Luke Farrell relishes dirty work as 49ers’ new blocking tight end

SANTA CLARA The ers were mostly inert during free agency this offseason choosing instead to focus on contract extensions with franchise cornerstones Brock Purdy Fred Warner and George Kittle while at the same time shedding salary to get younger following a - season It wasn t looked upon favorably by a fan base hoping for a few star power There was one exception and it was a big one in a physical sense Luke Farrell is not big in terms of name recognition but he plays big Almost lost in the whirlwind opening days of free agency was the association fast reaching an agreement with tight end Luke Farrell While throwing others overboard allowing their own free agents to leave as well as releasing a few under contract the ers extended a hand to Farrell a -year-old four-year veteran with Jacksonville who received a three-year contract with million guaranteed and a maximum value of million Tight end Luke Farrell was the first and one of the limited players the ers snapped up when free agency began in Shae Hammond Bay Area News Group It was a pretty good chunk of change for a gang looking to reduce payroll especially with the presence of a Hall of Fame candidate in Kittle already on the roster and still in his prime I ve heard from guys that have been there Farrell mentioned of former Jaguars teammates who once played for the ers I like how they operate and the opportunity to play in this offense with these coaches and players Since he arrived in the year Kittle was drafted ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has cycled through eight more tight ends Garrett Celek Logan Paulsen Ross Dwelley he left and came back last year Levine Toilolo Jordan Reed Tyler Kroft Eric Saubert and Brayden Williams None received the kind of financial compensation afforded to Farrell I think having a No tight end in the NFL is huge Shanahan stated Usually there s one guy who excels in the pass match and one guy who excels in the run encounter Farrell at -foot- pounds has just career receptions and has yet to number his first NFL touchdown But he s a people mover who operates almost as an extra tackle Rather than rely solely on angles and leverage Farrell can veritably move the mountains that face him as edge setters or beasts coming on stunts from the interior Tight end Luke Farrell right works with Isaac Alarcon during a ers blocking drill at the club facility in Santa Clara Shae Hammond Bay Area News Group Luke his tournament tape was very very impressive offensive line coach and run meeting coordinator Chris Foerster announced He literally has an impact on defensive ends When he blocks or hits one there s movement You see things with him that you don t see in a lot of tight ends The presence of Farrell a fifth-round pick out of Ohio State in will put Kittle in the passing encounter more often as a receiver either flexed or put in motion while he takes care of a big percentage of the dirty work along the line of scrimmage I take a lot of pride in it Farrell noted Since I was in college I ve just really bought into the unit mindset and whatever I can do to help propel the offense forward and the gang forward and that s what my role has been Also all I can do on special teams It s allowed me to have the career I ve had so far and I have a lot of gratitude for it The attention paid to Kittle could development in Farrell s first NFL touchdown as well as increased opportunities for Brock Purdy for a reliable set of hands as a receiver He s got unexplored talent in the passing meeting tight ends coach Brian Fleury stated Which is fine by Farrell I m invariably in the mindset of wherever they need me I m going to be there Farrell stated I m going to be where I m supposed to be when I m supposed to be there and that s as a receiver too Kittle like Farrell was a fifth-round draft pick He was also from a Big Ten school Iowa and has morphed from unassuming rookie with close-cropped hair to big-time big-haired personality on a national scale Rashod Berry of the Ohio State Buckeyes and Luke Farrell of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrate after a touchdown during the first half in the Rose Bowl Challenge presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January in Pasadena California Photo by Kevork Djansezian Getty Images Farrell carries with him the same mentality he had at Ohio State where he was a player solely trying to make a roster at the outset He didn t see himself as an NFL member An excellent trainee Farrell s long-term goal for athletics was staying involved as a physical therapist I was a developmental guy at Ohio State redshirted and really didn t get any important time until my third year Farrell announced Then it was like OK this is a real possibility Once it became feasible I just required to keep doing what I was doing and perform the role they needed me in When you have success on a squad like that you re going to get the exposure Farrell cuts an impressive figure among the position group and Kittle is excited to see what he brings in terms of physicality I like that he s a big dude I m a huge fan of that Kittle declared He s got great tape He s excited to be here and I m excited to get to work with him too He s an experienced guy and has played a lot of reps so it s not like you re teaching a rookie Related Articles Kurtenbach A gut check for the Faithful I m predicting the ers will miss the playoffs in ers keys to accomplishment If rushing attacks don t define outcome then Purdy must mute Seahawks Kurtenbach The ers are banking against years of NFL conventional wisdom in but it just might work Everything you required to know about the Super Bowl ers Christian McCaffrey says calf is nothing serious but he s questionable for opener in Seattle During the offseason Farrell attended Tight End University in Nashville the yearly summit for the position hosted by Kittle and fellow Pro Bowl tight ends Travis Kelce and Greg Olsen Before that Farrell s connection to Kittle came in a Zoom meeting during the COVID pandemic He was on because his dad had a connection with Kevin Wilson who was our tight ends coach at the time They both coached at Oklahoma Farrell revealed George had several down time and we were just studying a lot of ball and were trying to pick up any skills we could just from film review He hopped on with us advised us what he was about gave us particular of his experience and wisdom having a handful of years in When I signed with the ers he reached out right away and welcomed me San Francisco ers tight end Luke Farrell makes a catch next to Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Darien Porter during the first half of a preseason NFL football contest Saturday Aug in Las Vegas AP Photo John Locher Farrell joins the ers a Super Bowl contender from a Jaguars band that went - last season after twice going - In Farrell s rookie year they were - so he knows what a losing locker room can feel like The ers Farrell believes don t have the vibe of a group that went - a year ago If you didn t know what happened last year you d have no idea of their record Farrell revealed That s a testament to the people in the building and their resiliency and how professional they are You don t dwell on the past when you re looking forward to the season