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I don’t know what exactly is happening with the San Francisco 49ers. I’ve never seen anything happen like what’s happened to their roster this offseason. As if they hadn’t already had their fill of retirements, starting tackle Anthony Davis has announced today that he too is retiring from the game. Davis’ absence from the 49ers’ offensive line is going to be a huge blow to the team. The retirement of Davis puts him in line with other notable 49ers who have retired: Chris Borland, Justin Smith, and All-Pro linebacker Patrick Willis.
Honestly the team was going to have a hard enough time overcoming those three vacancies already, particularly Willis’ as he was probably the best linebacker in the game.
But losing Davis like this, after the draft when the team might have done something about it, is a massive hit the team can’t do too much about now. The team went defense-heavy early in the draft, fortifying their defense with Arik Armstead, Jaquiski Tartt, and Eli Harold. You have to think that had Davis walked away a couple weeks earlier, the team would have switched gears some and taken a lineman to replace him. It would have been a tough task, seeing how Davis has been a sturdy and reliable starter for the majority of his career up until now. But at least they would have had the chance.
Erik Pears, a free agent addition from Buffalo, is currently the next in line to start in Davis’ absence. He was brought in really to be a backup tackle, an insurance policy for both tackle positions. Pears didn’t exactly grade out so well last year with the Bills, so it’s hard to think Pears is going to be the solution. And the free agent wire doesn’t inspire much confidence; the 33-year-old Tyson Clabo is arguably the best free agent available.
With the mobility of Colin Kaepernick and the running capabilities of Carlos Hyde and Reggie Bush, the 49ers can try to minimize the problems Davis’ absence gives the offense. But this is going to be a tricky and difficult loss to overcome, and Jim Tomsula’s job just got that much harder than it already was. You almost have to wonder, with all these sudden retirements in San Francisco, if there isn’t something bigger going on behind the scenes.
Doug Green is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com covering the Philadelphia Eagles and the NFL. Follow him on Twitter @DGreenNFL.
