The 49ers offense excels against the Broncos’ top-notch defense

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SANTA CLARA

This is what stood out to me during the 49ers-Broncos joint practice Wednesday morning.

Disclaimer: I got a much better look at the 49ers offense than the 49ers defense today. Those two units played simultaneously on two different fields, and I stood next to the field the offense was playing on. Tomorrow, I’ll stand next to the field the defense plays on.

THE GOOD

1. QB Brian Hoyer. Until today, I didn’t know if Hoyer had been playing well this offseason because he’s good, or because the 49ers defense is bad. That’s one reason I’ve been looking forward to this practice against Denver – I wanted to see how Hoyer would perform against a terrific defense. Today, Hoyer performed very well. He completed 24 of 32 attempts and threw two touchdown passes – one to Vance McDonald and one to Pierre Garcon. Hoyer also completed a deep pass to Marquise Goodwin. Hoyer was the best quarterback on the field, better than both Broncos QBs – Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch.

2. WR Pierre Garcon. Garcon caught seven passes, including these highlights:

  • He outran Chris Harris Jr. down the left sideline to catch a deep touchdown pass during 1-on-1 drills.
  • He beat Aqib Talib with a deep in route.
  • He beat Talib again with a quick curl route.
  • He beat Bradley Roby with a deep comeback route.
  • He beat Roby again with a corner route in the end zone to score a touchdown.

Garcon rose to the challenge against three excellent corners. He is a first-rate competitor.

3. WR Marquise Goodwin. Like Garcon, Goodwin caught seven passes. Here were Goodwin’s highlights:

  • He beat Aqib Talib twice with comeback routes during one-on-one drills.
  • He caught a deep pass when he was wide open.
  • He beat Chris Harris Jr. with a deep out route.
  • He beat Bradley Roby three times – once with a deep in route, and twice with deep out routes.

Denver’s corners couldn’t handle Goodwin’s speed and quickness. He is going to have an excellent season if he stays healthy.

4. WR DeAndre Smelter. Fifteen yards downfield, Smelter gave a hard head fake to his right then cut quickly back to his left. Broncos third-round pick Brendan Langley fell for the head fake and ran the wrong direction. Great route by Smelter. The best route of the day. Smelter also made the best catch of the day: He ran a route toward the back-left corner of the end zone, turned his head over his left shoulder to find the ball, saw that it was thrown behind him towards his right shoulder, jumped and twisted in the air to make a leaping grab and landed with both feet in bounds. Smelter has a legitimate chance to make the final roster.

5. WR Kendrick Bourne. Bourne and Smelter are competing to be the sixth receiver on the 49ers’ depth chart. And while Smelter made the flashy plays I described above, Broune made plays as well – he caught two touchdown passes from Matt Barkley in the red zone. Bourne and Smelter seem neck and neck in their competition to make the team.

6. RB Carlos Hyde. Hyde continues to be a focal point of the passing game. Today, he caught four passes, including a deep catch down the seam while playing against the Broncos starting defense.

7. OT Trent Brown. During one-on-one pass-rushing drills, Brown twice faced Von Miller, arguably the best pass rusher in the NFL. And Brown beat him both times, calming pushing Miller around the edge of the pocket. Brown is almost impossible to beat during 1-on-1s.

THE NOT SO GOOD

1. WR Trent Taylor. Taylor led all 49ers with nine catches today. He’s a natural receiver – he can get open and he can catch the ball. He will be a good player for the 49ers in the future. But he still has a lot to learn. He often lines up in the wrong place and the quarterback has to tell him where to go. Today, he stayed in the huddle when he shouldn’t have been there, and Hoyer yelled at him to leave. Hoyer seemed annoyed.

2. TE George Kittle. Kittle practiced for the second straight day after missing a couple of weeks with a hamstring injury. Today, he caught a long pass when he beat a linebacker with an out route, then immediately grabbed his hamstring after catching the ball and running out of bounds. Kittle clearly isn’t 100 percent healthy.

3. OG Brandon Fusco and OG Zane Beadles. The Denver Broncos defensive linemen took turns manhandling Fusco and Beadles during 1-on-1 pass-rushing drills. Fusco and Beadles seemed like players who should be backups, not starters. Unfortunately for the 49ers, they’re starters. The Niners will need to find better guards next offseason.

This article has 153 Comments

  1. Enjoyed it, Grant. Hope you keep doing these, but you need to be punctual if at all possible in the future.

  2. And to think I was hoping the 49ers could engineer a trade for Paxton Lynch after the joint practices. Ha!

    Been hoping 49ers and Denver have trades at some point.
    49ers trade bait could be McDonald, Blair, Dial, Hyde.
    49ers needs are offensive guard, free safety depth, corner depth.

    But what teams have quality offensive guard depth to spare? There’s a league wide shortage of quality offensive linemen.

    49ers could take advantage of a cap strapped team by frontloading and eating a 49er players salary to make deal happen. That’s what Elway wanted the Niners to do with Kaepernik’s contract.

          1. I was thinking Barkley, Dial and Lynch for Talib. But Hyde for Talib would work for me.

  3. Sheil Kapadia ✔ @SheilKapadia
    Tramaine Brock’s agent, Ron Slavin: “The 49ers denied it, but they called me the minute [his case] got dismissed and wanted him back.”

  4. Grant, these in-depth video’s have now made you my go-to 49ers beat reporter!

    You are now offering the most comprehensive, and entertaining 49ers training camp reporting since I started following this team during the 49ers 1981 World Championship season.

    FANTASTIC STUFF!

      1. Yes I also agree with the other posters. You can do excellent stuff when you set your mind to do so.

        1. This is why I like this site so much. I want to get past the nuts and bolts and get to the salient areas, with honest assessments.

    1. I agree as well. This is like when poker started live streaming. Youre a pioneer. I expect others to follow suit but credit you with setting the standard.
      I hope youre investigating selling ad time just like a youtube or twitch feed.

    2. He’s right about the videos. It’s not just that they’re videos. You come across in an authoritative, entertaining way. “The Broncos had two quarterbacks on the field, which means they have no quarterback.” Or something like that. Hey, again, get rid of that Alfred E. Newman picture of you and replace it with someone resembling who you are now. I’ll keep saying stuff like this until you do it. It’s for your own sake.

      1. I recall when Maiocco first left for CSN, and how he looked uncomfortable in front of the camera. Slowly, he became better and better. He’s come a long way….

      2. Yup. Not sure how the media side works but I’ve got to think the popularity of this blog got Maiocco the CSN gig. The battles over Alex Smith used to be pretty epic. The main Smith apologist used to call himself PrimeTime and he used to say the most idiotic things to try to prove Smith’s inept play was everyone else’s fault but Smiths. Not sure if its the same PrimeTime that posts now. Those posts used to routinely get over 1k comments. Maiocco has come a long way. Glad the posters on this blog could help him get there. Listen up Grant, the guys on your little blog here can help your career.

  5. Your on to something here Grant. Impromptu, non rehearsal, fielding questions. Yup very nice. Will you be doing this as the season progresses?

      1. Good job with the report Grant. It’s a very personable way to give info and you are getting pretty good at the camera stuff now.

  6. Grant: In light of what you said regarding the talent level of the interior lineman, I was just remembering that Baalke never put any priority on resigning the guards (not sure about center). I guess that’s why the team is where it is today.

  7. Hi Mate , Erik Magnusen had the best C PFF record in the whole of the NFL what does he look like in training ?

    1. Welcome Geoff, I know this question is directed at Grant, but I’ve heard from sources that Magnusen has mostly impressed. The big knock on him was lack of functional strength, but he’s looked stronger than expected. Of course, he needs to get stronger, but his exceptional movement skills makes him a good fit for this offense, and the 49ers are lacking depth on the interior, so I think he’s got a chance at making this roster. He does need to keep working hard in the weight room though, and if he continues to get stronger, he’s got a shot to be a primary backup on the interior of the OL in the not too distant future.

  8. Grant, watched you periscope yesterday and I must admit, well done. Great on your part taking on questions during the periscope.

  9. I may not always like your views on the team but your coverage during training camp is good and the video above is really great for us die hard 49er fans

  10. Is Paxton Lynch Barkley-bad? Or worse?

    Garcon ran a 4.48 at the combine. He’s probably lost a step. But he’s got enough left to last a few years I think.

    Also, change the camera angle. Looking up your nose… It’s not as pretty as you might think… :D

    1. Lynch is worse. He’s not accurate. Limbs are too long.

      Good point about the nostrils. I’m getting a stand for my iPhone so I can sit farther away from it.

    2. Paxton Lynch has the talent to be a solid NFL QB. He has the ability to be very accurate. The throws I saw him make in college were exceptional. He has good footwork, good pocket presence, and good accuracy. With the right situation, he could be a very good NFL starter. He may be struggling right now but the kid has a very high ceiling.

  11. Grant; I saw your video. You are not a 1940s reporter with a fedora and a smoke hanging out of your mouth. get a shave and comb your hair.

    1. Really? I liked the look. I’m actually thinking he should change his biography picture from his HS Yearbook photo to his current ‘semi-scruffy’ look. It’s much better look than the look in the photo that makes me think he got stuffed in a lot of lockers in HS….

  12. Haven’t had a chance to listen to Grant’s take yet, but from what I have read it sounds like the 49ers were better than the Broncos today. That hasn’t usually been the case for the 49ers the past few seasons in joint practices.

    Encouraging to hear the 49ers D in particular had a good day, even if the Broncos offense isn’t a great litmus test. It provides some encouragement that perhaps the reason for the 49ers offense looking good in practice is because, well, it actually is pretty decent.

    1. Also great to read the 49ers offense performed well against the Broncos D, which is one of the better D’s in the NFL (or has been the past few years anyway). Very encouraging.

      Looking forward to hearing more about the D tomorrow.

    2. Maiocco said the Bronco’s defense was still better than the 49ers offense. But the gap is not nearly as large this year as it was in 2015 & 2016.

      1. That’s the main thing in my eyes Moses. Sure, the Broncos D may still be better than the 49ers O, but you would expect that to be the case as the Broncos D is very good. Just reading that the 49ers O was decent against the Broncos D and much better than in previous years is very encouraging.

        1. Scooter, how could it be worse? It was rock bottom the last 2 years.
          Shanny brings with him a scheme that works. What my worry is, is the guy behind center.
          I just can’t get past that’s it’s Brian Hoyer.
          Who knows, maybe Shanny can do for Hoyer what Harbaugh did for Smith.

          1. It wasn’t just better than last year though. It was actually pretty decent by all reports. That’s no mean feat against the Broncos D.

          2. I’m bullish on Hoyer, Prime. So far, he hasn’t had one bad day in training camp or today’s practice. Even in the game against the Chiefs, he completed that 3rd and 17 yds for a first down by threading the needle with his pass (when was the last time we saw something like that?) There was an illegal motion that nullified the play, but KS said later that, after viewing the film, the refs had incorrectly called the penalty. KS also said later that the other illegal motion penalties were correctly called, so it would seem that he wasn’t biased in his assessment.

            1. I get the excitement guys about this new offense. That was to be expected with the Shanny hire. But not to be too repetitive, it’s still Brian Hoyer.

              I think for me it will take a couple regular season games to be convinced.
              The last 2 years there was all this buzz around the 49ers about this or that. Then came a week one win and it was oh my God, the 49ers are legit.
              Well we know what happened soon after.

              I don’t want to sound like Debbie Downer, but fellas, it’s still Brian Hoyer.

              1. Well, you’re obviously right about the start of the last few seasons. Still, Hoyer has done nothing at this point to not think he won’t be a better QB than we’ve had in quite some time. And, of course, as a 9ers fan, I feel it’s my duty to be a homer at least at the start of the season.

              2. Well said Cubus. I hope you are right and Hoyer resurrects his career in SF.

                If that doesn’t work, how about CBJ having to take over and is the next Steve Young?
                That’s the homer in me. I’d say we are due a miracle in SF at the QB positions considering what we’ve had since 2011.

  13. I have always liked reading your articles never felt compelled to comment until I watched your video outstanding way to get your opinion out to the fans love the back and forth between you and the fans the ability for you to read and answer their questions immediately provided a very personable experience thanks in joyed it

      1. This might imply that you think better on the fly, while in contrast given too much time you would tend to over think things. It actually bodes well for your instincts.

  14. Glad to hear Hoyer passed his test, and is not a product of our secondary.

    Sounds like Garcon is going to silence the critics.

    Helter Smelter vs. The Bourne Identity, who would have thought?

    No doubt about it, the 49ers must address C/OG next year. It will be interesting to see how Shanny compensates for their soft white underbelly, and how he adjusts that compensation when the opponent gets wise to him….

  15. When Von Miller speaks, people listen!

    After the 49ers practiced against the Broncos in 2016, Denver’s Von Miller had high praise for the 49ers young, mountain of a man at RT, Trent Brown, stating that he was

    “one of the better tackles”

    in the NFL. A year later, one of the league’s best pass-rushers has even stronger praise for the 49ers’ 6-foot-8, 355-pound right tackle.

    “He’s the best right tackle in the National Football League,”

    Miller said Wednesday after the first of two joint practices with the 49ers.

    “And he may even be a top-five tackle, period, in the National Football League. There’s not another tackle who’s that tall, that big and can move the way he moves.”

    Holly smokes, that’s high praise from one of the best pass rushers in the entire league. Von Miller has spoken!

    1. His pass blocking has never been a question for me. It’s his run blocking, specifically his ability to block on the move.

      1. Razor,
        If he shuts down the likes of Vonnie, I almost don’t care about the run blocking. Scheme something with guard, tight end, or fulback for runs to his side.

      2. Honestly, I’m hoping the 49ers flip-flop Staley & Brown next year. It’ll make Staley one of the best RTs in the game and put Brown where he’s most useful.

    2. 49reasons, thanks for putting together those gems from Von Miller on Trenton Brown. To think he was a seventh round pick. Kinda like a Baalke afterthought. First rounder Joshua Garnett on the other hand….?

      Ditto on that holly smokes!

      1. I strongly suspect that Baalke let others handle the late round picks. Or at least he was less adamant about controlling those picks as he was the top picks. It seems they always did better with the late picks.

    3. The Vonnie over the top praise for Trenton is feel good after disappointing reports on interior line.

  16. Great job on the videos Grant, liked the part when Hoyer yelled at the DJ. Unfortunately it seems like the Niners don’t have any NFL caliber guards. Hopefully they will invest some draft picks on that.

  17. Regarding Smelter and Bourne, is any of them getting snaps in STs? Are they good at that?

    Hard to believe any WR has a chance to be in the 53-man roster as a 6th WR if they cannot contribute on STs.

  18. Not going to worry much about the interior O-line, yet. Probably very little of the offensive scheme has been unleased and scheme will help offset the deficiencies of the interior line. Got this feeling that the opposing defense is going to have to adjust to the Niners way of doing things, yuppers.

    1. Not sure, but I thought I read where Shanny said he wouldn’t be able to use any of the plays he uses in preseason.

      1. Even with more creative schemes waiting to be seen, I really think we’re gonna be at a severe disadvantage in short yardage downs– especially against good Dlines.
        Could we pls see a bit more scrutiny tmro on Fusco, Beadles, & Kilgore– 1 on 1’s and scrimmages?

  19. I have a question on blocking for the fullback and running backs during passing plays. It would seem to me that it is easier for these backs to block someone coming up the middle than defensive players on the edge. If that’s the case, it could possibly help our weak OL interior since the tackles seem to be very good at pass protection. Just wondering if that is a valid assessment on my part.

  20. Good
    1. Yup, the Hoyer haters will realize that Hoyer is at worst a solid bridge QB. With Shanny he could be a top 15 QB if he stays healthy.
    2. Garcon is what we thought he was, an excellent possession WR that can give you 5 to 10 catches depending on the gameplan.
    3. Awesome! We need a guy to step up on the outside and Goodwin has consistently done that.
    5.Bourne has more upside. I would keep him over Smelter.

    Not good
    1. Rookie mistake. The 9 catches makes his mistake more palatable. The best part is Hoyer directing traffic and showing his displeasure with Taylor. Hoyer is the leader that will hold his offensive teammates accountable. It’s Brian’s team.
    3. Huge concern.

    1. What happens when Hoyer becomes Hoyer? That leadership voice just became deaf toned.

      I’m not hating on Hoyer. All I’m saying is practice means nothing. Winning games is what matters. Until he shows that capability, he’s an unknown.

      1. Prime, how many games does he have to win? He has a career .510 record. Considering the recent horror show here, I’d take that in a SF second for this season.

      2. “What happens when Hoyer becomes Hoyer?”

        Beathard becomes starter.

        Either Hoyer proves himself to be capable or we get a chance to see if Beathard can be our franchise QB.

        I think Hoyer will be solid. After getting it done today against a team with a good pass rush and good CBs, I can say that with more confidence.

      3. He was 10-6 in two years with Cleveland and got benched because of the owner forcing the coach to play Manziel. Which is why, btw, Shanahan quit after 2014,

        Cleveland is also where he ‘earned’ most of his bad stats and ‘back up QB’ reputation. While some of it might be deserved, all things considered (ie desperation offense to cover for a bad defense) has undoubtedly played a part. When QBs are constantly having to challenge deep (Hoyer lead the NFL in length of average reception in 2014 at 13.7 yards/reception), because their offense is inefficient or their defense can’t stop anyone, they’re going to throw more picks which tends to make analyzing/projecting them more difficult.

        Still, the Browns were 10-6 under him. Despite his career high INT rate (3.8%) there. However, he’s done well at other places and has a career rate of 2.2% which is, FWIW, not too shabby.

        Over all he’s basically played like someone who didn’t have NFL skills but as been showing NFL-level growth through his career:

        New England: Back-up
        Arizona: Bad (65.8 QBR)
        Cleveland: Mediocre (77.6 QBR)
        Houston: Decent (91.4 QBR)
        Chicago: Good (98.0 QBR)

        How good, or bad, will he be? Don’t know. But I’m not going to just rely on a reputation.

        But if winning games is your thing… He’s been 16-15 as a starter for a lot of bad/dysfunctional teams like the old Cardinals, the current Bears and Cleveland.

    2. For what it’s worth, Fusco and Beadles were good enough to start 174 NFL games total, between the two of them. How bad can they be? They both fit our system.

      I’m not saying these 2 guys are above average NFL interior linemen, but you have to respect 2 OL’s who have been good enough to start that many NFL games between the two of them.

      1. While it won’t be a team strength, if the OL can stay relatively healthy this season, I don’t think it’s going to be the disaster it’s been over the last couple seasons. Keep in mind that all 3 starting interior offensive linemen were good enough to make a 2016 pro bowl center expendable this offseason.

      2. Just going on goal line run plays against KC and today’s 1 on 1 reports- Beadles & Fusco are worrying.
        KC got massive push up between tackles, stuffing runs a yard behind LOS.

        1. You’re certainly right about that tjf.

          Is it possible this line hasn’t quite gelled yet? The OL has to work in unison, as one unit, and that takes time to develop that rapport. Of course, if you’re being overpowered and out leveraged, it probably doesn’t matter how long they have been working together in tandem.

          Fingers crossed they look sharper on Saturday!

  21. — Ryan Sakamoto (@BEASTwriter_) August 16, 2017
    Watch @flashg88dwin abuse CB Aqib Talib coming off his stem w/double moves.

    Double moves. Our previous coahing staff had never heard of such a thing, much like gap integrity.

  22. On the 9er website…

    “The San Francisco 49ers announced on Wednesday that they have waived/injured linebacker Jayson DiManche and placed linebacker Donavin Newsom on the Injured Reserve List.

  23. “You talk about a hard worker,” Hoyer said. “I’m out there (after practice) with my family for 30 minutes and he’s(Goodwin) still catching balls from the Jugs (machine), running up the hill. That’s the one thing: When you see guys that are really talented who are willing to work that hard, they obviously always have a chance to be something special.”

    1. That’s good, because until he failed to make the Olympics, he wasn’t putting his all into profootball. And it was showing on the field and his lack of production.

  24. So which Broncos players do you think John Lynch might be interested in trading for? And which players potentially going the other way?

        1. I think Schofield is in the same boat as Dial, when the Broncos traded for Barbre. Would be a fair trade, and beneficial to both teams in areas of need.

    1. Scooter
      These talks are preliminary. At this point it’s only about the size of the bundles!
      We’ll swap our Clown Car full of bubble guys for your Clown Car full.
      : -)

    2. Tough to pick out individuals but it will be end of roster players most likely which won’t have much of an effect on the game day roster. The Broncos biggest need seems to be the Oline and QB which doesn’t match well with what the Niners have to offer. Ideally the Niners can find a team with a loaded secondary that needs help on the Dline. Getting a CB/S/OG for one of the extra DL would be good.

  25. The 49ers had 2Pac playing through the loud speakers while the team’s were warming up, perhaps to set the stage for the visitors under California’s sunshine.!

    :-)

  26. The Biderman article had this to say about the interior OL:

    The interior of San Francisco’s offensive line remains the weak point on the offense while Joshua Garnett remains sidelined indefinitely with his knee injury. Brandon Fusco and Zane Beadles struggled in individual drills against Broncos linemen Adam Gotsis and Zach Kerr.
    Center Daniel Kilgore did well against nose tackle Domata Peko, standing him up on consecutive reps.

  27. From the enemy.

    http://den.247sports.com/Bolt/John-Elway-engaged-in-trade-talks-with-49ers-GM-John-Lynch-106224059

    “One popular trade candidate is defensive lineman Quinton Dial, who’s not a great scheme fit in San Francisco. Dial can play inside and outside, and would provide depth in Denver with Derek Wolfe (ankle) and Jared Crick (back) currently sidelined.’

    “Another name to consider is veteran inside linebacker Navorro Bowman, who was an All-Pro before devastating injuries sapped much of his explosiveness. Still, Bowman — who reportedly has been on the chopping block — could come in and push Todd Davis for starting duties opposite Brandon Marshall.”

    I doubt we trade Bow.

  28. The videos add a whole other dimension and level of insight. And not just any one can do this winging it / fly by the seat of your pants sort of thing.
    Another reason to make this the go to place for this nerd junkie’s daily fix on the Niner preseason. I am already wondering if this can work post games?

  29. The distressing thing about the vids is – man is Grant young. This old guy is going to stop taking him seriously.

    1. Age shouldn’t have anything to do with credibility imo Bruce. There are a lot of older guys who don’t know the game as well as Grant does. He was a little green when he first took over the blog but he’s put a lot of time in and learned to the point he can now talk about pretty much anything with confidence. I appreciate the effort he’s put in and respect his understanding of the game.

  30. Barrows:
    “I watched the 49ers defensive line in one-on-one pass-rush drills. The pass rusher who stood out most was draft pick Pita Taumoepenu, who beat Ty Sambrailo on two straight snaps, the second one a nifty spin move. Taumoepenu has been showing up more in recent practices as his comfort level continues to grow. He has received more snaps since Aaron Lynch went down with an ankle injury.”

    1. Taumoepenu plays well, the Niners could trade Lynch. I’m sure the Bear would be interested.

      Lynch for Kyle Fuller?

      1. Now that’s a trade….almost seems too perfect, he know Fangio’s system already. On the other hand Fangio knows Lynch, maybe a little too well….get it done Grant

      2. Fuller has had some injury problems hasn’t he? If he’s healthy it wouldn’t be a bad idea provided they have somebody as good as Lynch to play behind Armstead.

        1. He missed all of 2016. It’s a risk for sure but even if we could only get one or two seasons of him healthy he’s an instant upgrade and a relatively cheap acquisition to be a “bridge” starting CB for the defense.

  31. Interesting. There was another incident of the Niners with another unforced error. Colbert led with his helmet, and John Lynch had to jump in and settle things down.
    .
    Grant did not mention that at all, but he also said he was concentrating on the offense.
    .
    Questions-
    Did the coaches talk about fights before the practice?
    Were the players listening?
    Were there consequences? I hope they sent Colbert off the field, and sat him down until he can learn to play disciplined, and not out of control. Dirty hits are counter productive. They punish the Niners, and motivate the opponents.
    Were the Niners strict about fights? if not, they may continue because there are no ramifications for their actions.
    .
    Were the coaches prepared? I like Lynch’s leadership, but one part of his job description should not be to break up fights. Let the coaches do that. He should be brokering deals with Elway.

  32. Just got to watch the vid, once again very good insight Grant, thanks. Your point about the safeties at the end is exactly what both of us were saying before the draft. Really would have liked Adams.

    On Paxton Lynch, what you saw today is what I was afraid of before last years draft. He looked great in the system he played in, but wasn’t asked to make a lot of difficult throws, the defenses he faced by and large weren’t good, and everything was kept simple for him. Its just such a big learning curve coming from that, and rightly or wrongly he didn’t strike me as having the right mentality or smarts to make the jump without a lot of patience. But he is at a team that is trying to make him their starter before he is ready and his confidence is taking a hit.

  33. Mr. Grant, justifiable or not, I am an optimist. I like our starting lineup, including a QB. My feeling is that the weakest link are guards. Since both, KS and JL have a six years contracts, would it be feasible to try with someone else than Beadles and Fusco, say, Magnusen and D. Williams, who offer some promise, as apposed to B and F, who are clearly backups? It might be detrimental on the short run, but long term it can be OK. In a year or two, Brown can take Staley’s place at LT, D. Williams can take his place at RT, J. Garnett and Magnusen can play guards and, if we can draft a descent C, we can come up with a pretty good OL. Since I have no an opportunity to wach pre-season games, do Magnusen and/or D. Williams offer any kind of promise for the future?

  34. Couple things regarding the oline
    1. I expect that the offensive line will be thoroughly over-matched throughout the season and if anyone goes down… it could ugly real fast with the line being worse than the past few seasons just because of the fit in the scheme and the fact that Staley has been getting worse the past few seasons.

    2. In spite of worse offensive line play I thing the they will average 50 to 60 more passing yards per game and about 20-23 yrds less rushing per game.

    3. The team will give up far fewer sacks due to the fact that Hoyer will get rid of the ball faster than our previous qb’s did.

    4. The 49ers would have drafted an Olineman much sooner if their were any decent ones in this past years draft and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if they go after another vet, once teams cut down to their 53 man roster.

  35. Thoughts on post practice/post game video reports. For me, the primary reason this is working well is good content and duration–with emphasis on duration. Twenty to thirty minutes is great. If the video report is slowly whittled down to a one or two minute window–due to the pressures of competing priorities, commercialization/drive for increased revenue for stakeholders, etc.–then quality will suffer and interest will wane. Imagine having to tolerate advertisements sprinkled through the report–Brocade, Freeman Toyota, Yogurt Time, Mary’s Pizza Shack…
    ….

  36. Grant,
    Very nice recap. I am looking forward to your opinions on the D today. Could you keep an eye on Witherspoon and Taumoepenu today, I have read that they both seem to be hitting their stride. Thanks

  37. Hey Grant , loved you sat on the offense , knowing that’s most concerning thing . Question I have for you is ,when your going to take a look at the individual coaching , grades . I think it’s well over due. Agree with the QB assessment . Wrs look more promising .,and yes guard is the biggest concern . Great Outlook ,eyes wide open. love it for it’s brutal truth . Good job grant . Your thoughts on the coaching staff ? One other thing Lynch just had a baby ( wife)( if anyone who has children knows ,even if planned ,they turn your world upside down , ) think he has alot on his mind ,not just an injury. Give him a little time to settle in to his new dad role , I think the rewards will come with him . Any thoughts are appreciated . Again grant that was your best out look yet . And that honestly brutal assessment , MasterCard moment. Priceless . Ty

  38. Malik Hooker was my top pick during the draft. Had the team selected him and, given the physicality of Shanahan’s practices, the probability of him being injury-free at this point in time is very low. From PFT:

    Colts first-round FS Malik Hooker has missed the last week of practice with a shoulder injury.
    Hooker has spent more time injured than healthy since being drafted by the Colts, recovering from shoulder and sports hernia surgeries during the offseason program and opening camp on the PUP with a hamstring issue. It is unclear if this shoulder injury has anything to do with the offseason surgery. The Colts need Hooker to contribute right away, but that will be tough after all this missed time.

    1. In my last mock draft, I also wanted the Niners to draft Malik Hooker.
      .
      I was thinking that since they are going to the Pete Carroll style defense, they need that Earl Thomas type FS, and Malik Hooker fit the bill.
      .
      Considering that this was a 2-14 team, and are building for the future, I was content for the team to allow MH to recover fully. I also wanted the Niners to let Foster to heal fully, and in yesterday’s practice, his shoulder injury was disconcerting, I hope they dial him back, and play him sparingly. They know what he can do, but if he cannot get on the field, he will not be able to contribute.

    2. They drafted him with a long term outlook in mind. It was the same thing with the Niners and Foster. You hope they can contribute as soon as possible, but the focus is on the talent.

  39. Glad to see the Niners contemplating trades. When I proposed trades before, many posters derided me for even postulating the possibility. They stated that no team would ever want to trade during the preseason, because teams would be content to wait, and scoop up players who would be cut, for free.
    .
    The recent moves by the Rams, Bills and Eagles just blew that notion out of the water.
    .
    I am heartened by Grant’s report that Lynch and Elway are mulling over trades.
    .
    Now, if only they could bundle players and picks….. ;p

  40. sebnynah says:
    August 16, 2017 at 11:48 pm

    Lynch may want to call what Kaep did as divisive…….

    Seb,

    Hoyer’s been in Shanahan’s system and knows it verbatim. Kap’s starting over as an old man.

    You are the D_E_V_I_S_I_V_E poster. GET OVER IT. Kap’s an old man trying to learn a new offense. Go buy some Geritol and alzheimers meds so you can quit toddling over to your laptop parroting the same “Kap still has it” pablum.

    He’s a washed up has been as are your Kap posts…..Beat it ‘Sir Lose A lot.’

  41. Niners sign Shane Skov. Nice. Wish him well. Thought he should have been playing instead of Bellore last season.

  42. Seb , you should really let the Kap thing go , yes it’s argumentative . But he doesn’t want to be here. Your beating a dead horse . Time to focus on what we have got . Our QB looked pretty darn good yesterday . Can we move on , please.

    1. 49er, I was just commenting on a blog that mentioned that Lynch thought Kaep was being divisive. I did not bring him up, and if you noticed, my post above this was only about Shane Skov being signed. That was nothing at all related to Kaep.
      .
      Yes, I think Hoyer might do well with the proper support. However, with the poor Guard play, I hope he stays upright. If Hoyer is the starting QB for the San Francisco 49ers, I will root for him, and the Niners to succeed.

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