Tuesday, May 06, 2008 | Posted by Anthony Bialy

New San Francisco 49ers Chilo Rachal and Cody Wallace are the answers to questions about Larry Allen and Eric Heitmann, respectively. Adding offensive linemen during the NFL draft is about as interesting as making a mortgage payment, but in doing so the Niners pursued the sensibly responsible course of action. Instead of squandering income on bubble gum and lottery tickets, San Francisco’s management astutely recognized that raising the blocking caliber will make life easier for the entire offense.

The draft strategy addressed some of the weakest aspects of a weak Niners line. For one, Heitmann allowed 3.25 sacks last season as a center, and his broken leg suffered at the end of the previous campaign seemed to hold him back throughout 2007.

Meanwhile, it’s hard to say which glaringly large number is more important when discussing Allen: His age of 36 or his 203 career games. He may or may not be back to continue his amazing career as talk of his potential retirement drags along in a Favre-esque manner, and either way the 49ers had to consider conscripting his replacement. Fortunately, they may have found that guy with their first pick on offense.

The 39th selection, Rachal provides good size for a guard at 6-foot-5 and 315 pounds. That’s especially true for one who has according to some media accounts reportedly run a 40-yard dash in 4.92 seconds, speed which most linemen couldn’t achieve while rolling downhill.

The USC product's biggest negative is that most think he should be looking forward to his senior and not his rookie year, as he left school early in order to help with his mother’s medical bills as she deals with a stomach tumor. In football terms, Allen returning for a final season would work out perfectly so Rachal can spend a year as a backup. That said, his speed at his size will help prevent him from being overwhelmed if he’s forced into the lineup.

Next to Rachal, the 6-4, 296-pound Cody Wallace has been scouted as a player who possesses good upper-body power. More importantly, every characterization of his play includes the two most desirable words that can be assigned to a blocker: smart and nasty. As the 107th player taken, the former Texas A&M;standout can evolve into a great value if he can continue employing that playing style as a pro, namely by maintaining viciousness while knowing where to be and what to do.

Despite the promising additions, the line’s outside buttresses are still questionable: Joe Staley gave up nine sacks of his own in 2007, while Jonas Jennings breaks down more often than a used Fiat being driven across a desert. But what’s important is that the team has augmented the overall talent level in the pool, regardless of the specific position.

It’s never exhilarating to watch a franchise stockpile linemen at the draft, especially ones who will be stationed inside; at least left tackles seem vaguely glamorous by comparison, as they’re entrusted with guarding the quarterback’s blind side in their matchups with premier defensive ends.

But the moves made by the Niners are the sorts that create fundamental stability on offense even if they generate minimal attention. The pair of draftees will make running back Frank Gore’s life easier in addition to helping provide a fair amount more time for quarterbacks who endured an atrocious 55 sacks last season.

Adding talent that complements what a franchise already owns is an unspectacular but sturdy way to approach the process; just as the best hope for Kentwan Balmer’s career is that he will alleviate pressure on other defensive components, beefing up 40 percent of the offensive line is a shrewd way to improve functionality.

The picks may not have been alluring, but the running back, passer, and offensive coordinator Mike Martz all have to be happy with the potential upgrades. Aside from the fact that their opinions are the ones that ultimately matter, they all should be aware by now that skill players never get to prove they’re skilled without ferocious, mud-caked barbarians clearing space in a job that’s as brutal as it is unnoticed.

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