If you needed any clue as to the San Francisco 49ers' opinion of their tight end depth behind George Kittle, they provided it on Monday.

Per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, the 49ers are working to finalize a deal to sign free agent tight end Logan Thomas. He will be the second veteran tight end signing of the offseason for the 49ers, who also added Eric Saubert back in April. The Niners lost both Charlie Woerner, their number two tight end last year, and Ross Dwelley to the Atlanta Falcons.

Thomas is coming off a 55-catch season with the Washington Commanders in 2023, that tally his highest since a 2020 campaign in which he caught 72 balls for 670 yards and six touchdowns.

The former Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions tight end finished last season with 496 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

Thomas ranked 19th among all tight ends for receiving yardage, with his addition giving the 49ers something they have long since lacked, a player who can take some of the burden off All-Pro starter Kittle with their all-round impact as a pass-catcher and a blocker.

On the zone-blocking plays that are the foundation of the 49er running game, Thomas had the eighth highest Pro Football Focus run block grade among all tight ends.

Thomas entering the fray spells bad news for the younger tight ends on the 49ers' roster hoping to stake their claim to be Kittle's immediate backup.

The 49ers drafted Cameron Latu in the third round last year and followed up his selection by taking Brayden Willis in the seventh. They also have undrafted free agent rookie Mason Pline and Jake Tonges, who spent last year on the practice squad.

Latu did not play as a rookie owing to a knee injury and has still not returned to the practice field. Willis played sparingly but was primarily limited to special teams. 

Speaking at a press conference last week, Kittle praised the efforts of both. 

Said Kittle

"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."

The 49ers, though, clearly do not feel as strongly about their progress as Kittle. Thomas' arrival, combined with the signing of Saubert to a deal that has $400,000 of guaranteed money, leaves the chances of both Latu and Willis being on the active roster come the start of the season looking slim. 

San Francisco isn't in a position to be patient as the 49ers aim to get over the hump and claim Super Bowl glory after falling within a play of doing so in February. 

Kittle's injury in the Super Bowl left them without a tight end the Kansas City Chiefs respected in the passing game and light on blocking options behind Woerner.

There is no guarantee of Latu or Willis developing into a player worthy of such respect over the course of training camp and preseason and the brutal reality is that the odds are probably against them doing so.

In Thomas and Saubert, they have two dependable veterans, the former of which has consistently made an impact as a pass-catcher. 

The 49ers don't have time to wait around for one of their 2023 draft picks to make the leap. It would be a tremendous bonus if one of them did so in the camp, but the addition of Thomas gives San Francisco a backup the 49ers know can come in be a difference maker right now. In another all-in year for the reigning NFC champions, that makes him a very important signing.

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