George Kittle's latest comments raise hope 49ers will find a solution to nagging roster issue
George Kittle won't be doing any fine-tuning of his own game until training camp as the San Francisco 49ers' All-Pro tight end recovers from core muscle surgery. But Kittle has been at 49ers OTAs, despite not being able to take part, and his time on the sideline has given him plenty of opportunities to evaluate […]
George Kittle won't be doing any fine-tuning of his own game until training camp as the San Francisco 49ers' All-Pro tight end recovers from core muscle surgery.
But Kittle has been at 49ers OTAs, despite not being able to take part, and his time on the sideline has given him plenty of opportunities to evaluate those vying to be his immediate backup in 2024.
The 49ers lost Charlie Woerner and Ross Dwelley in free agency as they both signed with the Atlanta Falcons. Woerner was the primary backup at tight end last season, his main role being as a blocker. Kittle and Woerner ranked first and second in Pro Football Focus run block grade among tight ends.
Those departures magnified a longtime problem for the 49ers, who have consistently lacked a second tight end with the all-round ability in the receiving game and the blocking game to take some of the burden off Kittle's shoulders.
San Francisco brought in Eric Saubert on a one-year deal while they also signed an intriguing undrafted free agent in former basketball player Mason Pline. Jake Tonges, who spent last year on the practice squad, is also in the mix.
But the two players on the tight end depth chart outside of Kittle who attract the most attention are 2023 draft picks Cameron Latu and Brayden Willis. Latu did not play as a third-round rookie because of a knee injury while seventh-rounder Willis was only used sparingly, though he had more of a role in the Niners' Super Bowl 58 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs than expected because of an injury to Kittle.
The emphasis is on one of that pair to prove why the 49ers selected them and make the TE2 role their own.
Speaking in a press conference on Wednesday, Kittle provided an encouraging update in that regard, though his words indicated that, at this early juncture, there is a clear frontrunner between Latu and Willis.
"I think the tight end room is very new, you lose Dwelley and Charlie Woerner to the Falcons, Dwelley’s done it for six years, Charlie for four years. When you lose guys who are used to playing, guys who are used to the offense, there is a gap that needs to be filled," Kittle said.
"Cam has come a long way in his rehab stuff, the most important thing for him is just to get back on the practice field. He’ll do that during training camp, he’s doing a great job in the meeting rooms, he knows the offense, he’s doing a very good job of just learning and understanding what our goals are. Hopefully he can take everything from that meeting room and apply it to practice and he goes out there and plays at a high level.
"Brayden has gotten way better since last OTAs, last training camp, last season. It’s fun to see him take these strides.
"He’s figuring out the run game, he’s a really good route-runner, strong hands. They have all the abilities, I would always just say you can’t replicate reps, you need to go out there and get as many reps as possible. Brayden getting a lot of reps right now is being very beneficial to him."
With Latu seemingly unlikely to feature until training camp, Willis has a clear edge in that he is getting the opportunity to work on his craft and capitalize on Kittle's absence, with his apparent strides in run blocking an exciting development given his thinner frame meant developing in that area was always likely to be a challenge.
At the same time, Kittle's comments about Latu's efforts in the meeting room suggest he is in the right mindset to bounce back from a false start to his 49ers career and prove San Francisco was right to take him in the third round.
The battle won't truly commence until training camp, and Saubert could well have his say as a veteran from Kittle's 2017 draft class. Yet after a disappointing 2023 for both, there look to be signs that a looming competition between the Niners' two second-year tight ends could provide a fix to San Francisco's problem behind Kittle.
