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Go To: FlashUpdate / August Update Main Page
| San Francisco 49ers | |||
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Go To: Off-season Team Review
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| Most Recent News Updates: | |||
| SFO -- 49ers Hopeful PK Moody Will Be Ready Week 1 (9/02/00:00 CT) | |||
| SFO -- McCaffrey Primed To Deliver 1,000 Yards Rushing And Receiving (9/01/00:08 CT) | |||
| SFO -- Kittle Dealing With A Lingering Groin Injury (8/31/17:07 CT) | |||
| SFO -- 49ers Signing PK Wright With Rookie Moody Ailing (8/31/10:01 CT) | |||
| SFO -- With Moody, Gonzalez Ailing, 49ers Work Out Kickers (8/28/15:24 CT) | |||
| SFO -- Lynch Surprised To Get A Fourth Round Pick For Lance (8/28/00:07 CT) | |||
| SFO -- More On Trey Lance Trade To Cowboys (8/26/01:13 CT) | |||
| SFO -- Purdy Demonstrates Midseason Form In Exhibition Closing Loss (8/26/00:25 CT) | |||
| SFO -- The 49ers Trading Trey Lance To Cowboys (8/25/18:23 CT) | |||
| SFO -- PK Moody Dealing With A Strained Quad (8/25/11:18 CT) | |||
| SFO -- Lance's Future Most Likely Includes Another Season As A 49er (8/24/11:31 CT) | |||
| SFO -- Shanahan: Lance Will Return To Practice Today (8/24/00:15 CT) | |||
| SFO -- Lance Absent From Practice After Darnold Named No. 2; Trade Possible? (8/23/16:22 CT) | |||
| SFO -- Darnold Wins Back Up QB Job (8/23/14:01 CT) | |||
| SFO -- Niners Likely To Keep Three QBs; Nos. 2 And 3 To Be Determined (8/23/00:00 CT) | |||
| SFO -- 49ers Sign Free Agebt RB Brian Hill (8/21/015:05 CT) | |||
| SFO -- 49ers Add Free-Agent WR Anthony Miller (8/21/13:23 CT) | |||
| SFO -- Gray (Shoulder) To Miss Regular Season Time (8/21/07:33 CT) | |||
| SFO -- Purdy, Starters Will Play Again In Exhibition Finale (8/20/12:12 CT) | |||
| SFO -- More On Purdy, Other Starters Playing Vs. Broncos (8/20/00:09 CT) | |||
| SFO -- Purdy Gets His First Live Action In Brief Appearance Vs. Broncos (8/19/20:23 CT) | |||
| SFO -- Shanahan Not Worried About Purdy's Recent Interceptions (8/18/08:31 CT) | |||
| SFO -- Shanahan Impressed With Lance's Handling Of Outside Criticism (8/17/07:08 CT) | |||
| SFO -- Purdy's Job Security Not In Question (8/15/19:59 CT) | |||
| SFO -- Lance Not Especially Impressive In Preseason Opener (8/15/00:34 CT) | |||
| SFO -- Mitchell Set To Return To Work; Kittle Is Still A Week Away (8/14/19:04 CT) | |||
| SFO -- Shanahan Not Worried About Moody's Misses (8/14/16:35 CT) | |||
| SFO -- Lance Expected To Start Preseason Opener, Darnold To Play In The Second Half (8/12/17:23 CT) | |||
| SFO -- Kittle (Adductor Strain) Expected To Miss A Week (8/10/20:45 CT) | |||
| SFO -- Niners Struggle Through Lackluster Practice (8/09/00:33 CT) | |||
| SFO -- McCaffrey Appreciates Getting A Chance To Fully Grasp Offense (8/08/20:30 CT) | |||
| SFO -- Purdy Listed As QB1; Lance, Darnold Co-Second Teamers (8/08/16:28 CT) | |||
| SFO -- Niners Add RB McNichols For Depth With Mitchell Missing Time (8/08/12:05 CT) | |||
| SFO -- Purdy Unlikely To See Exhibition Action (8/08/00:33 CT) | |||
| SFO -- With Mitchell Ailing, 49ers Work Out Four Free-Agent Running Backs (8/08/00:21 CT) | |||
| SFO -- Lance, Darnold Continue To Battle No. 2 Spot (8/08/00:08 CT) | |||
| SFO -- Initial Issues And Injuries Of Note (8/08/00:00 CT) | |||
Current News Updates
9/02 The 49ers lost both kickers before their final preseason game. Rookie Jake Moody was inactive with a right quadriceps strain and veteran Zane Gonzalez injured his right calf during pregame warmups. The 49ers worked out Tristan Vizcaino and Taylor Russolino on Monday and signed Matthew Wright to the practice squad on Thursday. But the team has optimism Moody will return in time to play Week 1. “A lot better than it was a few days ago, because he had that strain,” Shanahan said Thursday on KNBR, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “He’s kicked here these last couple days, and he’s looked good doing it. We’re not pushing him too hard. ... I’m feeling optimistic he’ll be ready for Week 1, but if he’s not, we’re not going to jeopardize him and we’ll go with the practice squad kicker and make sure [Moody] is ready for Week 2. ...” Wright is 40-of-46 on field goals and 35-of-37 on extra points in his career.9/01 According to ESPN's Dan Graziano, we shouldn't be surprised if running back Christian McCaffrey has 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving. ... As Graziano reminded readers, McCaffrey has already accomplished this feat once in his career, back in 2019, his second year in the NFL with Carolina. He was 259 receiving yards short of doing it last year despite being traded to San Francisco midseason and having to learn a new offense on the fly. Left tackle Trent Williams told me when Graziano was at Niners camp that it's amazing to see how much better McCaffrey knows the offense now than he did last season, and the 49ers expect to see him take off like a rocket ship as a result. Graziano went on to suggest San Francisco will still take McCaffrey off the field more than Carolina did and use Elijah Mitchell and/or Tyrion Davis-Price in spots, because they know McCaffrey's injury history and want to avoid overloading him. But the efficiency he should be able to attain in a full season in Kyle Shanahan's system could be enough to propel McCaffrey to new career-best numbers. 8/31 TE George Kittle played 12 snaps in last week’s preseason finale. Kittle, though, isn’t practicing this week as he deals with a lingering groin injury. “It’s still lingering a little bit from when he has missed some time,” HC Kyle Shanahan said, via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone. “And we’re not going to practice him today either, and hopefully, we can get him going on Monday. ...” Kittle missed the first two games of last season with a groin injury. He missed practice time during training camp with the strain, including sitting out joint practices with the Raiders. “I think there’s always concern when something persists, and this has kind of lingered,” GM John Lynch said Thursday on KNBR. “George usually has about one of these things a year, and then once he gets through it, he’s good. And so, knock on wood that’s the case. ... We miss him when he’s not on the field, not only because of his ability but just the energy he brings. And so there has been a little void here the last few days, but we’re trying to get him right. ...” Kittle has not played a full season since his second season of 2018, and he has missed 16 games in six seasons. 8/31 Injury issues had the 49ers looking at kicking options this week and they’re set to sign one of them. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the 49ers will sign Matthew Wright. Third-round pick Jake Moody has a quad injury that may keep him from being ready for Week 1 and the 49ers put Zane Gonzalez on injured reserve with a calf injury earlier this week. Wright spent the summer with the Panthers and played for the Steelers and Chiefs last season. He also spent time with the Steelers in 2020 and the Jaguars in 2021. Wright is 40-of-46 on field goals and 35-of-37 on extra points over the course of his career. 8/28 Both 49ers kicker, Zane Gonzalez and Jake Moody are injured and won't be ready for the team's Week 1 game aganst the Pittsburgh Steelers. Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bayarea reports the 49ers have brought in two kickers for workouts today: Tristan Vizcaino and Taylor Russolino. 8/28 The 49ers traded three first-round picks and a third-rounder to the Dolphins in 2021 to move up to select Trey Lance with the No. 3 overall pick. While shopping the quarterback two years later, the 49ers expected to get little in return. None of the early offers the 49ers received for Lance included a fourth-round pick. “It wasn’t anywhere close,” GM John Lynch said, via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. Then, the Cowboys called, and owner Jerry Jones said they wanted Lance so badly they weren’t hanging up the phone. The fourth-rounder Dallas offered San Francisco was a “little better than we anticipated,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. Shanahan said multiple teams were interested in Lance. Lynch did not indicate whether the 49ers would have kept Lance had the Cowboys not offered what they offered, but in a radio interview Thursday, Lynch indicated “the most likely option” was for Lance to remain in San Francisco. “The Cowboys came up big,” Lynch said after the trade. “And I think that’s an indication that they’re excited to have him. And we’re excited for Trey’s new opportunity.” 8/26 Following up on the ongoing story. ... Roughly two and a half years after the San Francisco 49ers traded three first-round picks and a third-rounder to the Dolphins in 2021 to move up to No. 3 to draft him to be their franchise quarterback, Trey Lance's time with the team is over. The Niners agreed to trade Lance to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a fourth-round draft choice early Friday evening. As ESPN.com reported it, the deal puts a cap on a whirlwind 48 hours in which Lance was informed that Sam Darnold had beaten him out for the No. 2 quarterback job behind starter Brock Purdy, did not participate in Wednesday's practice and then returned to the team facility on Thursday morning. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports Lance requested to be traded Wednesday. The 49ers discussed a potential deal with some teams Thursday, and then the Cowboys stepped up and separated themselves by offering a fourth-round pick Friday. Up until that point, Lance was slated to play in the exhibition closer against the Los Angeles Chargers on Friday night but instead will head to Dallas to join his new team. “We took a shot, and it didn’t work out. We own that. We take accountability for it,” GM John Lynch said on Friday night’s preseason broadcast on NFL Network. Trade talks surrounded Lance all offseason after he suffered a broken right ankle in Week 2 of last season and Purdy staked his claim to the starting job with a finishing flourish down the stretch of last season. When the Niners signed Darnold in March, HC Kyle Shanahan indicated Lance and Darnold would compete for the No. 2 job behind Purdy. But Lynch also acknowledged that he received trade interest in Lance before the draft in April, noting that it would take something substantial in order to part with Lance. That price dropped once Lance was demoted to the No. 3 spot on Wednesday, as the Niners began fielding calls from other teams. And on Friday, a deal with the Cowboys was completed. All told, Lance started four games and appeared in eight contests in his two seasons with the team. He completed 56-of-102 for 797 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions in his time with the team. Lance's eight games are the fewest played by a top-5 pick for the franchise he debuted with in the Common Draft Era (since 1967 and excluding the 2023 draft class), according to ESPN Stats and Information. 8/26 Not long after the 49ers traded Trey Lance to the Cowboys for a fourth-round draft pick, Brock Purdy showed why the 2021 third overall pick was expendable. The 49ers had nine of their 11 starters on offense play Friday night, including Purdy and tight end George Kittle. Running back Christian McCaffrey and left tackle Trent Williams did not play, with Jordan Mason and Jaylon Moore starting in their spots respectively. Purdy and the starters played 19 plays and had drives of 74 and 53 yards. They came away with only six points, though, as Mason lost a fumble while going into the end zone from the 2-yard line. Purdy scored on a 5-yard run on the team’s second possession. The 49ers are playing without a kicker. Jake Moody injured a quadriceps this week, and Zane Gonzalez hurt a calf. Punter Mitch Wishnowsky missed the extra point. Purdy finished his night 5-of-9 for 73 yards, including a 35-yarder to Brandon Aiyuk. Sam Darnold, who won the backup job over Lance earlier this week, replaced Purdy with 3:16 remaining in the second quarter. Purdy played nine snaps last week in his preseason debut and led the 49ers to a field goal drive. It was his first game action since the NFC Championship Game in January when he tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow. He underwent surgery on his right elbow March 10 and has worked his way back since beginning a throwing program May 29.Discussion of the trade of a former first-round pick will linger around the Bay Area, but the talk didn't seem to distract Purdy. Brandon Allen, who is now in line to be the third-stringer if San Francisco keeps three quarterbacks, threw an interception on his first pass of the game. ... WR Chris Conley (shoulder), DB A.J. Parker (hamstring) and S Taylor Hawkins (hand) left the game with injuries. ... The 49ers open the season on Sept. 10 at Pittsburgh. ... You can access complete stats for preseason Week 3 via our exclusive Fantasy BoxScore. 8/25 The 49ers are sending their former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance to the Dallas Cowboys for a mid-round, per multiple sources. We'll be following up. 8/25 According to ESPN.com's Nick Wagoner, PK Jake Moody strained his right quad in practice the other day. He will not play tonight and is listed as day to day. San Francisco also has Zane Gonzalez on its roster and he’ll kick in Moody’s stead. 8/24 With Trey Lance demoted to No. 3 on the depth chart in San Francisco, what happens next? On Wednesday, HC Kyle Shanahan suggested that the team will do whatever Lance wants. On Thursday, we got a different version of that. GM John Lynch said regarding Lynch, in an appearance on KNBR (via Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News), “The most likely option is that he’s here.” There have been reports the team will consider trading Lance, but it's safe to say that's not the most certain outcome. 8/24 Following up on a previous item. ... HC Kyle Shanahan, speaking on KNBR (via 49ersWebzone.com), said that he still plans to play quarterback Trey Lance in Friday's preseason finale against the Los Angeles Chargers. Lance will come in after Sam Darnold. Lance did not practice with the team Wednesday. Shanahan said that decision was based on the current circumstances and the spotlight being on Lance. The coach expects the quarterback to return today. "Trey has put his heart and soul into this, like almost all players do," Shanahan said. "These are conversations I have to have with guys a lot. They're never easy. They're really tough. But it's also always tough when the spotlight is in [you] as much as it is with this situation, with it being Trey, with our quarterback, his [draft status]. So I knew that was hard on him. We had such a light practice today, and watching how Trey was when we talked, we just thought it was better. 'Hey, take the day off, get away a little bit, clear your head some, and we'll talk later in the afternoon, and we'll get you back in here tomorrow.'" We'll see how that goes today. 8/22 Following up on the previous item. ... Shortly before the 49ers started practice on Wednesday afternoon, a report indicated that the team has settled on Sam Darnold as their No. 2 quarterback behind Brock Purdy. The loser of the competition with Darnold did not take the field with the rest of the team once that practice session got underway. According to multiple reports, Trey Lance was not in attendance for the team’s final workout before Friday night’s preseason finale against the Chargers. The report concerning Darnold winning the No. 2 job said that the 49ers were considering their options with Lance and limiting his injury risk by keeping him off the field could indicate the team is looking to trade him to another club. That said, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport notes that calling Lance's hometown team, the Vikings makes sense. At the Scouting Combine, there was chatter regarding a possible trade with Minnesota with Kirk Cousins and Lance swapping spots. Now that the Vikings have no arrangement with Cousins beyond 2023, they could want to acquire Lance and work on developing him for 2024. ... Stay tuned. 8/23 According to Pro Football Talk, 49ers QB Sam Darnold has won the backup quarterback job. Darnold has been in a competition with Trey Lance. 8/23 HC Kyle Shanahan is not ready to name his team’s No. 2 quarterback behind Brock Purdy. But even when he does, the player in that role could change from week to week. Shanahan said during his Tuesday press conference, via NBCSportsBayArea.com, that he’s “probably” going to announce a backup quarterback — either Trey Lance or Sam Darnold — before the team’s season opener against the Steelers. But that announcement won’t happen before San Francisco plays its preseason finale against the Chargers on Friday. Shanahan also said the backup role could “definitely” change from week to week. Plus, via David Lombardi of The Athletic, Shanahan noted that San Francisco’s scout-team QB could change from week to week depending on the opposing quarterback’s skillset. That indicates the 49ers are planning to keep Purdy, Lance, and Darnold on the 53-man roster. After Tuesday and Wednesday’s practices, Shanahan will figure out the playing time and order for Darnold and Lance. “Today’s a big part of that — and tomorrow,” Shanahan said. “But we’ll decide after these two practices.” Lance has completed 22-of-33 passes for 285 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in the preseason. Darnold has completed 16-of-22 passes for 193 yards with a touchdown and a pick. He has also rushed for 18 yards on three carries. 8/21 The 49ers have RB Brian Hill back on their roster. The team announced that Hill signed a contract with the team on Monday. He’ll take the roster spot of defensive tackle Tomasi Laulile, who was waived in a corresponding move. Hill signed to the 49ers practice squad in December 2021 and played on special teams in three games at the end of the regular season. Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell, Jordan Mason, Tyrion Davis-Price and Jeremy McNichols are the other 49ers running backs. 8/21 The 49ers have signed veteran free agent WR Anthony Miller according to Jordan Schultz of The Schultz Report. A second-round pick of the Bears in 2018, Miller had 101 receptions during the 2019 and 2020 seasons in Chicago but his career has been on a downward trajectory ever since. He was released by the Steelers in June and has not suited up for a regular season game since Week 12 of the 2021 season. He faces an uphill battle to make the 49ers 53-man roster with only one preseason game to go but could land on the practice squad if Kyle Shanahan likes what he sees. 8/21 According to Pro Football Talk, 49ers WR Danny Gray is expected to miss regular season time with his shoulder injury. Gray suffered the injury on the opening kickoff return in the team's preseason game vs the Broncos. Gray is expected to miss an extended period of time. 8/20 Following up on the previous item. ... Brock Purdy got nine snaps in one series Saturday night in his first game action since the NFC Championship Game. That won’t be the only snaps he sees this preseason. “The starters will play next week,” HC Kyle Shanahan said after the 21-20 victory over the Broncos, via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com. San Francisco hosts the Chargers on Aug. 25 at Levi’s Stadium. As Profootballtalk.com reminded readers, Purdy had not been expected to play this week, but Shanahan indicated Friday that the second-year quarterback was ready to get some work. Purdy went 4-of-5 for 65 yards and a passer rating of 118.8, while taking one sack and scrambling for 8 yards. The 49ers, who had their starting offense on the field with him aside from left tackle Trent Williams, went 68 yards before settling for a field goal. “He’s just been doing a good job in practice,” Shanahan said. “When we started out, I didn’t think he’d go until the third game, but just after the week of practice, I wanted to get him out there with the starters, most of them at least. The goal was to get him one drive. I told him if we went three-and-out, I wasn’t sure what I would do, but I was glad they got a long one.” 8/20 As previously noted, Brock Purdy made his first appearance in a game since tearing the UCL in his right elbow on Jan. 29, checking another significant box in his return from offseason surgery. According to ESPN.com's Nick Wagoner, the Niners hoped to get Purdy 10-15 snaps against the Broncos and were able to do just that on the game's opening drive. Purdy went 4-of-5 for 65 yards, had a scramble for 8 yards and was sacked once on a 10-play drive that ended with a field goal.. Even the sack was good news for Purdy as he was able to get his first contact from a defender out of the way. Purdy played with most of San Francisco's offensive starters, save for left tackle Trent Williams, running back Christian McCaffrey and tight end George Kittle and the Niners stuck to designed rollouts and play-action passes to get him quick, easy completions. It was another important step for Purdy as he rolls along toward starting the season opener in Pittsburgh on Sept. 10. 8/19 Brock Purdy had not played since the NFC Championship Game in January when he tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow. He didn’t play long Saturday but long enough for the 49ers to know he’s still the same quarterback post-surgery. As Profootballtalk.com notes, the second-year player saw only nine snaps against the Broncos but led the team 68 yards to a game-opening field goal drive. Purdy went 4-of-5 for 65 yards and a passer rating of 118.8. He took one sack and scrambled for an 8-yard gain. He underwent surgery on his right elbow March 10 and has worked his way back since beginning a throwing program May 29. Sam Darnold replaced Purdy on the 49ers’ second possession, and Trey Lance is expected to play the second half. 8/18 Brock Purdy has thrown 10 interceptions in 197 training camp throws, David Lombardi of The Athletic reports. That includes two picks the 49ers quarterback threw Wednesday, with another couple of near-picks. HC Kyle Shanahan is unconcerned. “You never want interceptions in any situation,” Shanahan said. “There’s never one answer. Each one’s different. But I definitely like having interceptions a lot more in practice than in games. And one thing Brock does is he lets it rip. He’s not worried about anything else. Especially not worried about people counting his interceptions at practice. ...” Purdy has a 5 percent interception rate over his two training camps, according to Lombardi, but the second-year quarterback’s interception rate in games is only 1.7. The league-average interception rate for quarterbacks in games is a little over 2 percent. Purdy threw four interceptions in 223 passing attempts last season, including 63 postseason passing attempts without a turnover. “That doesn’t mean [interceptions] are all right,” Shanahan said. “But I do like him letting it rip and I like him learning from things that he can get away with, things he can’t get away with.” 8/17 Trey Lance has been taking some heat in the national media in the wake of his performance against the Raiders in San Francisco’s preseason opener. Given Lance’s draft status as the No. 3 overall pick in 2021 — who the 49ers traded up to select -- Lance’s performances are always going to be under the microscope. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Wednesday that the quarterback understands that and hasn’t let it get to him. “Trey is extremely smart, very socially aware. He knows how the world works,” Shanahan said, via NBCSportsBayArea.com. “So, he does his best — which I think he does a damn good job of — [in] trying to block all that out and focus on getting better. I think that’s what he’s done so far. ...” Shanahan also reiterated that as a top pick, heavy criticism goes with the territory. “It goes with it for quarterbacks, it goes with it for anybody who’s a high draft pick, but especially a quarterback,” Shanahan said. “That’s one of the tough things for that position but also high draft picks. I mean, you watch receivers come in the league and they have a few drops early in camp and it becomes a lot of pressure on them. People want to see those people take off and do it right away and have no flaws. And that’s just part of it. ...” As Profootballtalk.com notes, Lance is in a particularly tough position because he suffered a season-ending injury just two games into his tenure as a starter last year. And then seventh-round rookie Brock Purdy eventually came in and led the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game, securing his place as San Francisco’s QB1 entering 2023. After last week’s performance, we’ll see if Lance looks any better when the 49ers host the Broncos for a preseason matchup on Saturday evening. 8/15 Brock Purdy has a firm grasp on the San Francisco starting quarterback job, Brenden Deeg of theScore reports. "He would have to melt in practice to lose it," head coach Kyle Shanahan told Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer. "And Brock's too good of a player to melt in practice. ..." Team doctors have cleared Purdy to practice without taking days off, Shanahan announced Monday, according to ESPN's Nick Wagoner. Purdy previously participated on consecutive days with a built-in off day the following practice. The 23-year-old tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow in the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles and underwent surgery to repair the ailment in March. Trey Lance and Sam Darnold are behind Purdy on the Niners' depth chart. Former third overall pick Lance started the team's preseason opener, throwing for 112 yards and one touchdown. Purdy stepped in for Jimmy Garoppolo in Week 12 last season after the veteran passer left with a foot injury. He threw for 210 yards and two touchdowns, leading the team to victory. The Iowa State product went 8-1 in nine starts last campaign, including the playoffs, with the only loss coming in the NFC Championship Game. "The games Brock played in, he played at as high a level as you can ask for, as consistent a level as you can ask for," Shanahan said, according to Breer. "Hell yeah, you can win with that and be very happy with that. That was (seven full) games, there's a lot that goes into it, and we'll see how it goes. I mean, we played good enough in those games to say we're going with him this year." 8/15 According to NFL.com, there was a sprinkling of good, with a bigger splash of bad in Trey Lance's first preseason outing of the year in Sunday's opener against the Raiders. Playing behind an offensive line filled out entirely by backups, Lance failed to even deliver a first down until his fourth possession. However, the fault for the Niners' ineffectiveness cannot be placed squarely on his shoulders. Although at least one of the four sacks he took on the night came due to double clutching when players were open, the third-year quarterback constantly found himself under duress. He did show moxie in continuing to plug away, benefitting from some play calls that smartly moved the pocket during a 61-yard scoring drive, but his touchdown throw was an ill-advised toss back across the middle of the end zone that miraculously caromed off Raiders cornerback Duke Shelley's chest and hands into the diving arms of tight end Ross Dwelley. Lance also got away with another throw directly to rookie linebacker Amari Burney during his final drive. Regardless of how his 111.0 passer rating looks on the page, it was far from a performance that would have fans clamoring for Lance to supplant Brock Purdy. 8/14 The 49ers expect six players to return to practice this week, including running back Elijah Mitchell. Mitchell strained an adductor during the Aug. 1 practice. The 49ers, though, won’t see the return of tight end George Kittle. Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that Kittle will remain out another week as he works his way back from an adductor strain. “George will be another week,” Shanahan said, via a transcript from the team. “Hoping to get him the following week. ...” As Profootballtalk.com notes, Kittle missed both joint practices against the Raiders last week and obviously did not play in the preseason game. Kittle has battled some injuries in his career with his second season of 2018 the only one he didn’t miss a game. He has missed 16 games in six seasons, including two games last season. 8/14 The 49ers selected kicker Jake Moody in the third round -- No. 99 overall -- of the 2023 NFL Draft to replace reliable veteran Robbie Gould. Given his status as the first kicker taken -- the earliest selected since 2016 -- Moody enters his career with high expectations. In his first preseason action, the Michigan product struggled, going 0-for-2 on field goal attempts in Sunday's loss to Las Vegas. Despite the flubs, head coach Kyle Shanahan said he's not concerned about the rookie kicker. "I'm not," Shanahan said after the game, per the team's official transcript. "It's unfortunate because I know the pressure on him and everyone's looking. And I know he missed those two today. He's been great in practice. He's hit them all. ..." Moody pulled a 40-yard attempt wide left on the first half's final play. Early in the fourth quarter, the rookie pushed a 58-yarder wide right. For what it's worth, Moody has shown a big leg during Niners camp, but Sunday's misses will likely ramp up the pressure moving toward the regular season. 8/12 According to Ian Rapoport, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said that QB Trey Lance will start Sunday vs the Raiders in the preseason opener. Sam Darnold will play in the second half and Brock Purdy won’t play. 8/10 According to Pro Football Talk, 49ers TE George Kittle is currently dealing with an adductor strain and is not expected to play next week. 8/09 According to ESPN.com's Nick Wagoner, the 49ers had a bit lighter practice Tuesday, but coach Kyle Shanahan couldn't have been thrilled with the lack of focus among his pass-catchers. Split among a handful of players, the Niners had six drops and a few more that were borderline on a day when the team is preparing to travel to Las Vegas for joint practices and a preseason game with the Raiders. Even Brandon Aiyuk, who has been the most consistent performer in camp regardless of position, had some bobbles. As Wagoner summed up, "These are undoubtedly the days of camp when it's easiest to drag, so the Niners hope a trip to Sin City to play against another team will bring out the best in their guys." 8/08 Christian McCaffrey had to do a lot of cramming after being traded to the 49ers in the middle of last season, but he doesn't have that problem this summer. McCaffrey's had an extended period of time to absorb what head coach Kyle Shanahan wants to do on offense and he said on KNBR Monday that he's enjoyed moving into a new stage of appreciation for the scheme. McCaffrey said he feels "like a football nerd every time I'm in those meetings" because he's able to fully grasp the offense rather than trying to pick it up on the fly. "Yeah, it's much better," McCaffrey said, via 49ersWebzone.com. "OTAs were great, just to really understand the concepts and really, not just learn the running back position, but the whole offense, and understand timing with what the quarterback sees and what Kyle sees, and getting timing right with the O-line, and [fullback Kyle Juszczyk], and the tight ends. So coming into camp, you're not playing catch up. So it's been great to be able to kind of not just learn the offense, but master it. ..." As Profootballtalk.com suggests, McCaffrey did just fine while playing catch up last year and the prospect of him having the entire offense down pat is likely a troubling one for opposing defenses. 8/08 The depth chart that the 49ers released on Tuesday is considered unofficial, but as Profootballtalk.com reports, it says exactly what everyone was expecting to hear. Brock Purdy has long been seen as the likely starting quarterback for the reigning NFC West champs as long as he is healthy and he has been practicing to positive reviews since the start of training camp. As expected, he is listed as the No. 1 quarterback for the 49ers ahead of their preseason opener. Purdy is not expected to play in that game and the 49ers’ choice of a starter might reveal more about their plans at backup quarterback. The depth chart lists Trey Lance or Sam Darnold as the No. 2. Brandon Allen is the fourth and final quarterback in the group.eir handling of this year’s group heading into the cut to 53 players will be watched closely around the league. 8/08 According to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, the 49ers signed veteran RB Jeremy McNichols, who was one of a group of backs to work out for them yesterday. The addition comes with Elijah Mitchell missing time due to an adductor muscle injury. 8/08 Brock Purdy has gotten nothing but positive reviews for his practice work in training camp, but it doesn’t look like we’ll get a chance to see how that translates to game action in the team’s preseason opener. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Monday (8/7) that Purdy will take part in both days of joint practices with the Raiders this week. Shanahan does not plan to have Purdy take the field on Sunday afternoon, but left the door slightly ajar for that to change. “I doubt Brock plays,” Shanahan said at his press conference. ... As previously noted, the 49ers have decisions to make about how their other three quarterbacks stack up behind Purdy and it sounds like Trey Lance, Sam Darnold and Brandon Allen should be seeing plenty of the field against the Raiders. 8/08 As running back Elijah Mitchell sits out with an adductor injury, San Francisco has brought in some other running backs for workouts. According to Field Yates of ESPN, the 49ers have worked out running backs Duke Johnson, Brian Hill, Jeremy McNichols and Jason Huntley. Johnson played for the Bills last season but rarely got on the field. Hill didn’t play at all in the NFL last season but played briefly for the 49ers in 2021. McNichols spent 2022 on the Steelers’ injured reserve. Huntley was recently released by the Steelers. As Profootballtalk.com reminded readers, Christian McCaffrey is the undisputed No. 1 running back in San Francisco, but the 49ers would like to see Mitchell get healthy enough to become a significant contributor. Through two NFL seasons Mitchell has 252 carries for 1,242 yards, a solid 4.9 yards per carry, but he has missed more games than he has played in. 8/08 With things trending in a positive direction for presumptive starter Brock Purdy in his return from right elbow surgery, the Niners still have plenty to sort out at quarterback. According to ESPN.com's Nick Wagoner, Purdy sat out in the spring, Trey Lance and Sam Darnold split starting reps, and they continued to do that early in camp. Veteran Brandon Allen also lurks as the fourth option, which means the Niners will have to juggle reps as best they can to make this decision. The Niners kept three quarterbacks on the active roster last season and almost certainly will this year, too, but they also will need to figure out their comfort level at the position in case other teams come calling to trade for one of their backups. 8/08 A fraction of a season from Brock Purdy worked out brilliantly for the 49ers in 2022. The same could happen for the crafty fantasy owner in 2023, as the no-longer "Mr. Irrelevant" appears to be rebounding nicely following surgery in March on his right elbow. San Francisco still has 2021 No. 3 pick Trey Lance and 2018 No. 3 pick Sam Darnold on the depth chart, but at this point there's no reason to believe that -- barring setback -- Purdy won't be the man under center come Week 1. Assuming that's the case, RB Christian McCaffrey, TE George Kittle and WRs Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk will be there with him. The rookie shocked the NFL with his steely play down the stretch in 2022, guiding San Francisco to six straight wins to finish the regular season and playoff wins against the Seahawks and Cowboys. Including the playoffs, Purdy posted a 16-4 TD-INT ratio and tossed multiple TD passes in seven straight games. "The way Brock played, he has earned that right to be the guy," GM John Lynch said in March. Nothing has changed. ... On the injury front, Elijah Mitchell suffered an adductor strain on 8/3 and will likely be out for about a week.
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 Team Review
Fantasy Grade:A-
The Seahawks were one of the most surprising teams in the NFL last year. Expected to be in a full-blown rebuild after trading Russell Wilson, the Seahawks made the playoffs. The engine for that surprising run was quarter-back Geno Smith, who went from career backup to win-ning Comeback Player of the Year honors. Smith was equal parts effective and productive as Seattle's starter - The 32-year-old was eighth in passing yards, fourth in touchdown passes and a stunning fifth in fantasy points. Smith landed a three-year, $75 million extension as the result of that career year, but Smith told reporters he isn't about to start taking things for granted. "It's still yew-by-year,' he said. 'I've got to look at it like that. It's one year at a time for me. My celebration was I picked up my baby and hugged him up and then i went to the weight room and got back to work. Just got to stay in it. I'm just trying to keep working and focus on ball." Smith will benefit in 2023 from one of the deepest and most talented wide receiver trios in the NFL. In addi-tion to DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, who both posted high-end WR2 fantasy finishes in PPR points last year. the Seahawks added the best wideout prospect in the 2023 draft class in Ohio State's Jane Smith-Njigba. While appearing on the "Locked On Seahawks" podcast. Seahawks senior director of player personnel Matt Berry said that he expects the rookie to make an immediate impact. "We haven't had a player in quite some time — a young player, a rookie coming in — with his instincts and his ability to separate from the slot, so we're excited about him," Berry said. "You're comparing his change of direc-tion to Doug Baldwin, when you're looking at the short shuttle and stuff,' Berry said. He reminded all of us how talented he was. And then he built on it at the pro day. And he ran when people didn't think he should run," In the backfield. fantasy manages were dealt a curveball when the Seahawks drafted UCLA's Zach Charbonnet despite the presence of second-year star Kenneth Walker on the roster. However, Pete Carroll said in a radio appearance that the Seahawks just couldn't pass on Charbonnet's talent and the depth he'll add to Seattle's backfield. "He's so versatile," Carroll said. "He just will fit in and be a great addition, and really, we're gonna find out how far he can take it in terms of the receiving part of it. We know he's really good at it But so is Kenneth, so those guys will be battling." Another cloudy fantasy backfield. Yippee. | |||
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2023 Off-Season News & Views
Click here for Complete set of News & Views
Click here for earlier off-season items |
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