49ers notebook: Kittle, Bosa, Ford expected back for Week 1; uncertainty abound at receiver, center
The 49ers took to practice 11 days before the season opener on Wednesday banged up and unsure of who will be healthy for Week 1 at key positions.
First, not all the injury news is bad. Head coach Kyle Shanahan indicated he expects defensive ends Nick Bosa and Dee Ford to be healthy and available for the Sept. 13 season opener against the Arizona Cardinals after suffering lower body injuries last month during training camp.
“I’ll be very surprised if they’re not ready to go for Week 1,” Shanahan said.
Bosa strained a muscle in his leg and Ford is dealing with calf irritation. They’ve been replaced in practice by a rotation featuring Arik Armstead, Kerry Hyder and Dion Jordan, though Jordan observed Wednesday’s practice in a hat and sweats.
There was also good news surrounding star tight end George Kittle, who was back on the field inside Levi’s Stadium, where the team conducted its third practice over the last week, and appears in line to play Week 1 after experiencing hamstring tightness. His backup, Ross Dwelley, was also back after missing time with a foot injury.
The rest of the injury news falls in a cloud of uncertainty.
Shanahan did not offer an update on top receivers Deebo Samuel (broken foot) and Brandon Aiyuk (hamstring) who are uncertain for Week 1, aside from saying, “We’re hoping to get both of those guys back next week.”
Fullback Kyle Juszczyk remained out with a hamstring injury, linebacker Dre Greenlaw missed his second straight practice while in concussion protocol and starting middle linebacker Fred Warner remains on the reserve/COVID-19 list. The earliest he can return is Thursday but only if he passes three consecutive tests for the virus.
Additionally, slot wideout Trent Taylor and Tavon Austin did not practice Wednesday for undisclosed reasons. A source told The Bee Taylor’s absence isn’t concerning regarding his status for opener.
That left Kendrick Bourne, Dante Pettis, Jauan Jennings, Kevin White, Sean Poindexter and River Cracraft as the team’s receivers for practice. Bourne leads that group with 88 career receptions for 1,102 yards over three seasons.
The team’s injury issues at the position could force them to look at signing another veteran. The Patriots on Wednesday released veteran Mohamed Sanu, whom the 49ers were interested in during last season’s trade deadline before acquiring Emmanuel Sanders.
Sanu, of course, played for Shanahan with the Atlanta Falcons in 2016 and made 59 catches for 653 yards. The Patriots gave up a second-round draft choice for Sanu last season while San Francisco sent the Broncos a third- and fourth-round pick for Sanders.
Sanu clearly didn’t work out with New England. He had just 26 catches for 207 yards over eight games after being acquired and did not solve the team’s longstanding issues at receiver.
Uncertainty surrounding right guard and center
Shanahan said it’s unclear when center Ben Garland would return after spraining his ankle during practice Aug. 18, which could mean the 49ers would be down to their third-string center Week 1 if Garland is unavailable while starter Weston Richburg is expected back midseason following last December’s knee injury.
And if Garland sits, it’s still unknown which center the team would start. Daniel Brunskill has been given the majority of reps at center, but he’s also in the mix to start at right guard, allowing Hroniss Grasu to work at center.
“I think we got an idea of guys we want to go with, but we got to see how people heal over this next or so,” Shanahan said. “Who’s in the best health and football shape to be ready for next Sunday? So we’re getting an idea of what guys we like and want to go with, but that will probably be playing out all the way to next week.”
Grasu was signed Aug. 20 after bouncing around the league. He was originally a third-round draft pick of the Bears in 2015 and was released before his third season. He went on to have stints with Carolina, Baltimore, Miami, Tennessee and Baltimore again before signing with San Francisco.
49ers sign another pass rusher
The 49ers on Wednesday added another defensive end to the roster while Bosa and Ford work back from injuries. The team signed Cameron Malveaux, 25, to a one-year contract.
Malveaux (6-5, 265) has experience with defensive line coach Kris Kocurek during their time with the Miami Dolphins. He’s appeared in 13 games, recording 15 tackles, 2.0 sacks and a pass breakup. He joined the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2017 and had a stint with the Arizona Cardinals in 2018.
Malveaux’s chances at cracking the 53-man roster appear slim, though he could stick around on the practice squad if he makes a good impression over the next three days. The team currently has Hyder, Jordan and Alex Barrett backing up Bosa and Ford, while Ronald Blair III is coming back from November ACL tear and is uncertain to be available for the season opener.
This story was originally published September 2, 2020 at 3:35 PM.