49ers: 3 things to know about new player Isaac Alarcón
The San Francisco 49ers signed Mexican player Isaac Alarcón to a futures deal on Tuesday, per the transaction wire. Alarcón will be joining his second NFL team after spending four years with the Cowboys before being cut last August. He now arrives at San Fran with a big hunger to prove doubters wrong and to […]
The San Francisco 49ers signed Mexican player Isaac Alarcón to a futures deal on Tuesday, per the transaction wire.
Alarcón will be joining his second NFL team after spending four years with the Cowboys before being cut last August.
He now arrives at San Fran with a big hunger to prove doubters wrong and to make the most of an entire country of diehard football fans cheering him on. Since 2020, fans in Mexico have consistently kept up with him and Alfredo Gutiérrez, the offensive lineman for the 49ers.
Since he was signed to a futures deal, Alarcón won't be a part of the 49ers roster until the new league year kicks off in March. He'll be battling for a roster spot in the offseason.
1. He's an athletic freak
This is far and away the biggest thing to know about Alarcón: The upside is clearly there. Renowned private coach Duke Manyweather, who works with many of the best offensive linemen in the NFL, described it to me best back in 2021 after working with him:
"Isaac also possesses some traits and movement skills that are extremely rare for a man his size," Manyweather told me entering Isaac's second year in the league. "The NFL is filled with tremendous freaky athletes and ridiculous talent, no matter of his path and origin… Isaac is one of those freaks."
At 6-foot-6 and 315 pounds per his NFL.com profile, it's clear he's got the prototypical build of an offensive lineman. With the right coaching and developing, Alarcón could reach another level of playing. He's put in the work in too, constantly earning praise from his coaches that his work ethic is off the charts.
With Alarcón, it's all been about catching up to the game of football after having played it in Mexico for many years. In one of my conversations with him, he confessed part of the adaptation process even involved learning about pass protections beyond your usual big-on-big which is played even in the top collegiate program in Mexico.
2. He's a true offensive lineman with some defensive line experience
With the Cowboys, Isaac started out as an offensive lineman, playing guard and tackle during the first three years with the organization. In 2023, though, the coaching staff appeared ready to move on.
However, defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, intrigued by the size and athleticism of Alarcón, raised his hand and asked for a shot to work with him on defense.
"If you don't want Isaac give him to me," he told then OL coach Joe Philbin, per Isaac.
Alarcón didn't make the cut last season, however, and became a free agent in August. He had a workout with the Indianapolis Colts but that never got anywhere. Now he lands in San Fran where he won't be alone.
Important note: In San Francisco, it seems like he will be playing offensive line, as he's listed as a tackle per the wire.
3. He was a teammate of 49ers' own Alfredo Gutiérrez in college football
Gutiérrez will enter his third and final year under the protection of the NFL IPP, which means he'll have to earn a spot on the team without a roster exemption, which allowed San Francisco to carry him as an extra member of the preseason 90-man roster and the 16-man practice squad.
He and Alarcón are no strangers to each other since they both played for the Tec de Monterrey Borregos from Monterrey, México. The program is considered Mexico's version of Alabama football. Gutiérrez and Alarcón won Mexico's National Championship in 2019 together.
49ers could lose one of Brock Purdy’s biggest influences
He’s attracting interest.
