The San Francisco 49ers offensive line needs an overhaul on the interior, but there is some hope that the book-end offensive tackle positions are settled. The latest word from Trent Brown offers some optimism, albeit a bit guarded for now.

The 49ers right tackle suffered a shoulder injury in November, and after trying to play through it, was placed on injured reserve. Kyle Shanahan said at the time that he believed the injury was a torn labrum, but did not have enough specifics in front of him at the time. Either way, Brown had surgery, and according to the big fella, is feeling great and ahead of schedule four weeks later.

UPDATE‼️ 4 weeks post-op...I’m feeling great and I’m ahead of schedule ‼️ — B E E Z Y D A (@_tbrown77) January 8, 2018

I wouldn’t expect any player to say they’re behind schedule when providing a surgery update, but it’s still good to see some optimism from Brown.

After Brown went on IR, Kyle Shanahan said the team was expecting a five-to-six month recovery range. That would put him back to 100 percent by May or June. The 49ers offseason workout program begins in late April, and they will be into OTAs and/or minicamp by the time Brown is ready to go.

My guess is we don’t see Brown in full-scale OTA work, but he’ll likely be able to get at least a little bit of work in outside the classroom. The real key for him will be the plan to keep himself in top physical condition heading into training camp this summer. Weight and conditioning have regularly been an issue for Brown. He can be as dominant as they come at the top of his game, but inconsistency remains an issue. And considering Brown is a free agent after next season, how he approaches this offseason will be a big deal in his attempts to land a big money extension.