San Francisco 49ers focus on interior of offensive line during organized team activities

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The center position is the center of attention this week as the San Francisco 49ers hold their first week of organized team activities at the club's training facility in Santa Clara.

The club's new regime made the addition of center Jeremy Zuttah one of their first pieces of business, acquiring him from the Baltimore Ravens.

Zuttah will duel Daniel Kilgore for the starting position, but the early indication is the competition might not be a fair fight.

New head coach Kyle Shanahan already has opened the door for Kilgore, who has experience at guard in his 49ers career, to move away from the center position this season.

Shanahan noted Tuesday that Joshua Garnett, who made 11 starts as a rookie last season, will split time at the guard positions during the summer sessions.

"We know he's going to play guard for us," Shanahan said of Garnett, a first-round pick last season. "We're trying to see what he's better at, left guard or right guard, based on our five that are going to end up being out there. Whoever that other person is, what's the best way to put those inside three people?

"So you need some versatility. I know he played at right guard last year. I know he played at left guard throughout college. We worked him at both. Hopefully we'll put him in a spot that's the best for him and hopefully it will be the best for the team."

Flexibility is a good thing for two reasons.

First off, it would give Kilgore a chance to slide over to right guard if it were deemed he and Garnett were the club's best tandem. That would leave Zane Beadles, who can also play tackle, as the backup capable of filling in at multiple positions.

Or possibly, it could be determined that Garnett will serve the role as the backup guard, with Beadles, who started all 16 games last season, and Kilgore, who started 13, getting the starting roles.

Of course, a third option would be Garnett and Beadles retaining their starting spots, which would push Kilgore back into the competition with Zuttah, or settle for the multi-position backup role.

Trent Brown (16 starts last season) and Joe Staley (13) return at the tackle spots, with Garry Gilliam having been wrestled away from Seattle to provide summertime competition.

The 49ers did not use any of their 10 draft picks on an offensive lineman in April.