49ers practice recap: Garoppolo, Bosa stand out in competitive, spirited practice
The 49ers held one of their most spirited practices of training camp to date Sunday ahead of Monday’s day off, which included a surprise visit from longtime fan and NBA center Tyson Chandler, who met with Jimmy Garoppolo and others afterward.
Here are our observations from the sidelines in Santa Clara:
Sunday standouts
The defense forced two takeaways (and nearly a third), while the defensive line did well to pressure Garoppolo. Yet Garoppolo still had a productive day (more on him below). The back-and-forth nature of Sunday’s practice made it one of the most entertaining to date.
Coach Kyle Shanahan dialed up the first live two-minute drill of practice, which ended with the Garoppolo-led offense getting in position for a winning field goal from Robbie Gould as time expired. The moment was set up by a completion to George Kittle and two connections with slot receiver Trent Taylor, who had another strong showing with catches over the middle and deep hauls along the sideline.
Taylor has been arguably the 49ers’ most consistent receiver throughout camp, a promising development considering last season was essentially lost because of back surgery the previous spring.
It was another good day for Nick Bosa, who was scheduled for 16 reps, easily his most to date. The 49ers have Monday off, so ramping up Bosa’s reps made sense after limiting his action.
Bosa made one of the plays of the day for the defense. The offense started to establish the run and wear down the defense near the end of practice. After a handful of consecutive rushes, Bosa stripped running back Tevin Coleman after beating his blocker into the backfield, and the ball was recovered by defensive back Emmanuel Moseley, who went the other way for a touchdown. It was the type of game-changing play the 49ers’ defense couldn’t make last season.
Additionally, Sunday was another strong day for rookie fifth-round pick Dre Greenlaw, who has continued to split first-team reps at “Sam” linebacker with veteran Malcolm Smith. Greenlaw had an easy interception of C.J. Beathard early and later did well to cover ground in his zone coverage and break up a pass from Garoppolo intended for Kittle. Greenlaw also stuck with Coleman deep downfield on a wheel route that might have gone for a touchdown during the two-minute drill.
Overall, the linebackers, led by Fred Warner, have been solid throughout camp.
Key moment
Garoppolo’s best pass might have been his first, though it wasn’t a completion. It came on a play action, and he had Bosa and DeForest Buckner pressuring him inside near his surgically repaired left knee. Garoppolo stepped into the 50-yard throw for receiver Dante Pettis, who was in the end zone trying to split double coverage from safeties Tarvarius Moore and Jaquiski Tartt.
The coverage was good, but the throw was better. Only it fell right through Pettis’ hands as he slid to the ground. In the face of pressure, beating double coverage, the completion would have been Garoppolo’s most impressive of camp.
It was an important moment of practice because it signaled two things: Garoppolo continues to get more comfortable letting it rip, and Pettis needs to make those catches if he’s going to be the top wideout the team needs.
Garoppolo watch
Garoppolo unofficially completed 14 of 21 throws, testing various levels of field more regularly than other practices, when he often opted for check-downs.
He found Kittle and Taylor on both quick and longer-developing routes down field. He also connected with Jordan Matthews twice on long routes toward the right sideline midway through practice, though Taylor was his favorite option. That could be because Taylor, the slot receiver, is often Garoppolo’s closest and most accessible target.
Shanahan noted the team’s new-look pass rush has ramped up the pressure far more this summer. Bosa, Buckner and Dee Ford, who has missed a handful of practices with knee tendinitis, have been a big part of that.
Garoppolo’s most explosive completion went for roughly 40 yards to fullback Kyle Juszczyk on a wheel route up the left sideline. He beat Malcolm Smith, who had good coverage on the play. The throw was just enough toward the sideline that Smith couldn’t break it up. Smith’s coverage has been tight throughout recent practices, including Saturday’s, when he was locked on Kittle during the 15-yard touchdown pass that highlighted practice.
Coach’s thoughts
Shanahan was asked about his thoughts on the receiving corps, which has been the most competitive battle in camp. Unlike other positions, nearly every receiver has rotated with the first, second and third strings, making it difficult to discern where things stand in the battle for roster spots.
Said Shanahan: “I got a good idea of the guys that we have and how they’re wired, ability wise. But no, the picture isn’t getting clearer because we have a bunch of guys that compete and I don’t see any guys that are for-sure starters or for-sure backups. I think there’s some real competition there.”
It seems likely the 49ers keep six receivers, with the favorites being Pettis, Deebo Samuel, Marquise Goodwin, Taylor, Kendrick Bourne and Jalen Hurd. That would leave Richie James Jr. and Matthews off the team, though both seem like candidates to land on rosters elsewhere.