By Scooter_McG
The last preseason game is now in the books, and with it the last chance for many players to make an impression to stick on the 49ers roster (either 53-man or practice squad) or on another team's roster. Here's what stood out to me from this game.
1. What do you do when reporters won't stop asking about a QB competition? You morph the narrative by going with a QB by committee approach. We got our first look at what the 49ers offense may look like this season with two QBs interchanging, and for the most part it was successful (albeit against backups). I'm not sure if this level of rotation is something we will see on a regular basis, and Shanahan himself seemed to suggest it wouldn't be at half time, but even so it gives the Lions and other opponents something to think about and need to game plan for.
2. The first possession provided a nice reminder of how dominant the running game can be for the 49ers. The insertion of Mack and Williams into the starting lineup sure seemed to solidify the unit and they were able to give Mostert lots of space. And when Lance went into the game, it was obvious how much his running threat was able to hold defenders to create even more space for other players.
3. The running backs all showed well in this one. Mostert and Sermon seem entrenched as the main two. After that we finally got a chance to see Elijah Mitchell, who as a runner looked good, though he had a couple of rookie mental errors that will need to be ironed out. Hasty put in another good show as the 4th RB, with Gallman getting some time later in the game. Gallman has been getting reps before Hasty previously and this may just have been a case of the coaching staff giving Hasty a chance so they can do a fair evaluation, but its never good being the fifth RB to enter the game in the final preseason game. Could Hasty have done enough to push Gallman off the 53?
4. Sherfield could be the best third WR the 49ers have had under Shanahan. Yes, its only preseason, but Sherfield just continues to impress. Today he made the start in place of Aiyuk and looked right at home as a starting WR. And Sanu saw plenty of game time in the early going too. Those two look locked in to be the 3rd and 4th WRs.
5. The battle for the 5th and 6th WR spots remains murky. Hurd will probably still make the roster, but the best part of his game in this one was that he actually finished it healthy. The play on the field didn't do much to solidify a spot. Benjamin's speed combined with Lance's willingness to throw deep brought two key pass interference penalties that led to points, and Benjamin also got a lot of looks as the punt returner. Jennings dropped a laser from Lance that could have been a TD, which didn't do his chances any favours. The competition for 5 and 6 appears to be between those 3, as Cracraft and Webster played most of the second half which seemed a good indicator of their place on the depth chart.
6. The DL cuts are going to be the hardest. The group continued to showcase their depth in this one, consistently over-matching the Raiders OL throughout the game, with the level of disparity only widening as the game went on. The 49ers would be remiss to not seek a trade partner for one or more of these players as they won't be able to keep them all (you wouldn't think).
7. Hufanga is now firmly in the battle to start opposite Ward. He again made the start in this one, while Tartt also got the start in his first game action of the preseason. Admittedly, Hufanga appears to be getting more time at FS and may be seen as Ward's backup while Tartt and Wilson battle it out for the starting SS spot. Seeing veterans like Clinton-Dix and Wilson play big snaps at the back end of this one was kind of strange and shows the quality depth the team currently has at safety, and highlights how much Hufanga has impressed. Along with Demo Lenoir and Jaylon Moore, who have also impressed this preseason, the 49ers look like may have continued their trend of finding quality in the fifth round.
8. Marcell Harris made some nice plays in this one, playing as a pseudo LB. He looks to have made the transition fairly easily and offers a nice combination of pass coverage skills (for a LB), aggressive tackling and ability to rush the passer. I expect Harris will see a lot of snaps this year.
9. The STs looked a lot more sound in this one. Wishnowsky boomed a few punts and coverage units were excellent for the most part. The return game may not be the most dynamic, but Mitchell showed some potential as a KR.
I think that Shanahan and Lynch have a clear vision of seeing Hurd as a valuable piece this season.
ReplyDeleteShanahan drew up a few plays to Jalen by design. And although some rust on Hurd looked obvious, I have to believe that he will see considerable action this year. The next couple of weeks should help Jalen get his game legs back.
With Hurd, I think his changed body composition has hurt him slightly. He's fast but he's no where near as fast as the receivers most db's face. So the thing that made him special was his size and physicality, which he appears to have lost somewhat.
DeleteGranted, it's way to early to make that call, but certainly bears monitoring going forward imo.
Shanahan on Jalen Hurd, per Matt Maiocco.
Delete"I was glad that he could get out there and get through it," Shanahan said. "He hasn't been able to practice as much, and I think he got about 25 plays today, too. I know some plays he would like to have back. A couple drops there it looked like, but I would consider it a success. It was his first time playing in a couple years in a game. He's had a long road to get back and get to that point. I think it was a big day for him getting through it."
Hurd has found favor with Shanahan. Kyle wants Jalen to succeed and Sundays game was proof that he will call plays involving Hurd.
This is basically Jalen' rookie season. He has yet to adapt to the speed and nuances of the game. He will get better with more playing time.
There is no doubt Shanahan likes the idea of what a healthy Hurd can do in this offense, and the variations he allows Shanahan to run. So do I. I have been a big Hurd advocate even before the 49ers drafted him. But I am not going to sugar coat it - it's year 3 for Hurd and he needs to prove his value on the field, not in Shanahan's laboratory.
DeleteAs I said in my post, the best thing Hurd did in this game was get through it unscathed. The play on the field was meh. Sounds like even Shanahan thought so. Still a long road ahead for Hurd to prove himself.
Agree, AES. I think Kyle has made it clear that the only thing keeping Hurd on the bubble has been his lack of availability after each stretch of practice sessions in TC. More than his performance on the field yesterday, the coaches were testing to see if he could get through the period of last Thursday to Tuesday (tomorrow) without any nagging issues. Thought Lynch said as much in his KNBR interview last week.
DeleteHurd was about as good as could be expected imo. This is a guy who hasn't played a game in years and hasn't practiced much this TC either. They drafted him to be one of those chess pieces like Samuel and have been patient with him. They aren't going to cut him loose now.
DeleteAmbry Thomas will need to be a very good coverage player because tackling doesn't seem to be his strong point.
ReplyDeleteLenoir looks like he's a willing tackler. He will see good playing time this season.
The 53 roster will be the best one in the Shanahan/Lynch regime.
This was an interesting game in that Raiders chose not to play anyone. So you would expect our Oline to look good... and they did, looked great.
ReplyDeleteTrey, needs time right now. His clock is running to fast but that will change with reps. If I am Kyle, I am trying to run up the score so that I can get Trey some reps in situations with less pressure.
The biggest surprise this preseason has been in the secondary Demo, Huff and HA HA have been pleasant surprises, lets hope that stays the same after coaches start game planning against their tendencies. All Arrows Up as Harbaugh would say.
I don't think trying to run up the score is a wise move, its lke pressing in baseball, you play too tight. Let the game come as it may, and I'm sure we will see Lance get some reps in 1st and goal situations where they will roll him out and give him the option for a short crossing route or run it in.
DeleteI can't wait to play the Lions!
ReplyDeleteI will be surprised if the Niners cut Gallman. He's probably their best (or second best) all-round RB since he seems to be their best pass protecting back, less likely to miss games than Mostert, and quietly racks up albeit non-flashy, solid yardage consistently.
ReplyDeleteWould Turner trust a rookie or Hasty with blitz pickup on third-and-long? I think Mitchell would have no problem clearing waivers just like Hasty last season and spend time in the PS. It's more likely Gallman will be picked up quickly.
If Gallman is cut, it would mean that Sermon and Hasty have made huge strides in pass pro in Bobby Turner's estimation.
I agree with you. He's a little bigger body like Sermon as well. As good as Hasty has looked in the preseason, I think they'll go with the vet to pair two vets and two rookies.
DeleteHasty could get through waivers. No way in hell Mitchell clears waivers. Teams were calling Peters after they selected him on draft day to congratulate him.
DeleteNot only that but Mitchell also showed he could be a valuable contributor on ST's. I'd be shocked if they cut him and like Razoreater I don't think there's any way he'd clear waivers.
DeleteRoster prediction:
ReplyDeleteQB: Garoppolo, Lance - Sudfield gets cut and goes to the PS to save room on the roster.
RB: Mostert, Sermon, Gallman, Mitchell, Juice - Only question mark is Hasty but I think Shanahan keeps Gallman who is bigger like Sermon and a better blocker.
WR: Aiyuk, Samuel, Sanu, Sherfield, Hurd, Benjamin - Shanahan and Lynch stated the only thing they needed to see from Hurd was whether he could stay on the field. He did that yesterday and will make the roster. Jennings has looked good at times and has also dropped some passes, but he is the most likely to go unclaimed between him and Hurd so he gets the axe and hopefully makes it to the PS.
OL: Williams, Tomlinson, Mack, Brunskill, McGlinchey, Banks, Moore, McKivitz, Brendel - Tough call on Brendel but he's looked pretty solid in the preseason and he allows the 49ers to keep Brunskill at OG in case of injury instead of shuffling multiple spots around. They could go with 8 and hope Brendel gets to the PS, but I think they go with 9 here.
TE: Kittle, Dwelley, Woerner - I don't think they keep more than 3, especially in light of the Lance packages featuring more 11 personell as opposed to 12 or 21.
DE: Bosa, Ford, Ebukam, Key, Armstead - Extremely tough decision on how DL to keep but it's their deepest and most talented position and I think you keep your best players. Willis will be available to add to the mix after their bye week too.
DT: Kinlaw, Jones, Kerr, Street, Hurst - Toughest position to forecast imo. Hurst looked good before the injury and I think they'll keep him through the cutdown then move him to the IR. The odd man out is Givens who while a good player has shown the least imo of this group so he gets the short straw. I'd like to see them try to trade him first though.
LB: Warner, Greenlaw, Al-Shaair, Harris, Sullivan - Flannigan-Fowles is the easier pick for the final slot but I think Sullivan has balled out and won himself some respect. He may be a guy they think they can get to the PS and that may be true but I think he deserves a roster spot. Griffith has looked really good too but not enough spots to accommodate all these guys.
CB: Verret, Moseley, Williams, Lenoir, Thomas, Johnson - This is the scariest group for me. Verret is already dealing with a foot issue and there is no depth here that can be counted on. If we suffer injuries here it's going to be trouble.
Safties: Ward, Tartt, Hufanga, Wilson - Tartt is obviously a question mark due to the injury history, but I think they'll put Clinton-Dix on the PS in case of emergency.
ST: Gould, Wishnowsky, Pepper.
Most of the roster was already set coming into TC but some guys have given the Coaching staff something to think about for the final roster spots. No matter how it comes out, this team looks like a contender provided they stay relatively healthy.
Ward can play cb in case of an emergency. I hear he's our best cover guy.
DeleteI'll be surprised if Brendel makes the roster but good call if he does.
I think you will be right about keeping only 3 TEs.
DeleteRegarding Givens, I pay more attention to when they play than how they play in preseason. Givens plays early, and personally I think he's looked fine. I think Street will be the odd man out. Consistently played late snaps. Yes he's looked good, but so he should given who he's played against.
Same goes with Sullivan. I think Griffith will get the nod - he's the guy they keep plugging in early.
A good list. I see you sneaked in Dontae Johnson -- the CB barnacle.....
Delete"the CB barnacle" Lmao!
DeleteI wouldn't be surprised at all if Givens and/or Griffiths makes it which is why I mentioned Griffiths, but I based it off who I thought the best option was for each spot considering there is little distinction between the guys near the end of the depth chart. You make a good point about the playing time so we'll see.
DeleteDontae Johnson is that old acquaintance from years ago who just won't go away.
Trey Lance will miss a week of practice due to a finger injury. Should be ready come week 1.
ReplyDeleteFor anyone interested Bret Kollmann is back at it with an interesting Trey Lance Breakdown.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rm2wEK6iyI