49ers training camp: Warner, Kinlaw sit out; Garoppolo excels in red zone
The 49ers didn’t have a preseason, but Sunday’s final training camp practice felt like something you’d see in the annual exhibition finale against the Chargers.
All the starters who missed practice Friday in Levi’s Stadium remained out for Sunday, including three new ones on defense, rookie defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw and linebackers Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw. It appears the team is prioritizing keeping players healthy over subjecting them to more practice reps, which have led to a slew of injuries over the last few weeks.
The team did not immediately provide updates on Warner, Kinlaw and Greenlaw, but defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said he didn’t believe their absences were related to injuries. Head coach Kyle Shanahan is expected to speak with reporters to provide updates after practice on Monday.
Warner spent the majority of Friday’s practice on the sideline and Shanahan indicated there was no health concern afterwards.
“We think Fred’s ready to play,” Shanahan said. “We still want to keep him going and keep him ready to play, so we’re not putting him on ice until Week 1, but I think it helped other guys get more reps today than it would have helped Fred being out there.”
Active players who remained sidelined: tight ends George Kittle (hamstring tightness) and Ross Dwelley (foot), receivers Brandon Aiyuk (hamstring) and Deebo Samuel (broken foot), defensive ends Nick Bosa (lower body muscle strain) and Dee Ford (calf irritation), defensive back K’Waun Williams (calf strain) and center Ben Garland (ankle).
Kittle was seen doing work on the JUGS machine as practice started and didn’t appear encumbered by the tightness that he initially felt last week. Bosa also appeared to be in good spirits as he mimicked pass rushing moves while talking Kerry Hyder, who has been given most of the reps with Bosa and Ford sidelined.
The highlight of the fully padded practice came during another red zone period when the offense scored six touchdowns while there didn’t appear to be the same level of zest from the defense that had dominated the drill last week, including when Jimmy Garoppolo was intercepted three times in a single session.
Garoppolo didn’t throw any picks during this particular drill (though safety Jaquiski Tartt stepped in front of a pass to rookie tight end Charlie Woerner for a pick-six later). Garoppolo threw touchdowns to receiver River Cracraft, Jeff Wilson Jr. (three times) and wideout Dante Pettis.
Undrafted rookie running back JaMycal Hasty scored on a rushing touchdown up the middle while he and Wilson received most of the snaps. It was a light day for Raheem Mostert, Jerick McKinnon and Tevin Coleman, who are likely to be three halfbacks active for the Arizona Cardinals game Week 1, which is two weeks from Sunday.
And with Warner and Greenlaw out, Mark Nzeocha and Azeez Al-Shaair saw more reps than normal at linebacker. That could be telling with final cuts less than a week out — particularly for Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles and Joe Walker, who might be on the wrong side of the roster bubble if the team keeps five linebackers.
Pettis has up-and-down day
The third-year pro has been noticeably better in training camp this year after struggling throughout 2019. He’s in the mix to be the team’s top return man and has gotten a slew of reps while Aiyuk and Samuel work back from their injuries.
But it hasn’t all been gravy for Pettis. He dropped a would-be touchdown in the back corner of the end zone Sunday and later had a Garoppolo pass bounce off his face mask after he appeared to turn around late on a route headed towards the sideline. One defensive back near the play could be heard laughing at Pettis from the other side of the practice field.
Pettis did have a handful of catches during team drills and looks like a favorite for a roster spot. He’s right behind Kendrick Bourne and Trent Taylor on the pecking order of healthy receivers at the moment.
The position remains one of the most up-in-the-air on the entire roster. And the back end of it could be determined by who wins the job as the return man. There’s a chance returning punts will be Pettis’ meal ticket to being on the active 46-man roster on game days. But if someone like Tavon Austin claims the job, Pettis might find himself in the same position as he was during the Super Bowl: on the sideline in street clothes.
Shuffling along the offensive line
Daniel Brunskill has gotten the majority of reps at center since Garland sprained his ankle during the first week of training camp. But that changed Sunday. Brunskill was back to playing primarily at right guard, which is his most likely spot for Week 1 as he has a leg up on Tom Compton and rookie Colton McKivitz.
Hroniss Grasu received more reps snapping to Jimmy Garoppolo than during any other portion of camp. That could indicate the 49ers are confident in Garland being available for the opener more than Grasu’s chances at earning the starting job.
The quarterback center exchange has been problematic throughout training camp with the team’s top two centers, Weston Richburg (torn patellar tendon) and Garland, sidelined. There were a handful of dropped and mishandled snaps again on Sunday after Shanahan kicked the starting offense off the field on Friday after one from Brunskill flew over Garoppolo’s head for a would-be safety.
Defensive line depth encouraging
The 49ers might have more depth along the defensive line this season than initially expected given the development of their backups. Hyder has played well in the place of Bosa, Ford and Ronald Blair III during recent practices.
But perhaps the more encouraging development is what’s happening along the interior. Specifically, Solomon Thomas, Kentavius Street and Kevin Givens have all been noticeably better than their counterparts on the offensive line, even some of the starters.
Nose tackle D.J. Jones, who’s in good form after coming back from a concussion, said he thinks Street has had the best offseason of anyone in the defensive line room.
“I don’t think he’s even thinking about that knee the way he’s playing,” Jones said. “The last couple years, I’ve seen him hobbling around, doing treatment every day. I think he’s just happy to have that knee at full strength, whether it is or isn’t. But he’s ballin’ right now, so I think that knee’s full go and he’s showing it.”
That checks out. Street has been explosive off the snap and, as one of the strongest guys on the entire roster, has been a handful for the team’s guards and centers to block. Street has been healthy after missing the last two seasons getting his knee right following a pre-draft ACL tear before getting drafted in 2018’s fourth round.
—The 49ers made adjustments to their roster less than a week away from final cuts. The team on Saturday signed tight end Marquise Gray and offensive lineman Dakoda Shepley to one-year contracts. Tight end Erik Swoope and interior offensive lineman Kofi Amichia were released to make room.
The roster will be officially trimmed to 53 on Saturday.
—The team on Sunday announced the re-signing of defensive lineman Alex Barrett, who has bounced on and off the roster throughout the offseason, to a one-year deal. Receiver J.J. Nelson was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury.
—Defensive end James Lockhart, who was acquired off waivers on Saturday, retired from football before joining the 49ers, the team said.
—Receiver Kevin White, the Bears’ former first-round pick who signed last week, scored a touchdown with the starters on a rushing play.
—Sunday was the last practice that will be open in full to reporters. The team will only allow the first 20 minutes of practices to be observed starting on Monday, which is regular season protocol. The regular season practice schedule will begin on Wednesday following practice Monday and a players’ off day on Tuesday.
This story was originally published August 30, 2020 at 3:06 PM.