New player numbers heading into the home opener

The San Francisco 49ers had a significant change this offseason, letting go of several key starters, such as Mike McGlinchey and Jimmie Ward, who earned lucrative multi-year deals elsewhere. That left the 49ers with a void at the right tackle position, where the team didn't add any significant talent in free agency or the NFL Draft, meaning that Colton McKivitz is the odds-on favorite to be the starter at the position. Speaking to the media for the first time this offseason, offensive line coach Chris Foerster praised the swing tackle, pointing out his value in spot duty and that it's McKivitz's job to lose, which should help build his confidence in a crucial year. "Colton, he's done a great job for us through the years he's been here,"

NFL Media's Cynthia Frelund took on her annual offseason task of identifying the league's most underappreciated player for each team. The San Francisco 49ers certainly have their share of play-making superstars, from names like Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle on offense to Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, and Talanoa Hufanga on defense. So how do you determine a team's "underappreciated" contributor? "First, I calculate and then rank each player's season-long contribution metric by team (win share)," Frelund explains. "To sum it up without getting overly technical, the contribution metric (or win share) measures each

Sometimes who is teaching is as important as what is being taught Earlier this week, when the San Francisco 49ers opened up an OTAs session to the media, most of the eyes, in person and online, were on third-year quarterback Trey Lance's new delivery. Lance, of course, had been working with QB guru, Jeff Christensen, and thanks to some leaked footage of Lance throwing with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, along with a very well-timed piece by Matt Barrows in The Athletic, there was plenty of

The story of San Francisco's offseason is, has been, and will be the quarterback controversy between incumbent Brock Purdy and highly-drafted Trey Lance. Purdy, by merit of his ahead-of-schedule rehabilitation and the eight straight wins he was responsible for, is likely to enter the 2023 season as the starter. That makes Lance's role frustrating to decipher. To anyone not in the building, the dynamic playing out is clear as mud. There's no question that the standard in Santa Clara is winning. If Purdy offers the 49ers a realistic chance for a 12-13 win season and even odds should they make it back to the Super Bowl, Purdy's in. If Lance is capable of becoming a top-5 QB in this league and tilting that Super Bowl in the 49ers' favor, then he'll find a way to get out on the