Golden Nuggets: This summer will be critical for the offensive line

Kurtenbach: I see the vision for the 49ers’ much-maligned offensive line and it’s just fine (paywall)

“All this to say that judging offensive line play is seriously subjective at best and borderline irresponsible without knowing the actual play call on the field.

And these days, with the steady deterioration of play at the position — a byproduct of spread offenses, bad coaching, and a lack of bodies at the lower levels of the game — it doesn’t take much to be good enough.

I’m guessing that, health permitting, the 49ers’ pressure rate will go down in 2025.

Still, Purdy was one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL per Expected Points Added, despite being pressured more than 35 percent of the time last season. He was one of two quarterbacks amongst the top-15 most-pressured signal-callers to have a positive EPA. He doubled the other, Sam Darnold, with 67 EPA to 26. (Will Levis was minus-94.4, which almost seems impossible.)

And Purdy did all that with the 26th highest rate of play-action passes and the 29th ranked average separation for targeted receivers. Things were not made easy for him.

A little bit better than good enough on the offensive line could spur Purdy to have a monster, perhaps MVP-caliber season.

I can see not only that for the 49ers this upcoming season, but also how this offensive line shakes out in the years to come.

Contrary to the folks who call into my KNBR shows and comment on my podcast, Forester helped turn right tackle Colton McKivitz into a solid player in recent seasons. I’d go as far as to say he was pretty good last year — arguably the Niners’ best offensive lineman.

And seeing as McKivitz was better than Moore, who, again, is now a $15 million-a-year lineman, the Niners might have to wave goodbye to him after this season.

Cue the understudies, Burford and Pleasants, who are both in contract years but will assuredly be cheaper to re-sign.

Puni needs big money in a couple of years? That’s why Foerster brought in seventh-round pick Connor Colby and undrafted free agent Drew Moss (he seems to prefer the latter at this extremely early juncture) this offseason.

Brendel’s grade starts slipping? Drake Nugent is waiting in the wings.”

Why the 49ers have faith in their offensive line — even if nobody else does (paywall)

“It’s not really football yet, as defensive end Nick Bosa pointed out on Wednesday. The San Francisco 49ers players are wearing helmets for the offseason workouts, but there are no pads, and there is limited contact.

But every now and then you hear a coach get after a player, so there is important work being done. Last week, when offensive line coach Chris Foerster started yelling at backup tackle Austen Pleasants and rookie guard Connor Colby after a drill, it was music to coach Kyle Shanahan’s ears.

Foerster and Shanahan have been together for a decade now, the last six years with the 49ers, and they like this offensive line group, no matter if the outside world thinks it will hold up. And when Foerster yells at a player, it’s a sign he thinks he has someone who can play on Sundays.”