The 49ers have more than $46 million in cap space and one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL. Why not sign free-agent guard Brandon Scherff?

They lost starting guard Aaron Banks this offseason — he signed a four-year deal with the Packers. The 49ers’ replacement for Banks is his backup, Ben Bartch, who has started just 22 games in his five-year career and has an extensive injury history.

Which brings us back to Scherff. He’s 33, but he hasn’t missed a game since 2021, and he’s still one of the best guards in the league. Plus, he’s only a year older than 49ers starting center, Jake Brendel, and he’s four years younger than their starting left tackle, Trent Williams.

Clearly, the 49ers would prefer to sign someone younger, but Scherff is unquestionably the best offensive lineman remaining on the market, according to ESPN.

“Scherff’s game should age gracefully given his movement skills and the ability to displace defenders at the point of attack,” writes ESPN’s Matt Bowen. “The 2015 top-five pick had a pass block win rate of 93.8% last year, which ranked 14th among guards and was the second highest of his 10 NFL seasons. Scherff can help a team in need of a quality starter on the interior.”

Scherff and Williams played together in Washington from 2015 to 2018 — reuniting them in San Francisco would give the 49ers a formidable offensive line for once.

The 49ers have to do everything they can to protect their biggest investment, Brock Purdy.