remotely capable of replacing him at even a relatively high level. (It would not be fair to expect anyone other than a star free agent to come close to matching Trent's performance, and that sort of person would cost the same or more anyway.)
If the Niners want to contend now—and everyone from head coach Kyle Shanahan to owner Jed York says they do—they cannot jettison cornerstone players.
The Niners need to upgrade the offensive line, not take a step or two back. This draft has good tackles. However, there is no one of Trent's caliber this year. What it does have are tackles who might be an improvement over right tackle Colton McKivitz or a decent replacement for Trent in a year or two when he retires.
There are also a few pundits who suggest a rookie could play left guard for a season or two and then slide to the left to take over for Williams. One intriguing player is Alabama's Kadyn Proctor. Proctor is what some call a "polarizing" prospect. By that, they mean he is a high-ceiling, low-floor player.
I am an Alabama grad, so I see a lot of their games, and Proctor has been starting ever since he was a freshman. But there is something to be said about their judgment. I have seen poor performance in some games, while he has been the best tackle in college football in others. He is huge—6'7", and a trim 352 pounds at the Combine—but unbelievably athletic. How many people of that size can be spread out in trips to catch a pass in the flat?
This play is both awe-inspiring and comical.
But putting him at guard for a year or two intrigues me. One, it is San Francisco's biggest position of need on the offensive line. Second, I do not see a low floor for Proctor at all at that position. Even if he is not ready to take over for Williams—and any tackle drafted might be in that category—the 49ers might well have a dominant guard.
Seattle found out how big a difference-maker a guard can be. If general manager John Lynch is wise, he will remember how frightening offensive lines with dominant guards always are. And if Kadyn Proctor is available at pick number 27, Lynch should give him serious consideration.