The San Francisco 49ers have made numerous changes to their offensive line this offseason, but one role will be filled in a similar fashion to last year. Head coach Chip Kelly met with the media Friday morning, and Matt Maiocco asked him who would be the team’s swing tackle on Monday. Kelly said right now it is looking like right guard Anthony Davis would move outside if the team lost Joe Staley or Trent Brown to an injury.
Last year, left guard Alex Boone was also the swing tackle. There had been some thought that Erik Pears would handle the role when he signed, but Anthony Davis’s retirement required an adjustment to the plans.
Boone departed in free agency this past offseason, and that opened the door for a swing tackle competition. Davis and Brown competed for the right tackle role, while Pears worked exclusively at left tackle. The 49ers eventually released Pears, and Davis moved inside to right guard. Boone was a great option at left tackle, and while he did not need to move outside all that much, it was a nice insurance policy to have.
If something happens and Davis needs to move to one of the tackle roles, Andrew Tiller and Joshua Garnett are the two other guards on the roster. Tiller played right guard throughout the offseason and training camp, while Garnett started on the right side, but then moved to the left side. My guess is Tiller would be first off the bench, but hopefully the issue does not arise during the season.