FanPost

Adam Snyder and Our Inoffensive Offensive Line

So, the signing of Adam Snyder is awful interesting. Although he isn't the greatest player in the world, I could definitely see him playing a solid utility role on the roster.

Last year we carried 7 O-Lineman on the active roster. I searched but could not find a rule saying that there is a limit to how many linemen a team can carry (although 7 on the game roster seems about right, maybe one more for the 53-man roster). Could someone please correct me if I am wrong on this?

So, these are the 7 that I see making the active game roster:

Staley, Iupati, Goodwin, Boone, Davis, Snyder, Looney

If they carry an eighth on the 53-man roster, I'd say it is going to be Kilgore.

I could also see Goodwin being cut as a money-saving move, although that is not the route that I would personally want them to go. If he can play, he is an above-average center, and continuity on the offensive line is not something that is that easy to replace.

My reasoning with regard to Snyder is that they gave him a decent contract (it seems anyway; two years instead of one), and that he can play most spots along the line. Instead of drafting a real swing tackle, like a lot of us wanted them to do, they were able to sign a swing offensive lineman, who they can plug-and-play just about anywhere. This is not to say that Byowski or one of the UDFA couldn't knock Snyder/Looney/Goodwin/Kilgore off the roster, but I just don't see it as that likely.

If Staley gets hurt, the Boone can move to LT and Snyder would slide in at his position at RG. Though Staley would definitely be missed, at least we know what we are getting with Snyder at RG. If Davis got hurt, then either Boone could move out to his spot or Snyder has played RT himself. I really like the flexibility. Sure, it would be nice if they had Joekel or Fisher as a backup on the OL instead, but Snyder is not the worst option that they could have picked up.

Anyway, I'd like to hear your opinion about this; I know that Snyder is not very popular around here, but what could you have seen them do differently? I'd also like to know the official rule about O-Linemen that I mentioned above...

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Niners Nation's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Niners Nation's writers or editors.