By Scooter_McG
The 49ers now have 9 days of camp practices in the books and, courtesy of some of the best local coverage in the NFL, that means we have an abundance of practice reports, tweets, videos and notes to digest. And digest I have; with each report I read I have come away thinking this has been the sort of camp every 49ers fan should be excited about.
While Trey Lance understandably dominates the headlines, the highlights of camp so far have been Brandon Aiyuk and the defense.
Aiyuk was a favourite to be a breakout star this season and so far in camp he has given every indication he is poised to do just that. Almost every day it appears he is making spectacular plays on the ball and giving DBs fits trying to cover him. As Aiyuk continues to make plays, the QBs trust in Aiyuk is increasing and they have been willing to put it up for him to go make a play on the ball, even when he isn't wide open. With the 49ers expected to be a run-oriented offense and Deebo and Kittle also on the roster it may be hard for Aiyuk to put up top tier numbers, but his emergence would give the 49ers three legitimate matchup nightmares for defenses and make it very difficult to shut down the 49ers passing game.
The defense has been an excellent unit for three straight seasons so it comes as no surprise they have looked great in camp. What has been a little surprising though is how the back end has performed. The addition of Charvarius Ward has given the secondary two good coverage defenders on the perimeter, forcing the QBs to try and find open receivers over the middle where arguably the NFL's best coverage LB unit and the safeties led by Jimmie Ward have made life very difficult. With the play of the secondary it could actually be argued the weakest link on the defense is now the DL, and there are 31 other teams in the NFL that would be pretty happy to have the 49ers DL.
The one area that has stood out as a concern through 9 practices is the OL. Trey Lance has been under a lot of pass rush pressure throughout camp. Two areas in particular have stood out as areas of concern along the OL - centre and backup RT. Brendel and Brunskill have been rotating at centre and neither player has risen to the occasion to lock down the spot as yet. At RT, McGlinchey has practiced sparingly as he returns from a serious leg injury. When he's been on the field he has apparently looked very good, but his backup Jaylon Moore has struggled and it has mostly been Moore at RT with the first team unit until his recent lower leg injury. I feel like the 49ers are misusing Moore, who I thought should have been battling it out with Burford for the RG spot.
On the plus side, it looks like Aaron Banks and Spencer Burford have locked down the starting OG positions. Banks has received praise in recent practices as a player that has looked a lot fitter, faster and stronger than last season, and is improving with every practice. Burford meanwhile has been something of a revelation, with some of the coverage even suggesting he has been the best and most consistent OL through the start of camp.
Other observations I have found of interest include:
- Talanoa Hufanga received a lot of praise early in camp and began camp as the starting SS. However, in recent practices Tarvarius Moore has been making a lot of plays and is now being worked in with the 1s as well. This looks to be one of the most hotly contested battles in camp along with centre and slot CB.
- Speaking of slot CB, that's one position group that I haven't seen a lot of reports about. However, as far as I can glean it would appear that Sam Womack is very much in the thick of the battle there and has not looked out of place.
- It also sounds like the 49ers may use more 3 LB looks this year, with Warner, Greenlaw and Al-Shaair on the field together a lot in camp so far from what I have understood. That's one of the benefits of having three athletic LBs that excel in coverage.
- Elijah Mitchell is the undisputed starter at RB and has practiced like it, but Tyrion Davis-Price has looked very good since the pads went on. TDP has shown excellent strength and power, as was expected, but has received praise for his quickness and vision over the past few days as well. TDP has even been getting reps with the 1s and looks like he has solidified his position as RB2.
- Trey Sermon and Jordan Mason have also been singled out for praise as players that are making the most of their opportunities. If they are both able to continue their strong start to camp, Jeff Wilson and JaMycal Hasty may struggle to find a spot on the 53.
- Ambry Thomas has not picked up where he left off last season. He's getting targeted a lot by the QBs and for the most part those passes have found their mark. Some of it isn't the fault of Thomas and has just been very well placed balls against solid coverage, but some of it has been as a result of flat out getting beat.
- Dropped passes have been an issue throughout camp. This is one area the 49ers skill position players need to do a better job to help their young QB out. Drops will happen, but they can't be happening during the season at the rate they have been in practice.
- Drake Jackson started of camp slow, but since the pads went on he has consistently put out strong showings, displaying his combination of speed, agility and power. Like TDP, Jackson has been getting some reps with the 1s and looks like he is solidifying his spot in the rotation at edge. With Burford looking set to start at RG, and Womack in the thick of the battle at slot CB, the 49ers may see some decent early returns from this draft class.
- Danny Gray has mostly struggled so far in camp, and not had much success beating DBs with his speed. But day 6 of camp was Danny Gray day. He showed in that one day what the 49ers saw in him. He clearly needs some development time but the potential is there if he puts the work in.
After a great 2 month vacation in Alaska and coming home to read this, is pure joy.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed both the vacation and the article 😊
DeleteExcellent summary Scooter!
ReplyDeleteI have also found the reports from one 49ers webzone freelancer called Rohan Chakravarthi very detailed and insightful.
Thanks Mugeek.
DeleteThere are a bunch of good people reporting on the team these days, across various media platforms. Nick Wagoner is another I like to get observations from.
Scooter, do you think they carry 3 or 4 TE's?
ReplyDelete5 or 6 WR's?
Delete3 TEs and 6 WRs.
DeleteSkule, McKivitz, Moore and now Mills all competing for that swing OT.
ReplyDeleteI really would have preferred to see Moore competing along the interior.
DeleteGeorge comment:
DeleteSome I read recently commented -- it might have been Kyle Posey -- that Jordan Mills was signed in order to free up Moore to compete for RG.
Someone I read . . .
DeleteGeorge: Need to correct myself. This is what Posey said, with no mention it was to rotate Moore at RG: "The 49ers signed offensive tackle Jordan Mills, per Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson. This is a signing that makes sense for the 49ers, who worked out Mills on Thursday. Jaylon Moore is out with an injury, and he had been serving as the swing tackle for the Niners."
DeleteRazor
DeleteFrom what I've seen at 9er practice, McKivitz may be the leading candidate for swing tackle. He has looked good filling in at RT for McGlinchey.
Teams that ranked top-5 in third down avoidance in 2021:
ReplyDelete1. KC- made AFC Conference Championship
2. TB- second best record in the NFL
3. GB- No. 1 seed and first round bye
4. SF- made NFC Championship Game
5. LAR- Super Bowl Champion
https://twitter.com/i/status/1556137414329917440
ReplyDeleteGeorge comment: Link is to a video of Drake Jackson doing back flips. Quite amazing imo.
DeleteGeorge, even more amazing:
Deletehttps://twitter.com/i/status/1121970245575614464
Link is to a video of Khalen Saunders doing a back flip at 320lbs.
DeleteGeorge: Now that's amazing!
DeleteScooter
ReplyDeleteAs usual, another nice write up and accurate with what I've observed at the 9er training camp.
A FEW OBSERVATIONS I'D ADD:
* My biggest concern continues to be Center. We'll get a better read against the Packers. * SS Talanoa Hufanga VS FS Tarvarius Moore; Both Moore and Huganga have looked good. Don't be surprised if Ryans has all 3 safeties on the field at the same time. Been effective when used.
* RB: Jeff Wilson has had a couple of good days. IMO, JaMycal Hasty is the odd man out, Jordan Mason is too good to make it thru waivers.
WR: Ray Ray McCloud has been outplaying Jauan Jennings over the last couple of practices. Jennings needs to catch the ball.
Danny Gray: The rookie hasn't done much, but he had a couple of big plays that showed his potential to take the top off the D!
* DL: Bosa looks like a man on a mission! Samson Ebukam and Charles Omenihu have looked good. Drake Jackson is raw, but his bend is impressive. Both Bosa and TW have noticed, so you know it's not just coach speak.
Thanks for the insight GEEP, that's awesome. Are you going to be at many more days of camp? Would be great to keep getting your first hand accounts.
DeleteGood point on the 3 safeties on the field too. Wouldn't surprise if the idea is that J Ward plays a bit of slot - probably not all the time they go nickel but a reasonable share.
Scooter
ReplyDeleteI hope to attend as many 9er camps as possible. Depends on work load and my boss cutting me some slack.
* "J Ward plays a bit of slot," Yea, I agree! Hufanga's better on LOS. than playing deep.
* Ryans has been trying different combinations of DB's against both Sudfeld and Purdy, trying to figure out who gets cut on 08/16 and on
08/23.
* Dennard and Womack III competing for NB, but Packers and
Viking games will determine who wins. IMO, Hawkins and knight on
bubble.
* Hoping to see Lance and O-Line get playing time against both the
Packers and vikings, but suspect KS may keep their playing time to a minimum to avoid injuries?
I wouldn't play any starters.
DeleteRazor
DeleteYea, I get it. But Lance and the O-Line need reps together.
* The O-Line is still developing chemistry with each other and getting used to picking up blitzes and D-Lineman when they run stunts! A rookie RG, A LG getting used to his old position and no established Center! They need playing time together, to establish continuity.
* Other than Aiyuk, the receivers are all still adjusting to Lance,
(especially Deebo).
When coming out of their stems, to make their cuts, the ball is on them faster than they're used to with JG. They're still adjusting to timing routs and getting their heads turned sooner.
Nothing more reps can't fix!
Not worth it to me. There's no way in hell I play Trent Williams, and if he's not playing, neither is Lance.
DeleteSaints camp: Winston rolls his ankle.
ReplyDeleteNo worry about Lance being under 50% with over 100 passing attempts in 11 on 11 drills? I mean, its almost 10 days of practice and the numbers haven't trended up.
ReplyDeleteI have been catching up on the Niners and I do have some worries about Lance accuracy issues.
DeleteYes, I have concerns. I outlined these in some comments on a previous post. I think it is a combination of factors playing into it, not all of which are Lance. But come the regular season the team needs to work out how to lift that completion rate to help move the ball consistently.
DeleteThey got time. By November we might have something.
DeleteScooter / Razor
DeleteLance is experiencing what's called a BAPTISM OF FIRE!
1) He's a young man with 1/2 the college experience of most
QB's taking over a top NFL offense. (pressure)!
2) He's taking a huge step up from SDSU to the NFL.
3) He's playing into the teeth of one of the best D's in the NFL
4) He's playing behind an O-Line with more questions about it, than questions about him.
* Is it cause for concern? Yes! But when you watch him play,
the first thing you notice is..
* The game is NOT too big for him and he's comfortable in his own skin.
* He makes mistakes, but does NOT get down on himself.
* He does NOT make the same mistake twice, he learns from it and moves on.
* The vets on the team have accepted him.
* As Bosa says, "Lance has a good enough team around him that he doesn’t need to worry about winning games by himself. He just needs to make sure he doesn’t make any mistakes that lose games."
Razor, by time November comes around it might be too late. Accuracy isn't something that is easy to correct. Doesn't matter how much or how little he played in college you either have it or you don't. As far as reading defenses and other nuances they can be taught, accuracy is an entirely different issue.
DeleteI've always said Lance reminds me a bit of Steve McNair, who also wasn't the most accurate passer. But McNair found ways to keep the chains moving.
DeleteLance doesn't need to have a completion rate of 65% plus, but he does need to find ways to keep drives alive. And that's difficult to do if you drop below around a 60% completion rate. I think that should be the aim for Lance - 60% or above, combined with the ability to make off schedule plays and pick up yards with his legs, should be sufficient to complement the running game well.
Lance can lean on the defense, running game, special teams, game planning, and Shanny's gameday play calling. I understand the concern, but I think it will all sort itself out by November.
DeleteAmen Geep 🤘
ReplyDeleteInaccurate QB's:
ReplyDeleteElway 56.9%
Marino 59.4%
Moon 58.4%
Kelly 60.1%
McNair 60.1%
Luck 60.8%
Accurate QB's:
Trubisky 64.1%
Goff 64.1%
Bridgewater 66.1%
Tannehill 64.2%
Garoppolo 67.1%
Wow thats a horricificly misleading stat. Outside of Luck all those "inaccurate" qbs played in the 80s and 90s (and some in the early 00s) when defense was allowed to play defense.
DeleteEvery single accurate QB has played in an era when the NFL has gone off the deep end with the offense, making it so you can't breathe on a WR without getting flagged. Look back at those clips of guys like Lott and Atwater laying WRs out as they make the catch...that doesn't happen today.
I'm pretty sure Young and Montana would have 80%+ completion rates in todays game.
It actually makes Lance look worse showing those stats.
21.54 top speed for Lance suited up on the field with the football in his hands.
ReplyDeleteThat 4th running back is going to need to be proficient in pass pro, recieving and a contributor on special teams. Wilson Jr. vs. Hasty vs. Mason.
ReplyDeleteOther area for concern is Lance's decision making/quick reads. It was an issue last year and of many of the clips I've seen so far he still holds onto the ball way too long.
ReplyDeleteCase in point - this clip here ( https://twitter.com/957thegame/status/1555333427024445440 ) everyone getting all excited COMPLETELY missing that Lance hold the ball way too long and had that not been Warner, and it instead been Roquan Smith in week 1 thats a sack.
He still needs to work a lot on getting the ball out quickly and not thinking he can rely on his legs. This takes time, granted, but we all saw other rookie type QBs hold onto the ball way too long. If this team is going to the NFC Championship again this year THIS needs to change.
I think what these guys see in Lance is not his arm but his legs. Some are already blaming the offensive line for his woes, but it's the same problem JG had but it was all JG's fault.
DeleteI will reserve judgement until a few games into the season unless he plays horrific in the preseason. I hope Lance plays lights out and if he does Niners will be tough to beat and should easily win multiple championships.
Is the Niners defense that good or is the ineptness of the offense making them look that good?
Agreed. I hate seeing the social media clowns calling this guy the 2022 MVP and making him out to be way more than need be. Not because it adds more pressure on Trey (his pressure is already ridiculously high) but because they have built him up so much in their minds that when he doesn't achieve it (because he won't, not this year at least) they will start to trash him and tear him down.
DeleteJust let the guy go out and play before we crown him.
My biggest concern is that we are moving onto an unknown when the window for a SB is as wide as it may ever be and going to an unproven QB is a very big gamble. What happens if the Niners do not make it to, or deep, in the playoffs? Oh boy the backlash will be paramount.
Also, it is being said that the team is talented enough to carry Lance, isn't it supposed to be the other way around. Isn't the QB supposed to make others around him better?
ReplyDeleteThe best way to shut me up is for Lance to excel and I hope he does.
Mahomes...2nd year starter, did what?
For years Razor and I have been clamoring for a center...
NFL Center JC Tretter is still a Free Agent!
ReplyDelete* Over the last few seasons, Tretter has been one of the best and most consistent centers in the league. He likely hasn't been signed because of a knee injury that prevented him from practicing during his final season with the Browns, but has NOT missed a game over the past 5 seasons with the Cleveland Browns.