49ers notebook: Bosa absorbing knowledge from Staley; Taylor looking healthy

Nick Bosa was on a limited snap count Monday when the 49ers held their first padded training camp practice of the new season. It was his first time wearing shoulder pads since he played Ohio State in September. But that didn’t prevent him from getting important work done.

The No. 2 pick in the recent NFL Draft spent some 10 minutes working one-on-one with one of San Francisco’s most-respected veterans, left tackle Joe Staley, who figures to line up opposite Bosa for a significant amount of practice reps as camp continues.

Staley was given the morning session off, but he worked with Bosa on body positioning and gaining leverage while simulating running plays. The two were locked up, moving side to side, as if Staley were blocking while Bosa had to react by defeating the block with hand placement and positioning.

Bosa said afterwards he and Staley have quickly formed a bond, perhaps similar to the way Staley embraced right tackle Mike McGlinchey, the team’s first-round draft choice in 2018.

“We’ve built a really good relationship. He’s a super nice guy,” Bosa said. “I don’t usually be nice to offensive linemen, but it’s hard not to be nice to him. He’s such a good dude and he’s been a really good influence on me. It’s good to go against one of the best who ever did it. Any reps I can get against him are good reps for me.”

Staley after the first practice Saturday had glowing things to say about Bosa, noting that he’s going to be “great” and that he beat Staley three times during full-team drills (without pads). Sunday, Staley admitted to playing better, and said he might have struggled some Saturday because it was his first practice of the new year. He wasn’t at his best, which he’s working toward as the regular season remains six weeks away.

Said Bosa: “He would tell you (Saturday) was his first day back, so he’s just getting his feet under him, getting his hands right, getting his feet right. I definitely got him a couple of times and he’s definitely going to come back strong on me, I’m sure.

“You can’t compliment a rookie too much. I had a good day (Saturday) but it’s going to be a lot of hard work to get to where I need to be.”

Staley didn’t go against Bosa in pads because the 49ers are doing all they can to keep their best players healthy and fresh after injuries played a large role in derailing the past two seasons. Coach Kyle Shanahan said the plan is to get players older than 30 every third practice off. Monday was the third practice of camp following the pad-less sessions over the weekend.

Bosa looks healthy after missing last month’s OTAs with a minor hamstring strain. He’s been given strong reviews by the coaching staff in the early going, even if his workload has been limited.

The talented defensive end said he’s never experienced as much time off as he has over most of the last calendar year following surgery to repair a core muscle injury that ended his college career prematurely. The only significant knock on Bosa leading up to the draft was his durability following the injury, and the hamstring tweak in late May didn’t do anything to alleviate those concerns.

But Bosa made it clear he’s happy to get back following his long layoff.

“Super eager,” he said. “You try and enjoy your time, your time off, just to rest your mind. I think the biggest thing about NFL camp is just it’s mentally exhausting. We try to take care of our bodies as much as we can. It’s stressful. Guys are fighting for their jobs. It’s intense. I’m really lucky to be in the position I am. I’m excited to be with a really good team.”

Bosa has been working primarily with the second team defense and in third-down packages with the starters at defensive end. He’ll likely ascend up the depth chart quickly while the 49ers employ Arik Armstead and newcomer Dee Ford as the defensive ends with the first string.

Taylor looking healthy

One of the keys for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo’s splashy debut in 2017 was the play of slot receiver Trent Taylor, who quickly emerged as a go-to target in crucial situations. Taylor wasn’t nearly effective in 2018 after back surgery in the offseason cost him some explosiveness and forced him to play through pain.

But Taylor appears to be recovered and healthy early in training camp – and is again one of Garoppolo’s favorite targets.

Shanahan was asked to compare Taylor’s health this summer to last season.

“Much better,” he said. “I mean, he had an offseason, and we were real excited about Trent the first year and he battled (with the injury) all the second year, and just never got back to where it worries you, but we knew what he was. It was really nice when he came back from his time away, his four months away that we saw it right away. He kept that going throughout OTAs staying healthy and 40 days later, he came back even better. We’re excited about Trent.”

Taylor caught at least three passes during practice Monday, including a pair of his signature slant routes, one from Garoppolo and one from backup Nick Mullens. He also had a 20-yard catch on a deep crossing route from Mullens. Given the 49ers’ array of pass-catching options, Taylor seems like a sleeper candidate to lead the team in receptions.

Backup QB decision looming

One of the most interesting decisions facing Shanahan this summer surrounds Garoppolo’s backups. Shanahan has only kept two signal callers on the active roster with San Francisco, though he might be inclined to keep three given he’s used three starters in each of the past two seasons.

Complicating the decision is the fact neither Nick Mullens nor C.J. Beathard has done much to distinguish themselves from one other on the practice field; both players remain even in the race to be Garoppolo’s understudy. Additionally, the decision to keep two or three quarterbacks could impact numbers at other positions, which Shanahan is already thinking about.

“It’s always in the back of my head. It’s always in (general manager) John’s (Lynch) head,” Shanahan said. “It’s something we’re always kind of talking about. We talk about that every time you look at a draft pick, every time you look at a free agent. Every time a guy goes down. ‘Alright, who do we need to bring in to get through practice?’ When you do that, you’ve got to let a guy go. You have to weigh that in in every decision you make because you need 90 guys to get through camp, but also only 53 guys can be on a roster. It’s confusing, but there’s never a time you’re not thinking about it.”

Mullens, a former undrafted free agent, was better than Beathard last season. Though Beathard, a third-round draft pick, might have the more appealing skill set. Shanahan might look to trade one if the other stands out – or he could elect to keep both around, forcing him to make a concession on the roster elsewhere.

This story was originally published July 29, 2019 at 4:05 PM.