One of the 49ers’ most obvious problems going into the 2024 season is their offensive line. Even if there are many unanswered uncertainties regarding the future, San Francisco will soon be entering a Super Bowl window that must be utilised to the fullest, if not for the next season.
Strengthening an offensive front that has had difficulty maintaining consistency and quality on the right side is one way they may make the most of that opportunity. This offseason, ESPN’s Matt Bowen ranked each of the top 50 NFL free agents according to which team they would be the best fit for. The lone player mentioned with the 49ers was Dolphins guard Robert Hunt, who is ranked as ESPN’s No. 14 free agent. Despite this, Hunt is the most logical free agent pick available this season.
The 49ers had a right guard rotation for the second consecutive season in 2023. The position was meant to go to 2022 fourth-round pick Spencer Burford, but in the last two years, he hasn’t been able to establish a solid hold on one of the five starting OL places. That doesn’t seem promising for him going into his third season, which provides the 49ers with a few choices.
Maybe they were satisfied enough with the seasoned Jon Feliciano to sign him to a contract and start him at right guard. It seems similar to the band-aid solution that has put their dreams for a Super Bowl in jeopardy in recent years.
With years of successful experience under Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel—who coaches an offence like to that of the 49ers—Hunt would provide a more tried-and-true option. Additionally, he has played right guard much of his career, which should be important for San Francisco given how many non-interior OL have failed to transition to RG.
Although the 49ers won’t have a lot of money to work with in free agency, Hunt would address one of their offense’s most obvious shortcomings and shouldn’t break the bank.
