The San Francisco 49ers have some questions on the offensive line, and NFL Network's Rand Getlin is reporting the team has some interest in guard J.R. Sweezy. Getlin tweeted that the 49ers and at least eight other teams have expressed interest in the Seattle Seahawks free agent.
If Sweezy's name is ringing some bells, it is because he was the man responsible for Ian Williams suffering a broken ankle back in 2013. Sweezy hit Williams with a cut block, which cost the nose tackle the rest of the season. Rule changes have been implemented, and there is a chance the cut block will be outlawed entirely in the spring owners' meetings.
I spoke with Danny Kelly over at Field Gulls, and he had this to say:
He's tough, reliable, and plays a very physical brand of football. Much better in the run game than in the passing game -- he's good at finding and targeting people on the second level in the run game but too often gets worked in pass protection. Has been a starter for three years but there's not much evidence that he's improved greatly during those three years, which is concerning because he actually made the switch from the defensive line to the offensive line out of college. You'd think he'd gradually show improvement as he learns the offensive side of the ball but it seems like there's a bit of a plateau there. That said, he's been healthy mostly the past three years (reliable), is still young, is very athletic, and plays nasty. I'm sure teams will like this, and I'm guessing that's why he's getting a lot of interest. Fits in the zone-blocking scheme because of his athleticism.
Sweezy is 26, turning 27 in April, so he's a young guy who could slot in fairly quickly. However, if the reports are true, there will be plenty of competition for Sweezy's services from a lot of teams with sizable cap space. Of course, I'd also bet good money Getlin's source is one of Sweezy's agents. I imagine there is some truth to the list of teams interested, but we'll see how the market moves with Sweezy.