Ever since they dealt Trent Brown to the Patriots in 2018, the 49ers have been in need of a right tackle. Time to bring him back, please.

Brown is a free agent at the age of thirty and is still quite good despite missing a few games each season. Consequently, the 49ers ought to be able to sign him to a one-year contract as a stopgap measure until a younger offensive lineman emerges from the bench.

Brown was not someone the 49ers should have traded for in the first place. After taking over for Kyle Shanahan, the 49ers sold Brown and a fourth-round pick to New England in return for a third-round pick that was later used on the unproductive safety Tarvarius Moore. Shanahan felt that Brown wasn’t a good match for the team’s zone-blocking style.

The 49ers selected the similarly disastrous Mick McGlinchey with a top-10 pick to replace Brown. A player the 49ers declined to extend their contract to because of his mental and physical weakness.

Just as Brown has always been superior to 49ers right tackle Colton McKivitz, so too has he always been superior to McGlinchey. Unlike McGlinchey, McKivitz is tough both psychologically and physically, but he isn’t athletic enough to be a good offensive lineman.

For a big man, Brown possesses exceptional athleticism. Maintaining his health and physical fitness has been his challenge. However, the 49ers won’t have to rely on him if they can sign him to a one-year contract because they still have McKivitz, and they can use their first-round choice to select an offensive lineman.

Already, fix this offensive line. It’s been enough time.