Add the Seahawks to the list of teams that are wooing free-agent guard Chester Pitts. Pitts will visit with the Seattle brass today and tomorrow, according to a league source. The eight-year veteran also has met with the Lions and 49ers, and his previous team, the Texans, also are interested in retaining him. Negotiations with the 49ers, which began this weekend, are ongoing.
Should Pitts land in San Francisco, it would be interesting to see where he would play on Mike Solari's offensive line. Pitts has lined up exclusively on the left side -- some at tackle but mostly at guard -- during his career, an indication that he could bump David Baas from the starting lineup. Baas, once he signs his tender, would be in the final year of his contract.
However, it is assumed that the 49ers will draft an offensive tackle in April and plug him into the right side of the line. if that's the case, Solari might want a veteran like Pitts to work next to the rookie instead of promising, but inconsistent, right guard Chilo Rachal. Pitts said that if picked up the offense quickly, and if Solari employed a primarily zone-blocking scheme, he should have no problem moving to the right side.
In a conference call last week with Bay Area reporters (and me!), Pitts said he would like to have a deal done in the next week or so. He had knee surgery in September, and he said that having access to an NFL's training facility is important for his rehabilitation. Pitts had microfracture surgery and had a tear in his lateral meniscus repaired. After starting every game his first seven seasons, Pitts started only two last year. He said he should be at full strength in one and half to two months. He said it's possible that he could take part in a team's June practice sessions. A more likely scenario is that he's held back until training camp begins in late July.
-- Matt Barrows
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