Ever since they dealt Trent Brown to the Patriots in 2018, the 49ers have been in need of a right tackle. Time to bring him back, please.
Despite missing a few games each season, 30-year-old free agency Brown is still a good player. It should be possible for the 49ers to sign him to a one-year contract as a stopgap measure while a younger offensive lineman develops on the bench.
Brown was not someone the 49ers should have traded for in the first place. After taking over for Kyle Shanahan, the 49ers sold Brown and a fourth-round pick to New England in return for a third-round pick that was later used on the unproductive safety Tarvarius Moore. Shanahan felt that Brown wasn’t a good match for the team’s zone-blocking style.
With a top-10 pick, the 49ers selected Mick McGlinchey, another flop, to replace Brown. A player the 49ers declined to extend their contract to because of his mental and physical weakness.
Just as Brown has consistently outperformed 49ers right tackle Colton McKivitz, he has also consistently outperformed McGlinchey. Unlike McGlinchey, McKivitz is tough both psychologically and physically, but he isn’t athletic enough to be a good offensive lineman.
