Former San Francisco 49ers offensive lineman Daniel Brunskill remains a free agent.
It shouldn't be that way.
For those who may have forgotten Brunskill's ascent with the Niners, the one-time member of the now-defunct Alliance of American Football rose to prominence with San Francisco in 2019, displaying his versatility and playing a multitude of different positions along the offensive line during his 49ers tenure, which lasted through 2022.
And, most notably, the San Diego State alumnus developed a praiseworthy reputation for regularly shutting down now-retired future Hall of Fame defensive tackle Aaron Donald on a twice-yearly basis when the Niners faced off against the Los Angeles Rams.
Reminiscing about that might make you chuckle.
Yet Brunskill departed San Francisco in 2023, signing on with the Tennessee Titans where he spent the following two seasons before again hitting the free-agent market last March.
To date, there's been little interest in the 31-year-old veteran. But, there should be.
Daniel Brunskill at least deserves a training camp invite
Now, the 49ers may not be too inclined to reunite with Brunskill despite losing some key cogs to their O-line from a year ago, namely swing tackle Jaylon Moore and left guard Aaron Banks. If the Niners were intrigued, they would have likely made a move by now in advance of training camp later this summer.
That said, Brunskill's versatility is an asset alone, as he showcased such by playing tackle, guard and even center during his Niners tenure.
And while his 2024 season in Tennessee might have been viewed as a down year, at least according to his overall 55.3 Pro Football Focus grade, he's only a year removed from back-to-back seasons with at least a respectable 67-plus mark.
Likely shoddy O-lines, such as those of the Cincinnati Bengals and Seattle Seahawks, could easily use some additional competition and reinforcement, suggesting Brunskill's availability is quite questionable with the days counting down until camp.
Perhaps a few teams are already monitoring their own O-line situations, penciling Brunskill in as a name to call, should problems arise.
If anything, the one-time Donald shutdown artist at least deserves another chance somewhere between now and Week 1.
