The 49ers Sign a Pair of Veteran Offensive Tackles

The 49ers have signed three veteran offensive tackles in a week.

First, they signed D.J. Humphries. Now, they've signed Andre Dillard and Nicholas Petit-Frere according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. That's an awful lot of offensive tackles for a team that already has two starters -- Trent Williams and Colton McKivitz.

Four veteran offensive tackles on one roster make sense, but five seems unusual.

Dillard was a first-round pick in 2019. He originally played for the Eagles but couldn't establish himself as a starter, so in 2023 he signed a three-year deal with the Tennessee Titans to be their starting left tackle. But he started only 10 games for them and they released him after one season. Last year, he played just 13 offensive snaps for the Packers. He'll be 30 in October.

Petit-Frere was a third-round pick in 2022, and he started 28 of the 34 games he appeared in with the Titans including 10 last season at right tackle.

It's unclear why the 49ers have signed so many offensive tackles recently. Maybe one of them will move to left tackle and replace Aaron Banks who signed with the Green Bay Packers this offseason. Or maybe the 49ers just need three levels of insurance in case Trent Williams gets injured again or retires. Your guess is as good as mine.

One thing's for sure, though. If Williams were to miss time, none of these three could replicate what he brings to the offense. They might be able to hold their own for a few weeks, but each would be a massive downgrade.