How 49ers Signing Vederian Lowe Impacts Trent Williams Trade Rumors

The San Francisco 49ers needed to find some depth and potential stopgap play from the left tackle position this offseason. They addressed that by signing Vederian Lowe, who spent the past three seasons with the New England Patriots. The signing of Lowe has a distinct impact on two potential 49ers.

Trent Williams

The 49ers are not going to replace Williams with Lowe, and this does not completely change their plans for the aging star. However, it does put a small alter into it. No matter what happens with Williams, they are now ready.

Lowe is making an average annual salary of nearly $6M per year. That is higher than any backup tackle is currently making, but certainly much less than any starter. So, they see him as the top backup tackle option on the market.

It makes sense considering Lowe has 1,379 career snaps at left tackle in the NFL. If the 49ers keep Williams, they need someone like Lowe to hold things down during the one or two games that he misses every year.

The 49ers did not have a good enough backup plan against the Seattle Seahawks, and it cost them the division and propelled Seattle to a Super Bowl. Still, even if Williams gets traded and the 49ers draft a tackle high, they are going to need Lowe just in case that player does not hit the ground running. It is rare to start right away as a rookie tackle, especially if he is taken at pick 27.

They have insurance if Williams stays and insurance if he goes.

Spencer Burford

The other player clearly impacted by the signing is Spencer Burford. Burford played left guard for the 49ers last season, but he was expected to be the 49ers' swing tackle. They went through three options at left guard before landing on Burford, but the team needed him to start at left guard cost them at left tackle late.

The thought was that Burford could come back into that swing tackle role, and with a better option starting at left guard, they would not need to lose that depth. However, with Lowe in the mix, Burford is much less valuable.

He is now viewed only as a guard in the eyes of the 49ers, and he would be a third left tackle. As a guard, San Francisco needs to find an upgrade, so would he want to go back to depth at one slot? Burford may not be back next year now that Lowe is here.