The 49ers almost certainly will lose their starting left guard this week.
Aaron Banks is set to hit free agency and get paid between $18 million and $20 million per season. Which means the 49ers can’t afford him, but the Chiefs and Vikings can according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
“Banks should benefit from the tagging of Chiefs G Trey Smith, and may be this year’s version of Robert Hunt, a solid interior lineman who cashes in big on the open market,” writes Breer.
“Kansas City will likely take a look at him, with (Ronnie) Stanley off the market, and the Minnesota Vikings could use help inside as well.”
Banks should go to a team that doesn’t feature outside-zone blocking as prevalently as the 49ers do because he’s not quick and agile enough to make those blocks. And the Vikings run a lot of outside zone.
Banks would be a much better fit on a team that features inside-zone blocking and RPOs, a team like the Eagles or the Chiefs. The 49ers drafted Banks the same year they drafted Trey Lance. Back then, the 49ers thought they would be evolving into a zone-read, RPO team, but that evolution never happened. So Banks has been an awkward fit.
He’d be an outstanding fit for the Chiefs who just traded left guard Joe Thuney to the Bears. Banks could be a somewhat cheaper replacement.
Expect the 49ers to draft Banks’ replacement in Round 2 or 3 in the upcoming class — someone much quicker and agile than him.
