San Francisco 49ers: Jeremy Zuttah release leaves offensive line super thin

Jeremy Zuttah did not do enough to stick with the San Francisco 49ers, but his departure has left them lacking depth on the interior of the offensive line.

The San Francisco 49ers made a surprise cut on Wednesday when they announced the release of center Jeremy Zuttah. Zuttah’s roster spot has been taken by linebacker Sean Porter, which makes sense given the recent season-ending injury to Malcolm Smith and the concussion by rookie Donavin Newsom ahead of Friday’s preseason opener with the Kansas City Chiefs.

But his exit comes as a shock after the 49ers made a trade with the Baltimore Ravens in the offseason to acquire the offensive lineman, who is considered a strong fit for the zone-blocking scheme employed by head coach Kyle Shanahan.

However, it had been reported Zuttah was struggling to move up the depth chart at center, with Daniel Kilgore the clear frontrunner to start, and had not received a lot of snaps at guard, per NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco. Yet, following the news that guard Joshua Garnett is to have a cleanup surgery on his knee and could miss the start of the season, Zuttah’s release leaves the 49ers looking very thin at a position where they have struggled in recent times.

Tim Barnes figures to be Kilgore’s backup at center, with Brandon Fusco and Zane Beadles the clear first-choice options at guard. Fusco and Beadles may be uninspiring but it is the lack of depth behind them that should alarm 49ers fans. With Garnett out of the picture for now, undrafted free agents Erik Magnuson, JP Flynn and Richard Levy are the backup guards in preseason.

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Another UDFA, Darrell Williams Jr, has experience at guard and tackles Trent Brown and John Theus could theoretically be kicked inside if the situation on the interior became desperate. What is clear when examining the 49ers’ options on the interior of the line with Zuttah gone is that another injury would put a group that has done anything but excel in a very difficult situation.

The Niners ranked No. 30 in the league in pass protection in 2016 according to Football Outsiders and were even worse in run-blocking. They ranked last in the NFL in Football Outsiders’ Adjusted Line Yards metric, which looks at running back carries and assigns responsibility to the offensive line, and allowed the tailback to be stuffed in the backfield 22 percent of the time, with only seven teams letting that to happen at a higher rate.

In order for the 49ers to improve their play in the trenches, continuity is a must. They cannot afford to be constantly shuffling the pack or have to rely on a number of rookies, which is a distinct possibility if they do not add depth up front in the wake of Zuttah’s departure.

The good news is the Niners trade chips if they want to deal for another offensive lineman. Vance McDonald is a player they have discussed trading before and there will be some talented 49ers defensive linemen who will miss the cut for the 53-man roster and could serve as bait.

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Whether the 49ers explore free agency or the trade market to replace Zuttah, it is glaringly obvious San Francisco is too thin on the O-line to consider not filling the void he has left with another interior lineman.