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Quarterback and three extra points looming for 49ers as they begin OTAs – ESPN – San Francisco 49ers Weblog

Nick WagonerESPN staff writerMay 17, 2023 6:00 am ET6 minutes reading

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SANTA CLARA, Calif. — After another turbulent offseason filled with the usual staples like quarterback woes and injury updates, the San Francisco 49ers finally return to the field Monday for the NFL’s May bid, the one closest to actual training.

And while the answers to many of their remaining questions won’t be available for months, the Niners can start gathering more information before training camp begins in late July.

With that in mind, here’s a look at some of the most pressing issues facing the 49ers in opening organized team activities.

Who is in the middle?

No serious list of the 49ers’ problems can begin without discussing the quarterback. They believe that in Brock Purdy they have their quarterback for the short and long term, but they won’t have him for OTAs as he continues to recover from ulnar collateral ligament surgery in his right (throwing) elbow. Purdy appears to be on the right track and is expected to begin a throwing program in early June that will give the Niners a better idea of ​​the timeline for their return.

The Niners now have three signalers – Trey Lance, Sam Darnold and Brandon Allen – under contract. Coach Kyle Shanahan has said that Lance and Darnold will get first-team substitutes in the offseason program. That’s not necessarily indicative of a pecking order, but the 49ers want to create as much competition as possible between this duo rather than just reinstate Lance as a starter while Purdy recovers.

“We’re coming to training camp,” Shanahan said. “Hopefully we’ll get Brock back soon… You never know how much we’ll end up doing in the OTA sessions, but it’s been good to have two guys out there throwing.”

This offseason is crucial for Trey Lance, especially with suspected starting quarterback Brock Purdy out for OTAs Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire

This is a particularly important off-season for Lance, who has been fully healed of the fractured right ankle he sustained in Week 2 last season and is even further away from the broken bone in his right index finger that slowed his development as a rookie . Despite ongoing trade speculation, general manager John Lynch has stated that he believes Lance will be a 49er in 2023. If that’s the case, it’s up to Lance to determine what his role will be while Darnold adjusts to a new offense.

“Trey knows exactly what the situation is,” Lynch said. “His mindset is all about competition and I think that’s exactly what his mindset should be. We’re thrilled with the position he’s put himself in with the work he’s put in this offseason to No. 1 get healthy, No. 2 get better over some things he was dying to improve on … We are thrilled with Trey’s ability to apply for a job.”

When does Nick Bosa get his big payday?

As usual, Bosa has spent his off-season in Florida training with his brother Joey. That’s nothing to worry about as this has been Bosa’s MO for years. However, Bosa is the next candidate for a market-defining contract extension for a defender.

The Niners and Bosa have said throughout that they will be patient when it comes to closing a deal. Recent precedent would indicate that there is not much to worry about. In recent years, the Niners worked their way through their offseason business before turning their attention to big-money renewal. And all of that — tight end George Kittle, linebacker Fred Warner, and receiver Deebo Samuel — were completed either right before training camp or shortly after it opened.

A deal for Bosa is expected to materialize in the same window as the others, if not a little sooner.

“I’ve said many times that this is a priority for this offseason,” Lynch said. “History shows that we have a really good track record of doing and making this happen. I look forward to working on it when the time comes.”

Will there be more squad changes?

Earlier this offseason, the 49ers implemented simple contract reshuffles at cornerbacks Charvarius Ward and Warner to provide the necessary salary cap headroom for entry into free agency. Then, just before the NFL draft, they made another game with running back Christian McCaffrey, opening up $8.576 million in additional space. The move prompted some to question whether they were preparing to move for another veteran in an emergency situation.

According to Lynch, the primary reason for the move was to make room for the team’s rookie class signing, but he also kept an option open to look around.

“It just gives us some space,” Lynch said. “We will see. We will never stop looking for players who can help and it’s just that a lot of spots are filled and where they aren’t we will fill them up when needed.”

The Niners have a full 90-man roster going into the OTAs but will likely create even more space as they lengthen Bosa, meaning they have some flexibility in adding experienced offensive line help, want to look at Edge Rusher or elsewhere. Even when nothing is imminent, OTAs offer Shanahan and Lynch an opportunity to assess what they have and act accordingly when they feel more is needed.

What will the offensive line look like?

The 49ers are returning four of their five starting offensive players from last season but must replace powerful right tackle Mike McGlinchey, who signed a five-year, $87.5 million deal with the Denver Broncos in March. After refusing to invest free-agent money or significant draft resources in the position, they made it clear they believe McGlinchey’s replacement in the form of swing tackle Colton McKivitz is already on the roster.

McKivitz has only started five games since the Niners drafted him in the fifth round in 2020, but they believed in him enough to sign him on a two-year, $4.56 million extension this offseason.

“You can win with Colton,” Shanahan said. “He’s been here a while. When he played, we won games with him… I understand not everyone else knows that much about them because they haven’t seen them, but I mean that’s what we wanted to do.” I’m hoping to create a draft in hoping to find depth and find some competition, but to go into that draft thinking you’re going to find someone starting over from someone like Colton or as good as Colton can and was would be very unusual . “

The Niners’ hope is that McKivitz can follow the path of center Jake Brendel, a relatively unknown player who took the starting center job in 2022 despite much outside consternation and played well enough to earn a four-year, $16.5million contract in March to receive US dollars.

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