Jim Tomsula says Bruce Ellington, Michael Wilhoite and Glenn Dorsey will return to practice this week, plus more

SANTA CLARA – Here’s a transcript of head coach Jim Tomsula’s Monday conference call.

Q: Last week you intimated you’d be shuffling around the offensive. Is the first unit the unit you’ve settled on?

TOMSULA: No, it is not the unit we’ve settled. We are not settled there. We’re getting closer. I like what (Joe) Looney did, and I like where we’re going with RG Marcus (Martin). He’s really doing a nice job in terms of every week getting better at the guard position. Obviously, we had that one pirate stunt we didn’t handle right. We didn’t pass that off the way we should have. We’ve got to work on that. I like where those guys are going, but I don’t want to tell anybody we’re settled.

Q: Will you try to get a better read on RG Jordan Devey, and what did you think of him last night?

TOMSULA: I think he did very well, and I would expect you to see him playing a little earlier. I like what Ian (Silberman) did at the right guard spot during his time. Also, Marcus Martin, like what he did. And then working Brandon (Thomas) over on the left side. He did some really nice things.

Q: Why look at Brandon Thomas on the left side when he had been playing right guard earlier on in camp?

TOMSULA: If you remember, he started on the left side. During the spring he was the left guard. He was a left tackle in college. As we were going through the process of getting him back on the field and going through things, we noticed there was a little bit of a hitch in his giddy-up the way his steps timed out on that third step with that leg. So we put him to the right to try to get that hitch out of the giddy-up, and it worked really well. So we’ve seen him completely moving great. We wanted to put him back to the left to see how comfortable he was. He was very good.

Q: What did it mean to you seeing NaVorro Bowman out there making plays?

TOMSULA: I think it meant a lot to everybody that knows him, but most importantly I think it meant a lot to NaVorro. Obviously it was really nice to see him out there. We’ve all seen him in practice. We’re seeing all those things going on. You’re seeing it – we’re all seeing it. Everybody on this call is seeing it. But to see it out there under the lights and for him to go through the whole process of getting out into the game – I was glad we got that three-and-out. I could see him, the momentum was going and I would have had to call timeout to get him out of there.

Q: NaVorro talked after the game about how he used some of his time off to really become even more of a student of the game. Can you speak to that?

TOMSULA: All last season, NaVorro was in every meeting we had. He prepared for every game last year like he was going to play. So that was No. 1. No. 2, just the way he can go back and dissect the tape. All the guys have the iPads now, so they take the film home. He studies a lot of tape.

Q: What did you see from the young corners that got into the game early yesterday?

TOMSULA: I was really encouraged there, too. You see some speed there. I think you noticed it. We’ve got some young guys with a lot of speed. There were a couple of route combinations there that we could have picked up cleaner, but you see guys, the eyes are clean. The pattern reads and stuff like that. Obviously that’s the thing you’re concerned about when they’re young. I think they did a nice job on the pattern reads, and I mean Tim Lewis with those guys – I’m really excited about what’s going on our backend.

Q: Did Kenneth Acker hurt his wrist on one of those plays? It looked like he was favoring it.

TOMSULA: He had a little bump. I should interrupt myself right now and give you the injury report. From the game: Vance McDonald got an ankle injury. He’ll get a couple days of rest. (Desmond) Bishop, he’s going to end up having a procedure on that hand there over by the thumb. (Craig) Dahl, he has a back strain. He’ll be out a couple of reps, but happy where that’s at. Chuck Jacobs got an ankle sprain. He’ll get a few days. And (Tank) Carradine had a leg strain. He’ll work through that in practice Guys that didn’t play: You’ll see (Michael) Wilhoite returning to practice this week. You’ll see (Bruce) Ellington returning to practice this week. You’ll see (Glenn) Dorsey returning to practice this week. And (Philip) Wheeler, we’re going to take another week, we think. So that’s all that we have coming out of there from the injury report. I do remember Acker having something with his thumb or wrist, but it was more of like a ding. Nothing of substance, from what I understand.

Q: Bishop hurt that thumb in the game? It looked like it was wrapped up during the game?

TOMSULA: Yes, he hurt it during the game. He was playing with it. When they come off, he got the exam, they checked everything, got the x-ray – I guess there’s a little something in there.

Q: Can he play with that injury?

TOMSULA: No, I think he’s going to have a little procedure. He went over and asked for his hand to get taped or something during the game. No indications or anything. Then after the game he came into the training room and asked them to do a thorough exam on his hand.

Q: What do you hope to get out of these joint practices this week? What’s your message to the guys? Certainly there have been some fights at some of these camps where teams have practiced together.

TOMSULA: Well, in terms of what other people do in these, I would be extremely disappointed if anything like that happened where we were. Don’t expect it. Don’t have a comment on it. We are going up there, No. 1 it excited me because I feel like that’s a class-act organization. Their organization and our people have worked together. It’s been great. The coaching staff there – a lot of respect for them and what they do. And obviously a really good football team. And then we also get to play in the altitude. I really like the idea of going and spending a week in the altitude and training up there. I think that’s good for us.

Q: When you said Wilhoite will return, do you expect he will be taking part in these joint practices?

TOMSULA: Yeah, he’ll be out there some. Again, you’ve seen how we’ve done this. We’re going to stay on the same protocol where it’s not zero to 100 in one day. We’re not going to do that. We’re going to gauge that on how he’s feeling, how he’s looking. We keep checking up on him. Our training camp will keep doing that. Reserve the right to limit that in any way that we deem necessary for his full return.

Q: Do you have any one Peyton Manning memory that pops to mind?

TOMSULA: Maybe the biggest thing that I remember is being up there in Indianapolis a few years back. You watch it on tape, how fast he moved that team back then. Remember how he’d rush that ball, catch you in substitutions? I remember being on the sideline with that live. Obviously he can throw the football. Going out before the game and watching him practice the same routes and the same things with his receivers. He’s got that routine that he does. It’s well documented how good of a player he is – we’ve all seen it. But just the way he managed that game in terms of the speed and the way he could cause problems besides the play. Does that make sense?

Q: Do you want to see the Keith Reasers and the Kenneth Ackers get a lot of snaps against Manning and that first-team offense to give them that experience?

TOMSULA: Absolutely, I want to see all of our guys go against them there and keep evaluating where we’re at. Get different combinations together.

This article has 116 Comments

  1. Sounds like the starting OL is still not sorted out. The individuals have performed, but the OL itself needs to gel. Having Thomas also work the left side makes me wonder if they are considering moving Boone back to the right side.

    1. What did you make of Thomas’ performance against the Cowboys, cubus? I think he is one of the best 5 OL on the team from what I’ve seen. Would like to see him get some reps with the 1s.

      I don’t know if they are thinking of moving Boone though – may have been just getting him some reps at LG so he’s used to it in case of an injury to one of Boone or Staley during the season?

      1. Agree that Thomas is top 5. You’re probably right about Boone not moving, but I was thinking that if they determine that Thomas is only a slight step down from Boone or perhaps not any, then wouldn’t it make sense to move him to left guard and simultaneously shore up the right side of the line by moving Boone there. Or alternatively, I guess, keep Thomas at right guard and move Martin to center. As I think more through it, maybe they just want to know that they could move Thomas to left guard if need be and the ultimate plan is that Thomas will be the right guard.

        I’m most disappointed with Martin. He was the top rated center coming out of college. I guess I always thought that playing guard was easier than center, but either I’m completely wrong or Martin is just an exception.

        Also, don’t you think they need to start gelling the starting line instead of continuing on with variations.

        1. As I think about it some more, maybe it makes more sense to put 1st year player Thomas next to Staley and move Boone back to RG. Boone has more experience so he can probably hold his own better next to Pears than 1st year player Thomas could. Thomas, OTOH, would benefit more by playing next to our top lineman, Joe Staley.

          1. This is exactly what I was thinking Cubus and made this point on another site. I think its obvious which side is the strength of our line and which side will be exposed every week. If you move Boone back to the right next Pears and BT next to Staley it really evens out our line IMO. I say MM takes the OC spot.

            I think the joint practice in Denver will be very telling to where the coaches are leaning.

        2. Yeah, I would hope the starting OL is settled this week. I agree Martin has been disappointing. He actually has looked better at OC than RG, so maybe that is where he feels most comfortable. It does make sense I guess given that is where he’s gotten most of his experience.

        3. Did you guys see these ratings from Sunday’s game from PFF? A lot of us are assuming Thomas played well and Martin poorly, but not according to their rankings. The camera work was shoddy on Sunday it was hard to tell what was going on.

          Fooch’s note: For those wondering, here is a look at some of the notable 49ers offensive line grades for the game. The grades are overall, pass block and then run block. Alex Boone had the only penalty assessment.

          Joe Staley: 1.1 overall, 0.4 pass block, 0.6 run block
          Alex Boone: -0.7, 0.2, 0.1, -1.0 penalty
          Joe Looney: -0.1, 0.1, -0.2
          Marcus Martin: 0.4, -0.9, 1.3 – 1 QB hurry
          Erik Pears: -1.4, -1.1, -0.4 – 2 QB hurry
          Brandon Thomas: -2.3, -0.6, -1.8 – 1 QB hurry
          Andrew Tiller: 1.1, 0.3, 0.7
          Trent Brown: 1.8, 0.5, 1.2
          Ian Silberman: 1.6, 0.3, 1.2
          Jordan Devey: 1.2, -0.6, 1.7
          Dillon Farrell: 1.4, 0.4, 0.9
          Sean Hooey: -1.2, 0.5, -1.8
          Patrick Miller: -2.3, -1.1, -1.3
          Justin Renfrow: -2.8, -0.6, -2.3 – 1 sack

          1. ‘The camera work was shoddy on Sunday’
            Yes it was. Local crew, not network I guess. Even the network directors take a too narrowly cropped view imo, but the difference was obvious.

            1. PS
              Silberman looked better to me, so not surprised by his grade. Trent Brown scored pretty well what with his embarrassing flop right after the announcers praised him.

          2. Martin only looked good as a run blocker. The right side of the OL however was getting beat and pushed around in pass protection, and that includes Martin.

          3. Gotta remember that players were playing the second and third stringers, so any evaluation will be skewed.
            Also, it was just one game. If they could do that consistently, they might break into the lineup.
            I thought Farrell did a good job, and wasn’t he playing center?

          4. Well that grade for Brandon Thomas has me befuddled. I only saw two plays where I thought he didn’t do well and would have earned a negative grade. But in saying that, I don’t spend the time going through in detail every play like these guys obviously do, and they no football better than me. Surprising grade though.

            Tiller is a guy that doesn’t get mentioned much, but by my understanding has graded out very well through the first two games.

            1. Yea, that last roster spot for an offensive lineman seems to come down to Farrell or Tiller….

  2. Thinking about protecting the left side, it makes sense to get the 2 best linemen to protect Kaep’s blindside.
    Still, I think Thomas could fill that LG role since he was drafted to replace Iupati. My final guess is Staley, Thomas, Looney, Boone, Pears, because I think those are the best line men, and fit their positions to their strengths.

    1. Not convinced Looney is in the group. In one play Martin got blamed for the commentators said that usually when the guard moves to block an ILB the center is supposed to block down. He pointed out Looney failed to do so but Martin got blamed. Martin’s still not done well at RG. I guess I am where many of us are and don’t understand why they are playing him at RG rather than center?

      1. Maybe they believe that Looney is just better at center than Martin is. I think the jury is still out on Martin. He may not have been worth a third pick. If someone believes differently, please tell me what I’m missing.

        1. I want to make a wild guess, and say that before the 4th game, Trent Brown starts at RT for the first and second downs, then pears is inserted as the third down RT.
          Maybe Martin at center is a good choice, too.

            1. I think Coach Tomsula will give Pears every chance to start at RT, but Brown is a road grader and will excel in the run game. Don’t think he is as strong in the pass protect department. Hence Pears will still pass protect, but Brown will be the run RT.
              Of course, Brown could win the job outright, but he may be phased in.

              1. When have you ever seen OT’s get used like this? You don’t substitute Olinemen depending on down and distance. Playing the oline is about working in cohesion with the others next to you. There’s also the fact the defense knows your intentions depending on which RT you have in at a given time. This is why I said you make bizarre suggestions. This idea of yours never has and never will happen.

              1. in fact I could imagine the following as the starting line:

                Staley LT
                Thomas LG
                Kilgore/Looney C
                Brown RG
                Boone RT

              2. Yet, I think Brown would be a better tackle than guard, and RG is Boone’s natural position.

            1. Many O lines have evolved with players being moved or replaced. Sometimes you gel, other times you need to make adjustments. Sometimes injuries make changes necessary, like last year.

  3. I think the coaches have settled on a starting unit. What they seem to be doing is creating versatility between each guy at different positions.

  4. Grant did Tomsula ever interview with the Vikings for their head coaching position a couple years ago?

    1. I don’t think JimT has ever interviewed for a coordinator or head coach job before being promoted my the 49ers.

      1. IIRC, Coach Tomsula interviewed for the Niner job before JH, the Washington DC position and Viking HC job. Maybe Jax for the DC.

    1. Lol Coach Tomsula wanted to tamp down the Hayne hype by saying he might want to pee on that parade.

    1. Don’t be shocked if Harold replaces Brooks in the sub-packages during the regular season, and Brooks plays only in the base defense.
      ———————–
      “Brooks will be a bust on the right side and Harold will eclipse him as the starter.”

      I wont be.

    2. I can’t find any fault with your take here. Martin is seemingly being spoon fed opportunities, and…….meh. His continued work at RG may mean Kilgore will be the guy when ready. I don’t think Boone goes to RT; Pears is better than Martin right now. Not particularly good news. Both Devey and Pears sucked last year, I hope they aren’t our best option.Opening Day guess:
      Staley-Boone-Martin-Thomas-Pears

      1. Thomas isn’t working on the right anymore. I’m thinking the opening day lineup will be Staley-Boone-Looney-Martin-Pears

        1. I noted how emphatic JT was in his “Not set on OL” reaction. I’m not sure we have a clear picture yet.
          My evidence = zero. Jes trippin’.

    3. Its true Kaep despite our best hope might not be ready, but Bridgewater? HaHa! Its preseason.

      1. I thought Bridgewater was the best QB in the draft last year and he’s done nothing to change my thinking. It was ridiculous that a predraft workout overshadowed some great play at Louisville, but that shows us how much teams overthink the draft sometimes.

        1. It’s not Bridgewater per say but more that he’s making such conclusions based off 2 preseason games vs. a QB with playoff wins. Bridgewater doesn’t have the team around him Kap does. It feels like he’s poking the bear here.

    4. My biggest 49er preseason disappointment is Aldon Smith.

      I’m surprised Marcus Martin isn’t the clear front runner at RG. He seemed to have all the tools coming out of USC. I’m not giving up on him He’s young and working hard.

  5. Watched the game earlier today and here are some of my assessments:
    -Our running game should be solid this season.
    -Haynes was good as a returner, but he’s too upright and appears hesistant at times, which negates his ability to take it to the house. However, his chances of making the final roster went up where he showed that he can make an impact as a returner and a gunner.
    -Davis could take Hunter’s roster spot from him if he learns to not dance behind the OL and just take what is given to him.
    -It doesn’t matter how much more uptempo our offense is if it can’t get into the endzone.
    -I’m not sure if it is how the plays are set up or not, but Kaep seemed to get rid of the ball as quickly as it was snapped.
    -The pass to Smith shouldn’t have been made because a better DB would have intercepted that pass. Instead, it should have been thrown to Vernon Davis who was wide open. A missed opportunity.
    -Don’t know if the reason the team isn’t getting White involved is because they plan to sneak him onto the practice squad somehow or they just don’t want to.
    -Patton was a fool on that 12 yard loss, but he will make the final roster due to being a good blocker and a strong STs player.
    -Kilgore can’t come back fast enough.
    -Thomas can’t relieve Martin of the starting RG position fast enough.
    -I don’t understand the criticism of Skov because he had a good game other than trying to intercept a pass when he should have just gone for the tackle. He was a menace to Randle and was near or involved with most of the plays.
    -Harold looked great and could be the starting ROLB before the season is up.
    -Armstead was neither flashy or twrrible, which isn’t a bad thing.
    -Purcell is a beast that could make Williams irrelevant after this season.
    -Johnson should’ve have two interceptions instead of one, but McCray wasn’t paying attention to his surroundings.
    -Reid’s tackling technique on the play where Randle gained six yards was flat out lazy.
    -If Dahl has a similar performance in the next game, then he will win a roster spot. That said, the completion to Jenkins where Reaser was defending was on him because it looked like Reaser was expecting some coverage help on that play.
    -Tartt can hit like a missile.
    -McCray had an overall good night expect his one blunder that I mentioned earlier and should make the team.
    -Pinion looked good, but not fifth round good.
    -Penalties, penalties, penalties. The team needs to stop hurting itself with them.
    -Whitehead could be a good candidate for the practice squad.
    -Bishop should beat out Moody for one of the backup positions if he can stay healthy.

    1. Nice analysis Mid. I agree on most of your points.

      The areas I mostly disagree with you are regarding the ILBs. Skov flashes, but for every good play he has another play where he gets himself out of position. Didn’t really cost the team this week, but it will when it counts and teams start game planning. As I said in the other thread, I think he is too much of a risk taker rather than playing with discipline.

      Moody on the other hand didn’t do anything particularly note-worthy, but looked to my untrained eye like he was doing what he was supposed to be doing and doing it effectively.

      Bishop also flashed, but he’s pretty much just another version of Skov.

      1. I didn’t really think Skov was out of position that much. It also appeared that he was the one with the mic in his helmet. Meanwhile, I thought Moody could have been more aggressive.

        1. Skov has not been impressive at all. If it were not for the injury to Bishop, Skov would not make the 53 man roster. Moody was soild last game. He is a lot more athletic and has a lot more upside then Skov. I think Moody can become a very soild LB playing next to Navarro. Just my opinion though.

          1. Skov has not been impressive at all.

            Tell that to Randle who was pretty much owned by Skov.
            I also doubt the coaching staff would put a mic in his helmet if they didn’t feel like he would make the team.

            1. Mid,
              I thought Skov had a decent game on Sunday, but it was his previous game against Houston that highlighted his less than stellar pass coverage skills.

              I feel that Skov’ best asset is quickly moving in to make the tackle at the LOS as witnessed on the goal-line stand against Houston. And perhaps Mangini can work Skov into special defensive packages that may require a run stop inside the 10 yrd line, but that is being ambitious on my part.
              I think Skov makes the team by the skin of his teeth, tho.

        2. Yeah, I could be reading more into it than there is Mid, regarding Skov. It just seems to me that there were a few times he ended up on the wrong side of the play, or left a gap. There was one in particular where he looped around to take on the gap between the OC and LG (and got completely stonewalled), but the run went behind the RG where he’d originally been lined up. He left a big gap, and Dahl the unenviable task of having to take on the FB.

          The offense had a hat on everyone, but the 49ers got lucky as the RB seemed to get tripped up by some trash so it only ended up going for about a 5 yard gain. Could and should have been a big gainer. That was a notable memory for me, but its not the only time Skov has done that in the first two games.

          He also seems to have trouble disengaging once an OL gets a hand on him, and can get held up working his way through trash.

          His really good plays all seem to come on run blitzes, where he can just attack a gap and beat an OL with his speed.

          1. That possibly could have been his assignment though, but as you said, we don’t know.
            The area where he has trouble disengaging from an OL and getting held up when working through the trash I believe is more due to his short arms rather than his technique, and that’s probably not correctable.

            1. The only thing that makes me think he wasn’t specifically given an assignment to fill that gap between the OC and LG is that it left only the SS (who was playing reasonably deep, not up near the LOS) to fill that gap, while where Skov went there were already quite a few bodies. Looked to me like he misread the play and attacked that spot thinking that was where the play was going to go, and in doing so left a pretty nice gap for the offense to go through. But, yes, I have no way of proving that.

              1. You could be right Scooter because one of the negatives in Skov’s draft profile is that he sometimes play too much with reckless abandon. However, that is why he’s probably just a two backup ILB.

      2. I think moody wins that spot for sure. I would love to see him and Bow this season.

        Anyone think wilhoite becomes trade bait?

        1. Leo,

          They don’t have enough depth to trade an ILB. They are very thin at that spot. If Skov makes it and actually has to play, they are in trouble. I like his attitude and aggressiveness, but he’s been out of position, or been taken out of the play far too often to rely on. They have to hope the top 3 remain healthy this year.

          1. Rocket,

            I know you’re concerned about a lack of depth at ILB, and with good reason.

            It seems that Mangini likes the dime defense and, if Tartt can play (it looks like he can, at least to some degree), Tartt might end playing a hybrid ILB/SS position. That’s what the Arizona Cardinals did last year when they ran out of ILB’s, with great success.

            1. Yeah I’ve seen them do some of that ex and you’re right it might be the best approach to take in some situations. Good to see they are open to schemes that fit the personnel they have.

              1. Yep. And the way Tartt played against the Cowboys makes me think he could get a reasonable amount of playing time this season.

            2. You guys are forgetting Willhoite. He played all 16 games last season, and his injury is minor.

    2. Mid,

      Some good takes, but I disagree with a couple of things:

      The pass to Smith shouldn’t have been made because a better DB would have intercepted that pass. Instead, it should have been thrown to Vernon Davis who was wide open. A missed opportunity.

      That is a pass QB’s in this league have to make sometimes and it shows some growth in Kaps game that he attempted it. You have to fit the ball into some tight windows and he did with that throw. Davis wasn’t an option. It was a pre-snap read and it was thrown as Kap hit his last step on the drop. There is no progression on that play; just a read that Smith had one on one coverage. It was the right read and a good throw. The DB just made a play.

      I also disagree on Skov and Dahl. Skov is undisciplined and it leads to him being out of position far too often. If he makes it, it’s because of a lack of quality depth. As it is I think Bellore will beat him out due to his ST’s ability. Dahl is going to be a victim of the numbers game imo. McCray is younger and has shown more ability to develop.

    3. MidWest, I agree with most of your observations however, I have to disagree with a few of your assessments. A) I thought Davis was hitting the hole hard. Sure, he had to dance around a couple times but I saw that being a result of having a defender meeting him in the backfield. I was impressed with a couple of his moves to make something out of nothing. He is more shifty than I thought, in a good way. B) Kaps back shoulder throw was a thing of beauty. It took a very, very good defensive play just to break it up, otherwise it’s a sure TD. If you know where to put a back shoulder pass, it’s actually the toughest type of pass to defend, and if it’s thrown well, it’s almost never picked off. C) If your going to try and replace a Pro Bowl punter, you better get a good one, and drafting a punter is the surest way of finding a good one. And, in terms of the fifth round, that’s actually the average round for the first punter off the board. Loved Andy Lee but his play did seem to be declining, he’s getting up there in age, and the salary cap savings is well worth a 5th rounder as long as Pinion is, indeed, the best punter in his draft class, which I think he was.

  6. Bishop just had hand surgery. Don’t know how long he will be out. Looks like Skov makes the team.

  7. Here is the NFL.com draft profile of Marcus Martin:

    Strengths Thick and wide-bodied. Walls off and seals defenders. Can work his hips to maneuver and seal. Athletic enough to step to the second level. Plays with his head on a swivel. Good anchor ability in pass protection — can dig his cleats in the ground vs. big-bodied pluggers and match size with size. Three-year starter with experience at guard and center. Was a 20-year-old junior.
    Weaknesses A bit knock-kneed and pigeon-toed with herky-jerky movement. Soft puncher. Gets top-heavy and bends at the waist. Average initial quickness, balance and sustain. Ordinary hip snap — power element missing. Limited lateral agility and recovery ability. Struggles to connect with moving targets. Is not a strong finisher or an aggressive go-getter. Does not dominate the way he is capable. Only bench pressed 225 pounds 23 times at the combine.
    Draft Projection Rounds 2-3
    Bottom Line Outstanding-sized, barrel-chested finesse pivot with center-guard versatility. Grades out highly as a position-sustain blocker and possesses untappped strength and power in his body. Lacks desirable grit, toughness and finishing strength to maximize his talent and is stronger than he plays. Has instant-starter potential as a center or right guard, but could stand to benefit from some time to be groomed.

  8. One thing I noticed about last game that was absent in the first game was the fact that the DBs looked at the QB more and broke to the ball quicker because they were cognizant of both the WR and the QB. The first game, it seemed as though they were focused on playing the WR, and were not looking at the QB, so they did not have time to react to the ball.
    The difference between the first game and the second one was like the difference between night and day.

      1. I think Silberman and Bellore will have the better chance to clear waivers, but Celek and TJE would be claimed in a heartbeat.

        1. Bellore doesn’t qualify for the Practice squad and there is no way they will keep 8 Dlinemen in a 3-4 defense.

          I agree with most of Maiocco’s predictions, but I think they go with 8 Olinemen and 4 TE’s rather than 9 and 3 as he has it.

          1. With Purcell doing so well, TJE is on the bubble, so maybe they should trade him for a 6th instead of losing him for nothing. Bet Fangio would want him.

          2. Celek and TJE don’t qualify for the PS either, so waivers aren’t and issue with the guys mentioned.

          3. With Hayne doing so well, Bellore may be expendable if Haye can take a gunner position on coverage.

            1. Of course if someone dangles two seventh rounders in front of Trent he might be tempted to give them Hayne. lol – wait that’s not even funny.

        1. I could see losing Dahl, but those safeties, Tartt and Ward, could be nickle and dime players, and sub for a LB.
          McCray has out competed Dahl.

    1. Matt frequently has a sense of what the team is thinking, so maybe… 9 OL is a lot, but his roster is close enough for h&h….

    2. Surprised MM is suggesting only 3 TEs. The odds of one or more going down seem to be pretty high for that position. I guess he figures we will have at least one and possibly two on the PS and they could be called up if necessary.

  9. I am sure this has been posted but haven’t seen anything. Anyone mention Haynes pass protection. Is he really struggling or most too bad?

    1. He hasn’t had to do much of it, but the one time I did see him involved was on a play where he was supposed to chip a pass rusher and then release into the middle. Let’s just say he needs work on getting that contact before moving into his pattern.

    2. Sounds like he did OK in practices. However, he needs to show what he learned in game time situations before any meaningful assessment can be made.

  10. Grant, Matt Maiocco says that Chuck Jacobs has had a good camp. Is that true and is there any chance he makes the final 53?

    1. Not Grant, but I haven’t seen one 53 man prediction that includes Jacobs, That includes Grant, Maiocco, Barrows, Fucillo and various posters on this blog.

          1. Well, Jacobs seems likely to catch on somewhere. But the Pack often keep it in house. They’ve got Adams and some other kid who is 6’3″ and can run. Maybe Carolina? Jets? Bears? Titans?
            If TJE got traded: Bears? Broncos? Beagles?

          2. Of all the position groups on the 49ers, I would think WR is one of the least likely for teams to be looking hard at. The 49ers would be one of his best bets at making a 53 man roster. He’s not done much to garner interest outside the 49ers.

          3. Jacobs was on their PS, I think, so they know him well.
            Ty Montgomery is the new starter, but he dropped in the draft, so he has flaws.

  11. Sounds like the OL and CB shuffle is continuing, with Martin at OC and Silberman at RG with the 1st team offense, and Acker at RCB with the 1st team defense today at practice.

    1. Good to hear. I’m glad they are trying different combinations and not forcing ones that clearly aren’t working.

  12. I watched the beginning of the Ravens-Beagles game. I was struck by how Kelly’s offense is so complex, has so many moving parts, that defenders were following their keys and running all over the place to counter threats. The result was that on a number of play action passes the QB had a lot of time and room to step up because the defenders had been lured into a lot of lateral movement and the 5 OL could provide excellent room for the QB.
    It was interesting. I think as a DC I would be inclined to alternate in some pressure packages to get upfield and disrupt the plays early. That puts a lot of pressure on the CBs, so would have to be used judiciously.

    1. I think it was like the Niners- Texans game. Niners were playing a vanilla defense, and they pulled out all the stops with 3 and 4 receiver sets.
      Chip is putting a Man in motion? Sounds like he is taking a page out of the Bill Walsh playbook.

Comments are closed.