A recent move raises doubt that the 49ers will make changes up front this year.
The San Francisco 49ers made a minor move with their offensive line, re-signing veteran Ben Bartch to a one-year deal on Monday.
Bartch, a fourth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, joined the 49ers back in 2023 and remained with the team as a backup this past season, making two starts at left guard due to injury.
His signing comes ahead of starting left guard Aaron Banks hitting free agency next month, where he’s expected to command a multi-year contract that could be out of San Francisco’s desired price range.
While Bartch has primarily been used as a backup, he did impress in his two starts this season, showing promise to potentially being a future starter for the 49ers.
San Francisco has gone the internal route with years in the system before, tabbing Colton McKivitz as the successor to Mike McGlinchey, while also having Jake Brendel take over as the starting center after one season as a backup with the 49ers.
Although it may not be a major move, the re-signing of Bartch begs into question: will the 49ers look to improve their offensive line this offseason?
As free agency nears, it feels more and more that the 49ers will cautious in their spending along the offensive line. Left tackle, right guard, and potentially even right tackle seem set with Trent Williams, Dominick Puni, and Colton McKivitz.
At left guard, while the 49ers are losing Aaron Banks, they have a couple of internal options that could end up competing for the starting left guard spot, such as Bartch and former sixth-round pick Nick Zakelj.
That may be a more cost-effective solution along the offensive line, rather than overpaying for a player in free agency, while allowing the team to focus their resources elsewhere.
But, that doesn’t mean the 49ers won’t touch the offensive line this offseason. They could look for an upgrade over Jake Brendel, who has been inconsistent over the past two full seasons.
However, San Francisco has been hesitant to turn to rookie centers throughout the Kyle Shanahan era, given the nuances of the position in the offense, so a veteran solution may be needed to make a change.
Now, just because there are cheap placeholders in case at a number of positions doesn’t mean that the 49ers will shy away from drafting offensive linemen this offseason. But, it creates more leeway in the case additional development is necessary for a rookie.
If the 49ers go for a right tackle in the early rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft, it provides the opportunity to kick Colton McKivitz back inside to guard, opening up their options. But, McKivitz is capable of manning the right side for another season as well, so there isn’t an immediate emergency to address the position.
While returning most of the unit wouldn’t be the most ideal, it wasn’t a terrible unit in 2024 and is a possibility heading into the offseason after the signing of Ben Bartch on Monday.