Former San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks star cornerback Richard Sherman didn’t mince words about the 49ers’ offensive line concerns during an episode of “The Richard Sherman Podcast” on Sunday.
“[The 49ers] biggest enemy is health, and can they be healthy? And they’re battling that bug already, and we’re only in training camp,” Sherman said.
After speaking about the moves San Francisco made to improve the offense’s skill positions this offseason, Sherman added, “The thing they didn’t do, that I was concerned about, is that interior offensive line. They didn’t strengthen it… We’re a week away from the season, and they’re trading for interior offensive linemen because it’s an obvious place of concern.
“We knew that two years ago. And that’s the part where, I don’t really get it. You’re about to go against the most dynamic defensive lines in the league in LA and Seattle. Two of the most incredible D-lines in the league, and you’re just gonna say, ‘Hey, we’ll figure it out as we go!’ Against Aaron Donald, against Leonard Williams, against Byron Murphy, Jarran Reed. That’s what you’re gonna go with? That’s the plan?” Sherman added.
He also mentioned that cornerback depth is a question mark for San Francisco. And because the Rams and the Seahawks don’t have those questions at key positions, the 49ers can’t be put in the same Super Bowl favorite tier as those two teams right now.
It’s no secret that the 49ers’ offensive line leaves some to be desired. And given that the Los Angeles Rams now have two of the best defensive linemen in the sport’s history, this flaw could be exposed when the 49ers and Rams face each other in Australia on September 10.
