Your daily San Francisco 49ers news for Tuesday, August 20, 2024
“Shanahan is part of a new wave of head coaches — a group that includes the Rams’ Sean McVay, the Packers’ Matt LaFleur and the Falcons’ Raheem Morris — who have come to view these games as counterproductive. Like many coaches, they are partial to joint workouts, where two teams can practice against one another in a controlled environment.
Joint workouts tend to mitigate the absolute worst element of the preseason — the exposure of important players to the risk of significant injuries — while skipping over much of the stupidity. (See: challenges on 3-yard completions in the first quarter.)
The 49ers were supposed to travel to Orange County last week for two days of joint workouts with the Saints, who conducted training camp in Costa Mesa, but the onslaught of injuries compelled Shanahan to cancel.
Robbed of those potentially valuable sessions, he trotted out players like undrafted rookie running back Cody Schrader, guard Nick Zakelj, wide receiver Chris Conley and tight end Brayden Willis with his first-team offense. Defensive starters included second-year safety Ji’Ayir Brown, free-agent acquisition De’Vondre Campbell — linebacker Dre Greenlaw’s stand-in while he heals from the Achilles he tore in S.F.’s Super Bowl LVIII loss — and a bunch of dudes (Kevin Givens, Robert Beal, Curtis Robinson, Rock Ya-Sin among them) who’d have to show their player card to get admitted to a SoMa nightclub.”
49ers are enjoying rookie maturity from DBs Malik Mustapha and Renardo Green (paywall)
“Me and Malik trained together before the draft,” Green said at his locker. “When we both found out we were coming here, we knew we had already clicked back when we were in Broward (County) training. We’d be on the same page a lot. I’d tell him, ‘get over the top, make this play, make this play’, and he’d be right on beat.”
There might be another factor behind the duo’s strong early chemistry: Green played two years of safety at Florida State. The Seminoles moved him between that position and cornerback, and Green credits that toggling with his ability to process the heavy load that the 49ers have assigned him early in his career.”
How ‘baller’ Dobbs solidified his case for 49ers’ backup QB job
“Dobbs bluntly detailed that no matter what his role is, his responsibility remains being ready to immediately step in should the situation call for it. Whether it’s on the field or cheering on another 49ers quarterback from the sidelines, the veteran signal-caller is committed to doing whatever he can to help San Francisco win football games.
“My job is to be ready when my number is called in whatever role that is,” Dobbs said. “When Brock is in there, it is my job to support him or whomever is in the game from the sideline. So it was fun to be out there, in Levi’s Stadium, wearing the right color jersey this time from my last experience here. It’s always good to get a win as well.”
How Mustapha’s motivation on, off field fueling 49ers emergence
“I always live by a quote: prove yourself right, don’t prove other people wrong,” Mustapha told O’Carroll. “I don’t think I’ve arrived in any shape or form, but at the same time I feel like I’ve taken a step in the right direction.”
Mustapha hopes to prove himself right on the field and make his family proud off of it.
The rookie safety told O’Carroll that his younger siblings, Mariam, 10, and Muhamahed, 12, are his primary off-the-field motivation to succeed.
“They came into my life at a young age and changed my life for the better,” Mustapha said of his siblings. “I had to be a second mom to them, but I depended on them as much as they depended on me.”
Mustapha’s siblings live more than 7,800 miles away in Nigeria and have yet to see him play in person, having to watch only his highlights online……And until he can do so, Mustapha has found a temporary family in Santa Clara thanks to teammate and fellow safety Talanoa Hufanga, who invited the rookie to his daughter’s first birthday party this offseason after he was drafted by the 49ers in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.”
“It felt amazing,” Cowing told NBC Sports Bay Area after the game. “Going into this game, I had a lot of confidence with the week of practice and then the coaching staff helping me out with plays, and my teammates, too. Very welcoming, very uplifting. They really helped me boost my confidence going into this game.”
Cowing caught four of his five targets for 51 yards, including a 38-yard deep pass from quarterback Joshua Dobbs at the end of the first half to set up San Francisco’s lone touchdown. The young receiver has been on the practice field with all four quarterbacks on the roster, which exemplifies Cowing’s adaptability.
“It’s the same in practice,” Cowing said. “It’s the same kind of thing. You bounce around with different quarterbacks, so you kind of get a feel for how each quarterback goes about their business on the field, how they throw, and how they connect.
“With every quarterback I was playing with, I knew the style, when to expect the ball, and how to expect it. It was a good feeling the whole time.”
49ers rookie corner Green making case for significant Week 1 role
“Green has put himself into serious contention to enter the lineup when the opposition lines up three or more wide receivers. It looks as if Green would take Deommodore Lenoir’s role on the outside with Lenoir moving to nickel back to cover the slot receiver.
While Green has worked both inside and outside during training camp, he said he probably is better-suited to play outside corner at this stage.
“I did it in college: inside, outside,” Green said. “I primarily played outside, though. So I would say I’m more comfortable outside. But I can do it all, so wherever the team needs me, that’s where I’ll be.”