Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The San Francisco 49ers' weakest unit, their offensive line, got a little worse today. G Alex Boone will be signing with the Minnesota Vikings once free agency kicks off at 1 PM (PT) today, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.
NFL Network's Ian Rapport reports that Boone was the Vikings guard of choice after former Baltimore Raven Kelechi Osemele. Osemele will sign a lucrative deal with the Oakland Raiders.
Boone is one of four remaining 49ers unrestricted free agents. The others are WR Anquan Boldin, RB Reggie Bush, and K Phil Dawson.
Seeking a new contract, Boone held out of the 49ers' 2014 training camp. He was recently rated by
Pro Football Focus as the fifth best guard available in free agency. Boone was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Ohio State in 2009. He has been selected to two Pro Bowls (2013, 2015).
Alex Smith is set to make his first start since suffering a gruesome and life-threatening leg injury on November 18, 2018. The story of the Washington quarterback, who started his career with the San Francisco 49ers, has been an inspiration. Many fans across the NFL landscape will be pulling for Smith on Sunday when the Washington Football Team faces the Detroit Lions at Ford Field.
One of those fans is 49ers left tackle Trent Williams, who played with Smith in 2018. He joined KNBR on Thursday night and was asked about his former teammate.
"It's a Cinderella story, for lack of a better word," Williams told Mark Willard. "I was actually one of those guys who seen Alex in the hospital after he had been through, I think it was 12 surgeries in 13 days or 11 surgeries
