49ers mailbag: Can Trent Williams take over from Joe Staley as the O-line’s leader?
The 49ers are continuing their virtual offseason program and it’s going very well, according to fullback Kyle Juszczyk. It’s the fourth spring for head coach Kyle Shanahan to continue teaching his players his complex offense.
“And across the board, everybody is learning what everyone else is learning,” Juszczyk said Tuesday. “So it’s been refreshing and I think it’s been really productive.”
To that end, receivers are being asked to learn the roles of tight ends, and vice versa. Juszczyk noted that while there are no practices on the field, players can focus more on the details of their assignments, which could allow the team to hit the ground running come training camp given the cohesion already in place.
With that, let’s continue to show off our cohesion and get to the latest version of our weekly mailbag.
Bill asks: In the absence of Joe Staley’s leadership in the locker room, who emerges as the captain of the O-line room and can they provide leadership at an All Pro level?
I think it’s going to end up being Trent Williams. He’s new but he’s already one of the 49ers’ best overall players. His knowledge of the offense is ingrained after being drafted when Kyle Shanahan was Washington’s offensive coordinator in 2010. Plus his work ethic is unquestioned.
Williams was asked about his leadership style and how he’ll try to fit into the offensive line room with his new teammates. The 49ers have cultivated a strong culture since Shanahan was hired and Williams is expected to fit in seamlessly.
“I think you guys will learn I’m not as vocal a person as a lot of guys are, especially from a leadership standpoint, Williams said. “I would lean toward leading by example. To be in the league as long as I have, you know a ton of guys and not just people in your locker room. You see everybody.
“So it’s a new locker room but there’s a lot of familiar faces there. It won’t take any time getting comfortable. But as far as how I would like to lead? I just want to come in and lead by example, be the guy in there working and hopefully work hard enough guys will believe in it and take to it.”
There could be an adjustment in leadership style. Staley kept things light with humor but knew when to be serious. I don’t gather there will be a lot of humor coming from Williams, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be embraced the same way, particularly if he plays as well as he did with Washington.
Rod asks: What’s the realistic expectation for Jet McKinnon seeing that he’s 2 years removed from playing a solid season?
I’m expecting the 49ers to continue a committee approach with their running backs as they did for most of last year. Raheem Mostert will likely be the top option while Tevin Coleman could be sprinkled in to keep him fresh. Jerick McKinnon is the wild card of the group.
Shanahan used McKinnon all over the field during his first training camp with San Francisco before the injury. He was a key component in the passing game, particularly on third downs as a mismatch for linebackers. He’s the team’s best pass catcher out of the backfield.
The question facing McKinnon coming off two missed seasons with his knee is about athleticism. He was a supreme athlete when he was drafted in 2014. His broad jump, vertical jump and 10-yard split all ranked in the 95th percentile or above among running backs (his 4.41 speed was 89th). His 32 reps on the bench press would be excellent if he played offensive or defensive line.
I believe Shanahan envisioned a Christian McCaffrey-type role for McKinnon, hence the four-year, $30 million contract.
Can he get back to that level? It seems highly unlikely after missing the last two seasons. But it certainly looks like McKinnon could be a quality second or third option if his twice-repaired knee allows.
Dan asks: Do you see Jauan Jennings as more of a fit as a No. 2 tight end than a receiver? He’s not a bad in-line blocker, not the fastest receiver, but has quick bursts, he’s a huge dude. What am I missing here?!
I’ve asked this same question and have been told Jennings is going to remain at receiver, at least for the time being. He’s 215 pounds and already not fleet of foot (4.72 at the combine) so I’d imagine he would get slower if he were asked to add the 20 pounds it would take to play tight end.
But it’s worth noting the tight end-receiver distinction might not matter a whole lot. Shanahan likes his players to line up everywhere. We’ve seen fullback Kyle Juszczyk line up in the slot and out wide and Deebo Samuel (and Jalen Hurd last August) take handoffs from the backfield. So Jennings might end up running the same routes as tight ends.
Jennings’ calling card, of course, is his physicality. I’d imagine the 49ers would prefer to allow him to use that trump card against smaller defensive backs than ask him to maintain that edge against linebackers and bigger safeties, which would make his NFL transition more difficult.
Robert asks: Where do you think the 49ers will hold training camp?
I think it’ll be at their normal headquarters in Santa Clara barring anything unforeseen. With California Gov. Gavin Newsom this week reopening the state to professional sports in early June, it appears safe to assume an NFL team could practice on the field when training camp opens in late July.
On the other hand, many experts believe there is a second wave of COVID-19 coming. In which case the 49ers might end up practicing outside the state. If that were to happen, my guess would be somewhere in Arizona or Nevada.
Reno would make some sense. The team could train at altitude and there would be no shortage of hotel space (and certain media members could drive). There might be more competition for some of the training sites in Arizona, with the Rams and Chargers likely looking to stay close to Southern California.
