49ers training camp report: Day 8

SANTA CLARA – Here are the highlights of the 49ers’ fourth padded practice of training camp.

THE GOOD

1. DL Tank Carradine. The final 15 minutes of practice the 49ers did a live hitting goal-line drill. On first and goal from the two-yard line, Jarryd Hayne took the handoff on a stretch-zone run to the left, and as he ran parallel to the line of scrimmage he cut back quickly and juked outside linebacker Eli Harold. But Hayne juked right into defensive lineman Tank Carradine, who crushed him at the ½-yard line.

2. RB Jarryd Hayne. Hayne’s second handoff during the goal-line drill came on a stretch-zone run to the right. Hayne jogged behind the offensive line toward the sideline, cut upfield, bounced off Arik Armstead and Shayne Skov and fell into the end zone. After practice Joe Staley called Hayne’s touchdown run “rugbyesque.”

3. RB Mike Davis. Did not score during the goal-line drill, but showed excellent “contact courage” during the blitz pick-up drill. Eli Harold tried to run Davis over and Davis knocked him back. Davis might be the best blocking tailback on the team. Carlos Hyde seems to whiff at least once a day.

4. WR/PR DeAndrew White. During team drills, White ran a go route down the left sideline and caught a 25-yard pass from undrafted rookie Dylan Thompson. During special-team drills, White returned a punt for a touchdown and was a gunner for the punt-coverage team. As a gunner, he routinely reached the punt returner before the punt did. White will make the final roster – I’m calling it.

5. ILB Shayne Skov. Broke up two passes during team drills – one intended for wide receiver DiAndre Campbell, the other intended for tight end Vernon Davis. Later during the goal-line drill Skov exploded through the offensive line and tackled Mike Davis in the backfield. Skov will make the final roster – I’m calling it.

THE NOT SO GOOD

1. TE Blake Bell. Caught zero passes during team drills. Toward the end of practice, Bell received back-to-back targets and dropped both of them. On the second drop Bell tipped the ball into the air and linebacker Steve Beauharnais picked it off. Today Bell seemed like a player who doesn’t deserve a spot on an NFL roster.

2. QB Colin Kaepernick’s deep passes. Attempted four deep passes and none of them were catchable. The first three landed out of bounds. The fourth one landed 10 yards in front of the intended receiver, wide receiver Torrey Smith.

This article has 81 Comments

  1. Hey Grant,

    What’s your thoughts on Thompson? Camp reports make it seem like he makes at least one very nice play each time.

    1. If you read scout.com, matt maiocco or matt barrows all say Thompson is not doing anything to make the team.
      They also say Bell is having the best camp.
      Maybe Grant should stop reporting on tthe 49ers and instead apply to write for TMZ. His analysis seems better suited for the national enquirer.

      1. I commented on day three on the over/under on how many times Kaep either ends up on the Good, the Bad, and the Good/Bad.

        So far there’s a lot of bad. WTF?

        I think the deep ball is crucial. The strategy should be to run Kaep until he drops. And then throw deep passes to back up the safeties. It’s as good as a punt!

        1. No. He throws the deep pass to Torrey Smith, who will leap high in the air to grab it, or collect a pass interference call since they cannot stop him from catching the ball. The ball also has a chance to fall incomplete, and the last improbable scenario is that the DB intercepts the ball. Kaep should only throw it to the 5 yard line because it will go to the 20 if intercepted in the end zone. Hope I helped you clarify your ideas. The third down bomb is not hard to understand if you really think about it.
          Run Kaep until he drops? No. Maybe allow Kaep to drop the ball in the end zone after he scores.

  2. Grant,
    You weren’t very high on Skov in the past, what is it in his game that seems to be causing a change of heart?
    I loved Skov pre-knee injuries, hope he is fully recovered enough to make a strong impression this time around.

    Also, Dylan Thompson is becoming a fixture on your GOOD reports. Do you believe he is showing enough to warrant a spot on the PS?

    Glad to hear Mike Davis is making some noise as well. The kid has some all around skills. Is KHunt being brought around slowly?

    1. Skov seems much more fluid than last year. Hunter hasn’t participated in team drills during training camp.

      1. From what I have read is that Shayne Skov had worked his backside off during the the off season. Since the beginning of training camp I have said that he will make the final 53. No one has agreed with me until now!! Welcome aboard Grant on the Shayne Skov bandwagon!

  3. Kaepernick must have taken Smith’s comments literally when he overthrew him.

    Learning short passes will be a big plus for Colin, accuracy going deep is key to his success. Logan/Chryst have both mentioned the need for “explosion plays.” If he can’t throw long with accuracy, his value plunges.

    Heard Dial was held out due to sore knee. Hope its nothing serious. Tomsula seems very proactive when it comes to resting minor owies.

    If Shayne Skov makes the team, who gets cut? Nick Bellore?

  4. 3. RB Mike Davis.
    ———-
    Yay!

    “Davis might be the best blocking tailback on the team”

    Just like Frank. What a shame that Gore isn’t here to mentor Davis, they are so similar. Davis is going to be pretty good anyway but I can only imagine how much quicker and completely he could develop if he’d had Frankie in his ear for his first season or two.

    Oh, Lenore.

    1. CFC

      While Gore was great, his absence will allow the Niners to evolve into a multi-faceted offense, rather than the offense that Shareece Wright said was so easy to defend because everyone on earth knew Harbaugh had a crush on Gore and would run everything through him. I’d like to see Gore coach the Niners under Rathman at some point in the future.

      1. Playing a position well and coaching that position are two different things. We can not always assume that a good player can be a good mentor. Some great players will not even make the effort to mentor aside from if they actually are good communicators. Some players are instinctive and that can not be communicated or taught. Gore was instinctive rather than cerebral.

        1. Gore is instinctive, to be sure, but he was considered by beat writers as one of the smartest players when he was with the 49ers.

        2. IMO, Joe Montana is the greatest QB of all time, but he would make a lousy coach. Just like LB Singletary.

  5. The fourth one landed 10 yards in front of the intended receiver, wide receiver Torrey Smith.
    ————-
    Better then 10 yards behind him.

  6. This is the first time I’ve heard Skov really mentioned. Has he been looking good the other days of camp too? Its always tough to gauge these bottom of the roster guys as they are typically going against other bottom of the roster players, not starters. Has Skov been getting many reps against the better players?

    1. How can DeAndre White make the team? He’s too small by WR standards according to NFL Scooter!
      In all seriousness, every reporter sees the practices and players in a different way. The only thing that matters is that the players are buying into the schemes presented to them by their coaches.

      1. :-)

        I know your just razzing me in a good natured way there, but just want to point out, in case there was some confusion, that wasn’t the point I made about White.

      2. His value on special teams give him a huge edge over Patton and/or Simpson, specially asa gunner.

        He probably will make the team as a WR5 or WR6 + ST.
        I would be very glad if he could take Craig Dahl’s spot on the 53-man roster.

      3. Prime- Your statement about each reporter seeing the players and practices in a different way is an important point. Even biases aside, they are probably at different places on the field as well. I remember in the past when I used to record every game I watched be it football or basketball, I would often see the same play differently the second time around. It’s also a long camp and players have their good days and off days. These are all reasons why one should never put too much importance on any individual play, practice, or game.

    2. I heard chatter about him. Sounds like he had solid play and was always in position.

  7. I wanna thank kap for messing with aldon ex gf really great guy you are.You can have any girl u want your rich your a qb but you had to pick that girl why?

      1. The truth is out there your are right, did they have a fight afther practice probably not.is kap seeing aldon former gf he sure is …………..

        1. I do not care who he is dating, and I want him to have his privacy. Only creeps and weirdos obsess about those things. Next you will say that his Mercedes was totalled.

          1. I dont care whos he dating either but he’s dating a teammate ex gf lol sorry thats a problem.

            1. “I dont care who he is dating either but he is dating….”
              Try thinking before writing, you will not look so foolish.

              1. You seem to like to laugh at yourself. A little bit of advice- It is much better to keep quiet and only have them think you the fool, than opening your mouth and removing all doubt.

              2. I guess you confirm your foolishness with your macho bravado. I dont need to soil my hands, I can destroy you with words alone.

              3. You fell into my trap. I mentioned fools, and you assumed you were the target of my jab, thereby admitting you are a fool by your reaction.
                I am content, at least you are not still spewing drivel about girlfriends.
                This will be easy, since you are so thin skinned that just by being mentioned as a fool, you become irate and threaten me.
                Have a nice day.

            2. Ya that’s what caused Aldon to crash into a parked car and fled the scene. Then since Kaep is dating his ex GF he started to drink again because he was sober prior.. LMAO!!!! You work for TMZ bro? Mind you he has been arrested 4 times prior and is now looking at his 3rd DUI.. What a talent but what a Fing idiot. I will be surprised if he plays another down. The guy just threw away an easy 80 mil.. That’s one dumb person.

              1. Lmao ha sebynah u can call me all the names u want dude lol has 0 effect on me but I guarantee you wont say that to my face so keep the insults going its funny.

            3. lmao thats all you got for insults you can do better than that come on haa.I didnt threaten you if i did you would know … all the stuff u spew over the internet just would like to hear it in person thats all not a threat at all but its fine from one 9er fan to another.

              1. “I guarantee you wont say that to my face”- Not threatening at all? Quit while you are behind. Just stick to football and stop spewing gossip and rumors.

  8. Dang, this is getting to be a habit.
    Grant has given us his eyeball observations so I feel like I am at the practices. It is also gutsy to make a call, and no other media posters have done that. Right or wrong, time will tell.
    It is also very subjective to grade a players progress at camp. Very probably Bell is high on some people’s list, but 2 drops also factor into the equation.
    Thompson is also playing against the third string, so that factors into the evaluation.
    All in all, I am ecstatic the Niners are practicing again and we have something to analyze and discuss. Cant wait to see the first O line lineup.

  9. I will make a prediction, and attribute the genesis to B2W.
    I think both Okoye and Hayne will be cut so the Niners can protect players like White and Davis. They will not be picked up by another team because of their lack of experience, and they will play the game by accepting spots on the PS. They will be elevated due to sundry minor injuries to other players, and I see both contributing this season.
    Thompson is a safe cut, and other positions are more critical when it comes to bubble players. I have liked Bishop, and have predicted him making the 53 since May.
    I think Celek is on the bubble, and could be cut.

          1. Just in case you miss understood, I “;-}ed” your post at August 9, 2015 at 5:27 pm because I appreciated it.

    1. I never though it was conditional for someone to have absorbed strong hits before to be able to shrug them off. Either you can or you cant. Doesn’t matter how many you have experienced. It’s mostly about a persons physicality and heart.

        1. No worries, mate! There is plenty of film of him getting mauled, and also of him laying a smackdown. He is a rugger.

      1. Given he’d just been drilled by Tank a couple of plays earlier, it would seem Hayne isn’t contact shy.

        1. Not contact shy indeed Scoot ,watching his development in gridiron is one of the subplots I am most interested in this preseason.

    2. Look like they were trying to knock him down instead of rap him up. Hayne seems to have pretty good balance.

    3. Great to see Hayne bounce back from a big hit and force his way into the EZ. He’s a tough guy and you can see with a little hard work he may become a pretty good NFL player. I would love to see him get a year on the PS and then come in next year and make a statement.

      1. I hope Hayne survives the first cut downs, and can demonstrate his skills in the preseason games.

  10. Im happy. Looks like Kaep is getting touch on the short passes, and flicking his wrist instead of winding up for a throw. He did real well with Bush, and Bush scored a TD.
    Pats showed the world how to attack the Seahawk defense, and those short passes will shred them.

  11. Some bold predictions Grant, but I can see both happening. It appears White could make it as a ST’s player as much as a depth WR. Skov is interesting because before his knee injury at Stanford, he looked like a pretty good prospect and seemed to have a nose for the ball.

    Any idea what the heck is going on with Nick Bellore? He’s listed as having an illness but there has been no mention of what it is and he has yet to see the field. I’m wondering if this is something serious that they are keeping under wraps right now?

    1. He’s participating in individual drills but comes off the field and works on conditioning during team drills if I recall right Coach.

  12. I hope Shayne Skov does make the roster, along with several other young huckleberries. Skov’s history with injuries is only due to how hard he plays. Shayne and DeAndrew White are following their dreams against much adversity. I cannot help but pull for both men. Just having those over-achievers in the locker room will inspire plenty.

  13. does Skov play special teams? and if he does, I’m guessing his recovering knee injury slowed down his movement to play it effectively last year?

    The initial scouting report is that he’s a 2 down thumper. sort of like Takeo Spikes used to be. The TED ILB that takes on blockers to free up the MIKE ILB to make tackles.

  14. Love Skov, great product from Stanford. Motor super high, but his speed and explosive-speed dropping precipitously. How much time is left is the big Q…

  15. I like how the practices are being conducted, and instead of secrecy, the openness is refreshing. Glad to see the injury bug has not hit any players too seriously, but still am wondering about the O line composition.
    I think they are using the wrong adjective when they stress continuity on the O line. Continuity means longevity, and the line is in flux, so only Staley at LT can claim continuity. I think the better term is cohesiveness.

  16. Maybe the line shakes out with Staley/Boone/Martin/Thomas/Pears. Unlike Grant, I do not believe they procure Mathis….

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