Niners Land Stars, Boost Defense for Aussie Opener

0:00On March 26th, the NFL just revealed its season opener down under, with the 49ers taking on the Los Angeles Rams at the Melbourne Cricket. Ground on Thursday, September 10th, kickoff is set for 5.35pm, Pacific Time, which is 10.35am local time there, making it a huge early spotlight for the league's global push. The 49ers have been busy in free agency, landing wide receiver Mike Evans and slot main Christian Kirk, both on team friendly pay cuts that fit, perfectly into Kyle Shanahan's offense. They also traded a third round pick for defensive tackle Osa Odihizua to boost their pass rush, and with Nick Bosa and Fred Warner back healthy, the defense lets much stronger heading into camp. Fans and analysts are buzzing about how these moves could elevate the 9ers past rivals like the Seahawks and Rams, but there's real concern over the run game after last season's struggles. George Kittle is recovering from a torn Achilles, and while they added guard Robert Jones,

1:02many think they'll need draft help at the line to grind out. Yards against those light defensive boxes. In other roster news, former 9ers offensive lineman Ben Barches, who they grabbed off Jacksonville's practice squad late last year, has signed with. The Detroit Lions. The fourth round pick out of St. John's played 41 games with the Jags before his short stint in San Francisco. All eyes stay on the 49ers as training camp ramps up, especially with that blockbuster Australia trip setting the tone for what could be. Another deep playoff run. Stay locked in with NFL news today, AI-powered updates. I'm Corey with the story.