49ers Target Raiders’ Eluemunor for O-Line Boost

49ers Target Raiders’ Eluemunor for O-Line Boost

The San Francisco 49ers aren’t expected to have a big free agency offseason, which makes sense considering they were the best team in the NFL entering the 2023 regular season and have well-paid stars in almost every game. at a key position in addition to quarterback, with Brock Purdy still under a rookie contract.

The 49ers have some big decisions to make in NFL free agency, but they should also be able to fill some holes on the cheap. One hole is offensive line depth, and one maneuver could be Raiders versatile tackle Jermaine Eluemunor.

This is a recommendation from Bleacher Report, which previewed NFL free agency, outlining possible moves that teams should make in the coming months. For the 49ers, that meant Eluemunor, the Ravens’ fifth-round pick in 2017, returned to the Patriots before signing three straight one-year deals with the Raiders.The 49ers lacked depth on the offensive line this season, and getting Eluemunor on the cheap could be a smart investment.

Jermaine Eluemunori could be had cheaply. . … Jermaine Eluemunor, meanwhile, has been a quality starter for the Raiders the past two seasons.”He also has experience as a point guard from his first season in Las Vegas and early career stints in Baltimore and New England.

That, along with the fact that the 29-year-old is only making $3 million this year, makes him .a good fit in San Francisco. He should be a cost-effective solution to one of its biggest problems.”Eluemunor is off to a rollercoaster ride that started out awful but got better over time.

In Weeks 3 and 4, when the Raiders faced the Steelers and Chargers. , Eluemunor was accused of five sacks and Pro Football Focus grades were under 50.0 in both weeks. But he rebounded from there and didn’t allow a sack in 13 weeks until allowing one in Week 18. He finished the year with six sacks and a respectable PFF grade of 68.549ers may change OL in NFL free agencyIt’s not hard to imagine the 49ers revamping their offensive line in NFL free agency.

Backup John Feliciano is a free agent after the season and the 49ers could use some help at their inside linebacker, with left tackle Aaron Banks and right tackle Spencer Burford were weak spotsBoth Banks and Burford are still on their rookie contracts.

Neither has been great — Banks has a PFF grade of 54.9, which is 54th among 81 guards, while Burford has a 50.4, which is 66th..But overall, the 49ers’ offensive line performed well. At 82.6, it’s the best run-blocking line in the NFL, according to PFF, but at 54.0, it’s just 26th in passing. That could improve if Banks and Burford return next year with more experience.

But depth is necessary. And Eluemunor could offer it.Sean Deveney is a veteran sports reporter covering the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2019 and has more than two decades of NBA experience, including 17 years as Sporting News’ NBA editor. Deveney is the author of 7 non-fiction books including “Fun City,andquot; andquot;Before Wrigley became Wrigley,andquot; and andquot;Michael Jordan’s face.andquot; Learn more about Sean Deveney.