- Including two players on PUP -- RB Isaac Guerendo, DL Mykel Williams -- the Niners were without a whopping 23 players in today's final full practice of training camp. - The new additions to the list, including a few names of guys who have missed time before today: WR Mike Evans (groin), WR Jacob Cowing (groin), G Dominick Puni (concussion), CB Upton Stout (hip flexor). Kyle Shanahan said Puni had some residual carry over from his concussion symptoms after returning to practice on Sunday. Puni will likely have to go back into the protocol. Shanahan indicated Evans, Cowing and Stout should be back to practice next week before leaving for Australia. - On DE Nick Bosa (tendinitis), Shanahan said he's doing well and the hope is to have him back in practice in some capacity next week as well. - Shanahan also said QB Kurtis Rourke (three broken ribs), G Robert Jones (calf) and OL Austen Pleasants (knee) have a shot to be back on the field next week as well. - Here's the full list of non participants today: - Bosa, Evans, Cowing, Stout, Puni, Rourke, Jones, Pleasants, DE Romello Height (ankle), LB Nick Martin (hamstring), CB Renardo Green (hamstring), LB Jalen Graham, WR Wesley Grimes (hand), DT Gracen Halton (ankle), LB Luke Gifford (hamstring), FB Kyle Juszczyk (broken finger), OL Brett Toth (concussion), WR Christian Kirk (calf), S Malik Mustapha (hamstring), OT Vederian Lowe (ankle), CB Nate Hobbs (groin) Players on PUP: Guerendo (pec), Williams (ACL) - Given all of that, Shanahan indicated there won't be hardly any starters playing against the Raiders on Thursday. It'll likely look similar to the Titans game as the Niners look toward the regular season. - TE George Kittle followed a similar blueprint as Sunday, taking part in individual drills in pads like everyone else but nothing in team periods. He did some work on the side during that but continues to look good in the drills he's doing. - LB Dre Greenlaw took a path like Kittle's today where he didn't do much of anything in team. Niners clearly trying to get him through to the regular season. - That's opened up a lot of opportunities for other LBs to make an impression. One guy the Niners seem to want a longer look at given the injury situation: LB Larry Worth III. Worth got some more work today and had a nice pass breakup on a pass from QB Mac Jones for TE Jake Tonges. - WR De'Zhaun Stribling was in a blue no-contact jersey today and had another productive practice despite some of his defensive teammates ignoring the "no contact" part of the equation. Stribling made a great over-the-shoulder grab on a deep ball from QB Brock Purdy and held on to it with CB Jack Jones and S Marques Sigle all over him. He had another nice grab on the sideline with Jones swiping at it for a chunk of yards. A take: Stribling doesn't need to play on Thursday night. At all. - RB Christian McCaffrey's fresh legs are still evident. He had a handful of would-be explosive runs and caught a dart from Purdy over the middle that would have gone for a big gain. - DT Osa Odighizuwa continues to dominate inside on a regular basis. I know some will point to the Niners uncertainty at guard (especially with Puni out) and that's fair but 92 is clearly their best interior rusher and should offer a substantial upgrade over what they had last year inside. Had him down for multiple sacks and would-be pressures in team period. - Speaking of the guys upfront, we did get another round of 1v1 pass rush today. Some notes from that... DT James Thompson Jr. does nothing but win in these. Today, he had clean wins against Nick Zakelj and Doug Kramer Jr., the latter of which was one of the most impressive reps Thompson has had in camp. I say again: would be surprised if Thompson doesn't make the roster... Hat tip to OT Brandon Parker, who has had some struggles in this camp but strung together a few solid reps today... G Carver Willis had a rough go here today, losing decisively and quickly to DT C.J. West and DT Bryson Eason... Some good work from C Jake Brendel against West and C Drake Nugent against Evan Anderson and Eason. Growing more intrigued with Nugent as the possible backup C the closer we get to the cut to 53, especially with Toth still out. - Sigle had an interception on a pass from Purdy for WR Demarcus Robinson. The throw was a little high, tipped off Robinson's hands and Sigle made a nice play on it for the pick. - Purdy otherwise had another solid day, finding TE Luke Farrell for a couple of touchdowns in the red zone, completing what looked like a no look pass to WR KhaDarel Hodge and dropping one in to McCaffrey over LB Fred Warner and in front of LB Jaden Dugger for a big gain. - Some more defensive highlights: Deommodore Lenoir got to move around a bit more today and had a nice PBU early against Farrell... Had DE Sam Okuayinonu and DE Keion White down for would-be sacks/pressures... LB Garret Wallow, who also got some extra ops with Greenlaw not in team, had a PBU against Tonges... Dugger got his hand on a ball that nearly went for a big completion to Stribling but Dugger got enough of it to force the incompletion. - The Niners have a walkthrough on Wednesday, game Thursday and then the weekend off to trim the roster to 53 by Sunday. The decisions won't be easy and so much will depend on injuries. Could be a lot of juggling with vested veterans being released and brought back so others can go to IR, etc. -- Names we're watching here as guys who could be involved in some of that juggling: Kirk, Lowe, Jones, Hobbs, Martin, Toth. Also, wouldn't be surprised to see Williams and Guerendo remain on PUP. With new rules allowing them to come back to practice as soon as Week 3, it would just make sense.

23 players not practicing. I wonder what the average is for teams at this point in camp. Evans appeared in 8 games last year. I worry the 49ers usual slow start could be worse this year with all of the practices missed this year.
ReplyDeleteKyle Shanahan said "Puni had some residual carry over from his concussion symptoms after returning to practice on Sunday. Puni will likely have to go back into the protocol."
ReplyDeleteThis is a big concern for me. With the Oline not completely locked-in on whether Jones, Colby, or Willis gets the starting nod, Puni needs to be ready to go in Australia. Hopefully, Shanahan keeps him in bubble-wrap until then.
Hopefully flying 15 hours doesn't effect concussion symptoms.
DeleteGood point, Coach.
ReplyDeleteBut, I believe that the 49ers will safe guard him from this point on to ensure he's ready for the crazy long flight.
Final 53 Stab:
ReplyDeletePurdy/Jones/Rourke
CMC/Black/James/Juice
Evans/Stribling/Deebo/Robinson/Watson/Cowing
Kittle/Tonges/Farrell
Williams/Willis/Brendel/Puni/McKivitz/Toth/Colby/Jones/Cruz
Bosa/White/Height/Sam O/OO/Collins/West/Halton/Thompson Jr.
Warner/Greenlaw/Duggar/Martin/Bethune/Gifford/Wallow
Lenoir/Green/Stout/Jones/Prysock
Brown/Sigle/Mustapha/Neal
Piñeiro, Waitman, Weeks
Guerendo PUP
Kirk Short Term IR
Lowe Short Term IR
Left off Williams PUP
DeleteLooks good, Razor. I'm a little surprised with Enrique Cruz making the team. I thought his best chance was to make the 49ers PS. But, the 49ers are light years ahead of me re the team.
ReplyDeleteYou might be right.
DeleteThe only difference I see is Cruz to the PS. I don't think any team will claim him and keep him on their 53. Any ideas on who they will try to keep on the PS
ReplyDeleteIf they drafted him in the 5th with the idea of him being a 2-year project, do you think they will cut him? He's pretty athletic. Maybe a team would consider a similar investment. I just don't know.
DeleteKhalil Mack’s picks when he was asked which EDGE rusher is better:
ReplyDeleteNick Bosa over Jared Verse
Nick Bosa over Brian Burns
Nick Bosa over Micah Parsons
Nick Bosa over Aidan Hutchinson
Von Miller over Nick Bosa
Bosa watch day 23. Where is Nick?
ReplyDeleteWhat do you mean where is Nick? You know where he is. Where's Myles?
DeleteTraining camp is wrapped up, and the new season is right around the corner. On paper, this looks like the best offensive team KS has ever fielded. The defense, however, needs more reps to fully check out its potential.
ReplyDeleteI understand that all practice squad members are free agents. I also understand that the team can protect four players on the squad from other teams. When does that protection start, once the squad is formulated or from the point of release of the 90 man squad?
ReplyDelete1) A practice squad player is free to sign with another team's 53-man active roster at any time (if they are unprotected), they can't sign with a different team's practice squad unless they are officially released or waived by their current team first. ALSO, They cannot sign with their team's upcoming opponent later than 4 p.m. ET six days prior to the game (or 10 days if it's a bye week) .
ReplyDelete2) Teams can protect up to 4 players per week from being signed by other teams. The four-player protection starts weekly on Tuesdays.
The protection lasts from that Tuesday designation until the kickoff of that week's game.
NOTE: The foundational rules for the existence and general operation of practice squads are governed by the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). However, specific weekly operational rules—such as the exact number of protected players, standard weekly salaries, and game day elevations—are often adjusted via league policies, memos, or separate agreements between the NFL and the NFL Players
Does this answer all your questions?
Can they restrict 4 players before FA period, or do they have to go through the FA period before they can restrict. This is during cutdown time.
DeleteUC
ReplyDeleteNot sure I understand your question? I believe this is the answer to
your question?
NFL teams do not restrict four players during the late-summer roster cutdown; instead, any team restrictions (like the franchise tag or restricted free agent tenders) happen in March before the new league year and free agency begin.
UC
ReplyDeleteIf your question pertains to practice squad players:
During the roster cutdown period, players must go through the waiver and free agency/claim period first before a team can sign them to a practice squad or apply any weekly protections.
* The Cutdown/Waiver Period: When teams trim their rosters down to 53 players, waived players with fewer than four accrued seasons go on the waiver wire. Vested veterans become immediate free agents.
A player cannot be "restricted" or placed on a practice squad until the official waiver claim period expires (typically by noon or 1 p.m. ET the day after the roster cut deadline).
A player cannot be "restricted" or placed on a practice squad until the official waiver claim period expires (typically by noon or 1 p.m. ET the day after the roster cut deadline).
DeleteIn other words, if there is a player on the 90-man squad and they want to develop them they have to wait till the FA period before he gets on the practice squad and then restrict him.
My understanding of the rules are....NFL Players who are cut and have less than four accrued seasons must first clear waivers. Once they clear waivers (usually a 24-hour window), they become free agents immediately.
DeleteYou could check with Scooter, or Razor, they may have info I'm unaware of?
I might not be asking the question the right way.
DeleteUC
ReplyDeleteYour question(s) were explicit, but not being a lawyer there are legal Subtleties I may miss, or misunderstand? Contracts are more Scooters forte than mine. I hope your questions have been answered?
UC
ReplyDeleteDavid Lombardi has an article that he explains how NFL teams (49ers) can juggle more than 53 players, using PUP, release and return and IR, that you may enjoy reading. It's also why I said there are legal subtleties I may miss, or misunderstand.
https://x.com/LombardiHimself/status/2091002349083123912
Thanks Geep
Delete👍
ReplyDelete