Quarterback
(3): Brock Purdy, Mac Jones, Tanner Mordecai
Others: Kurtis Rourke (Injured reserve)
Running back/fullback
(4): Christian McCaffrey, Isaac Guerendo, Jordan James, Kyle Juszczyk
Receiver
(6): Jauan Jennings, Ricky Pearsall, Demarcus Robinson, Jordan Watkins, Jacob Cowing, Isaiah Neyor
Others: Brandon Aiyuk (PUP)
Tight end
(2): George Kittle, Luke Farrell
Offensive line
(8): LT Trent Williams, LG Ben Bartch, C Jake Brendel, RG Dominick Puni, RT Colton McKivitz, Spencer Burford, Nick Zakelj, Conner Colby
Defensive line
(10): Nick Bosa, Mykel Williams, Alfred Collins, C J West, YGM, Jordan Elliott, Kevin Givens, Sam Okuayinonu, Beal Jr., Evan Anderson
Linebacker
(6): Fred Warner, Nick Martin, Dee Winters, Stone Blanton, Tatum Bethune, Curtis Robinson
Cornerback
(6): Deommodore Lenoir, Renardo Green, Upton Stout, Tre Brown, Jakob Robinson, Siran Neal
Safety
(4): Jason Pinnock, Marques Sigle, Ritchie Grant, Ji’Ayir Brown
Others: Malik Mustapha (PUP)
Specialists
(4): K Greg Joseph, P Mitch Wishnowsky, LS Jon Weeks, PR Junior Bergen
Does WR Robinson have to be on the 53 even when he is serving his suspension? I see them keeping 3 TEs. I don't think Beal will make the 53. You list Bergen as a PR do you think he will also return kicks?
ReplyDeleteYes I do think Bergen will be one of their KR's.
DeleteWhen Robinson is given his suspension he will go on the IR/Suspension list and won't count against the 53.
Razor
DeleteI would question Ben Bartch starting at LG. The question being can he stay healthy?
In 2022, he suffered a dislocated knee and placed on injured reserve. In 2023, he started the season for the Jaguars before being released and re-signed on their practice squad. He was later signed by the 9ers. In 2024, Bartch missed the final four games due to an ankle injury and placed on IR.
If he is injured, will bartch be replaced by Burford?
Burford had his chance early last season, and the 49ers could
not wait to put Banks back in once he was healthy. Even after Bartch got hurt, Banks miraculously recovered.
Agree on Bartch's ability to stay healthy. Maybe he's had bad luck but I'd imagine they'd love to have him in that Feliciano role off the bench and Colby or Zakelj winning the job.
DeleteBurford is an OT now. Foerster and Shanahan both said they no longer see Spencer as an OG and he'll get first shot at swing OT.
I think Burford will also be in the mix for an OG position. Wouldn't shock me if Puni goes to LG, Burford RG where he's got experience.
DeleteEnd of the day they just need to work out who the best 5 OL are.
Scooter
DeleteI would disagree with Puni moving to LG because, IMO, Puni's presence and performance at right OG helped to improve the pass protection of OT McKivitz. Moving Puni to Left OG isn't
going to help TW.
But I also agree with you that End of day, they need to work out who the best 5 OL are before the regular season begins.
Yeah, I am not saying I would agree or disagree with moving Puni. Just that it wouldn't surprise me, especially if Burford is given a shot at OG so he can slot in where he's played previously.
DeleteI'm excited to see Foerster work as the OL coach only and not be bothered with run game coordinator.
DeleteRazor
ReplyDelete* RE Burford: You're right. I forgot Forester and Shanahan both said he'll get first shot at swing OT.
* Colby is, IMO, a possibility. I'd like to get a good look at him during
OTA's, minicamp and pre-season. He could be a steal? Lots of new rookies to evaluate
* I'm looking forward to 2026 draft. I'd like to see JL draft at least 1, if not 2 OT's and a Center.
Geep,
ReplyDeleteThe 49ers have 8 picks in the first 5 rounds. I see the 26 draft being a mirror image of the 25 draft with as many as 4 of those 8 picks going toward O linemen in addition to one O lineman FA signing
OldCoach
ReplyDeleteYou, more than anyone else on the blog, have been advocating for the 9er to draft an OT and O-Lineman! I for one, am hoping your wish finally comes true.
"Everyone on the team are first ballet [sic] hall of famers to be able to have so much success in spite of that [expletive] OL."
ReplyDeleteJon Feliciano
Take this anyway you want. But, I usually put a little more weight on a person's view who knows the inner-workings of the company or in this case, the team they have worked for..
It seems like the overarching view among the panel has been that next year is when the 49ers will will target the OL. I can only hope so.
You are aware that Feliciano was being facetious right?
DeleteHmm, drafting a QB that likely red-shirts this year instead of filling other needs like OL does not press the facetious button for me.
DeleteThe OL will be just fine.
DeleteI can only hope that it will happen. My concern is that if any starters go down and miss time, does the team have plugin backups to hold the line? I expect the 49ers to sign a FA Olineman as insurance before the season begins.
DeleteTheir whole philosophy regarding the OL is hybrid OT's across the board with the exception of LT. Players that are OG's but can play OT too. Perfect example is McKivitz who had to be cut before getting himself in position to earn a big pay raise next year as a FA.
DeleteThat's true, Razor.
DeleteBut I always think of Mike Tyson' philosophy - "Everybody has a plan until they get hit in the mouth." The OL backups better be good if any of the starters get hit in mouth.
Yea, thats the case with any team at the NFL level. No team is without a perceived weakness.
DeleteJon Feliciano is hilarious! I won't repeat his retort to people that didn't realise he was being sarcastic, but fair to say it wasn't family friendly.
DeleteI'm not going to rehash my thoughts on the OL and the draft - this ground has been well travelled - but I will just say that the point of drafting any OL high in 2025, had they done so, was not really to fix the 2025 OL.
Hard to believe they don't have a sarcasm font yet.
DeleteAES
ReplyDelete👍 +10
What concerns me when reviewing this is the secondary...... I hope the additions of Pinnock and Tre Brown help
ReplyDeletediptown
DeleteWith Mustapha out with a torn ACL for the first few weeks, the question is will Ji'Ayir Brown bounce back and keep this starting job?
Team Leaders -
ReplyDeleteLeading Rusher - Jordan James (CMC Injury)
Leading Receiver - Ricky Pearsall
Sack Leader - Bosa (Duh!)
Leading Tackler - Warner
Team Defense improves to number 9 (playing bad teams).
Purdy will have 4300 + yards and 30 tds
Shoup,
ReplyDeleteNice projections. But if they make the playoffs and have to play a good team how far can they go? The 49ers may have improved on defense. But I'm hoping the OL improves as well.
Divisional round is about all you could expect. Maybe Conf Championship if everything broke right... SB is out of reach as this team just isnt that talented unless the draft is an absolute all timer.
ReplyDeleteAs to the OL, I dont expect it to improve to be honest... Trent is a year older and showing signs of dropoff and is injured nearly every year. Puni should improve and maybe McKivitz will as well but I expect a slight dropoff everywhere else. I'm starting to think drafting OL is like qb's... if you like one you need to slightly overdraft them as its not very likely they will fall.
Williams lost a child which I'm sure affected his mentality on the field as well as others on the team who suffered similar losses along with him.
DeleteRazor,
DeleteThat is definitely a possible contributor to his regression but I think there is more to it.
Against KC 2 years ago, it was noted that he had some problems holding up against power edges. Then we saw several examples last year where he was getting knocked back in the run game.
Now I am not saying he is not great. I believe he is easily a top 10 possibly top 5 OT in the league, the problem is he was at one point clearly the best at his position, and that is no longer the case.
So if he is clearly regressing and their is no clear improvement at C or LG its hard for me seeing this line as whole improving in a notable way.
I'm counting on continuity to be a factor for improvement as well as Foerster no longer having to divide his time between OL Coach and Run Game Coordinator.
DeleteShoup,
ReplyDeleteDefinitely agree that this draft class has to be an absolute all timer. Personally, I'm thinking some of them will show flashes as rookies. But, it might take a year or two for them to find their sea legs. There aren't many, if any more Nick Bosa's out there that can hit the ground running on day one.
I agree this draft class has to hit hard but next years needs to be just as good given it's the final covid class.
ReplyDeleteYep. They need 10-12 starters or key role/ impact players out of the 24-26 drafts. And 2-3 of those need to be top tier/ elite.
DeleteThe 49ers are signing punter Thomas Morstead possibly indicating Wishnowsky's back might be a problem.
ReplyDeleteWhether it's due to his back or not, Wish wasn't very good last year so this isn't too big a surprise.
DeleteAccording to one report the 49ers have just cut Wishnowsky.
DeleteLooking at the 2026 NFL draft prospects, there appears to be several OT's that fit the 9ers ZBS scheme and available in the first round.
ReplyDeleteYeppers.
DeleteOf course it's only projection, but Walter Football has Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami going to the 49ers in next yrs first rd.
Delete
DeleteAES
* The 9ers would likely have to trade up to draft OT Mauigoa.
* While player draft position will change between now and the 2026 draft, Mauigoa is listed as a top 10 draft pick
I agree, GEEP. WF has the 49ers drafting at #12 next year, which definitely gives me pause. Apparently, they are counting on the 49ers to be a mid-level team this year. I tend to disagree with them.
DeleteAnother Jets-Robert Saleh reunion: LB Chazz Surratt is signing with the 49ers.
ReplyDeleteCool.
ReplyDelete49ers release Deshaun White and Mitch Wishnowsky.
ReplyDeleteI hope the 49ers are bringing in another punter to compete with Morstead. Morstead is 39yo he is terrible at punting inside the 20 and his net avg is mediocre.
ReplyDeleteJoey Bosa injured out at least until the start of camp. We really dodged a bullet there.
ReplyDeleteCoach,
ReplyDeleteDid he get injured in ota's or somewhere else?
AES,
DeleteThe article I saw didn't mention how it happened just that he pulled or slightly tore his calf muscle.
Thanks, Coach
ReplyDeleteDay 1 injury news - Ricky Pearsall, Ji'Ayir Brown out until training camp.
ReplyDeletePer Source,
ReplyDelete"Ji'Ayir got something done to his ankle," Shanahan said. "He had a procedure done to his ankle, so he won't be ready until training camp."
Maybe my perspective is off, but couldn't Brown have taken care of this earlier?
AES,
ReplyDeleteYou see this kind of thing happening all of the time. I always wonder why the player didn't get the work done as soon as the season ended? I believe there are two different reasons for this. #1 the injury happened later in the off season. #2 Players would rather not go under the knife so they wait and see if they can rehab another way. Just as long as he will be 100% by the first day of camp I can live with it. It will also give extra time for their draft pick and FAs to show their game.
I hear you, Coach.
ReplyDeleteAs long as Brown is ready for TC is the key.
WR corp looks like it will be a weakness
ReplyDeleteMcCaffrey being back, and ability to run more 12 personnel w Luke Farrell will offset that, hopefully- I like the signing
DeleteWith Trent Williams absent, Spencer Burford lined up at left tackle. Ben Bartch was the first man up at left guard, although Nick Zakelj also took a few reps there with the first-team offensive line. Recently signed tackle Andre Dillard did not take part in the practice.
ReplyDelete