Your daily San Francisco 49ers news for Thursday, August 22nd, 2024
Kurtenbach: 4 under-the-radar lessons from 49ers training camp (paywall)
“But I still think to win the Super Bowl, you need to have strong — if not elite — play along the lines.
There’s no reason to think the 49ers have that coming into the season.
Without Trent Williams, the offensive line is a mess. If the season were to start in two weeks, Nick Zakelj would be the starting left guard. That’s a problem. (Aaron Banks will probably start in Week 1, but his broken pinkie is inauspicious.)
Meanwhile, center Jake Brendel can’t seem to snap the ball in shotgun. That’s a problem.
And right tackle Colton McKivitz might have a new contract — a vote of confidence — but he does not look like he’s taken a step forward this offseason. No, he’s rather taking many, many steps backward, rep after rep.
Rookie Dom Puni has been a revelation at right guard, but he’s now the no-questioned starter. He’s good, but he’s a rookie. We’ll see if that’s a problem in due time.
Williams’ return would massively help, but this is still a bottom-half offensive line, perhaps even bottom-third, in the league with his return.”
“Tuesday’s practice was a relatively underwhelming one. The clear highlight was a deep ball down the left sideline, a dime from Brock Purdy over Deommodore Lenoir, and well caught by Robbie Chosen.
Wednesday had a bit more to offer. Lenoir, by the way, has played well and stopped a touchdown in the red zone period on a quick Purdy pass to Chris Conley.
Nick Bosa had at least four would-be sacks and just continues to dominate. He seemed to single out Robert Beal Jr. and coached him up for the vast majority of practice on hand placement and technique.”
49ers camp takeaways: Bosa dominates backfield in final practice
“There is little doubt the 49ers have, on paper, one of the better rosters in the entire NFL. So, perhaps, they know exactly what it takes to get ready for the season.
But training camp seemed to lack its usual energy and enthusiasm as the practices piled up. As some of their top players were sitting out with injuries, the 49ers seemingly went into a more protective mode.
Camp appeared to be a little disjointed. Is it the hangover from losing the Super Bowl? Or were things a little funky due a couple of their best players, left tackle Trent Williams and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, not stepping onto the field due to contract issues?”
49ers’ hometown kid Jake Tonges making unexpected bid for roster spot (paywall)
“Tonges was born in Cincinnati and inherited his passion for the Bengals from his dad, Tim. His family moved to the Bay Area when he was around 5 and settled in Los Gatos, where Tonges’ career at Los Gatos High School inspired minimal recruiting interest. At 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, he was a featherweight by tight-end standards and he didn’t start at the position until his senior year.
His lone scholarship offer came from Sacramento State. His only FBS walk-on offers were from Cal and San Diego State. A strong student with a 3.6 GPA in high school, he also considered Columbia.
“I really just wanted to play at the highest level of college football that I could,” Tonges said. “And I was also trying to go to as good of a school as I could. I was trying to leverage it –– go to an Ivy League or a school like Cal.
One thought on Brock Purdy, Brandon Aiyuk and every 49ers offensive player (paywall)
“He looks extremely fast and fluid in practice and hauled in a 50-yard deep ball from Purdy on Tuesday. He didn’t play Sunday but likely will in Friday’s finale. Perhaps Chosen, 31, will take the same path Conley did last season: early-season practice squadder and late-season roster addition.”
On the bubble: Jalen Graham and other 49ers face final chance to earn their spot (paywall)
“As for Graham, he’s playing faster this season in part because he learned the most demanding linebacker spot, middle linebacker, last year. That’s Warner’s position, the one that receives the play call from Sorensen and lines up the rest of the unit.”