49ers mailbag: Is Kyle Shanahan smoke-screening his QB decision? Will Hurd ever play?
The second week of the preseason is in the books following up two interesting practices in Southern California last week between the 49ers and Chargers.
Coach Kyle Shanahan’s team this week is back to a more normal regular season schedule, with the exhibition finale coming Sunday against the Raiders and players returning to the practice field on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Reporters will no longer be allowed to watch the full extent of practices after Thursday, so it’s getting down to the nitty-gritty for Shanahan and the front office making it a good time to open up the mailbag once again.
Let’s go!
@MIKoenig44 asks: Shanahan hasn’t named a starter yet. Is this just a smoke screen? Or does Trey Lance really have a shot at winning the job?
I don’t think it’s a smoke screen — necessarily. I think there’s no reason for Shanahan to tell the world (or, specifically, the Detroit Lions) who his starting quarterback will be three weeks ahead of time.
It’s my belief that Shanahan is planning to start Jimmy Garoppolo but he’s open to the idea of Trey Lance winning the job. Shanahan has hinted more and more about Lance having a prominent role this season when talking about his performances against the Chiefs and Chargers the last two weeks.
“I’m just trying to get him better and get him ready for the season,” Shanahan said as part of a longer answer about Lance on Monday.
Put another way, Shanahan has been talking about Lance’s development with some immediacy, not in a way where he’s focused on developing Lance for 2022 and beyond. Reading between the lines indicates Lance is going to play sooner rather than later.
So, yes, I believe Lance has a shot at winning the job. Perhaps the first two weeks of the season would be too tall of task given they’ll be in turbulent road environments in Detroit and Philadelphia with fans in the stands for the first time since 2019.
But it’s not a coincidence Lance got first-team reps during the practice against the Chargers last week. As Shanahan said, he’s trying to get him ready for the regular season. How Lance is used during practice this week and the Raiders game will be telling.
@SFSportsRealist asks: Love the pod - here’s my question: How can Lance improve if he does not play in games?
The Candlestick Chronicles Podcast loves you back.
Here’s my answer: I don’t know!
Sure, there’s value in observing, learning the offense, taking mental reps and all that comes with holding the clipboard. But the reality for Lance, in my opinion, is that he’ll only get better through playing.
His issue isn’t learning the offense and learning how to make reads so much as getting his feet underneath him, honing his fundamentals and developing chemistry with his pass catchers. Keep in mind, it’s not only about game reps. The starting quarterback generally gets all the practice snaps throughout the week as well.
It would be one thing if Garoppolo was a clear top-10 quarterback who rarely made mistakes. But the truth is he makes a couple of throws each day during practice and during games that make observers scratch their heads.
It’d be another thing if Garoppolo was like, say, Alex Smith with the Chiefs in 2017. Smith threw just five interceptions that entire season. The last time Garoppolo played a full year was in 2019 when he tossed 13 interceptions in the regular season and three more in the playoffs and Super Bowl.
@510maleake49er asks: Initially I was in the let Trey sit club, but why? Eye manipulation on Sunday was high level, good ball placement most of the night, he threw a pick (high pass, just like Jimmy’s INT). He’s got to play to get better, just start the kid & let the process begin. Am I tripping?
I agree with you. I think Lance is more advanced now than Robert Griffin III was in 2012. And I think the 49ers have a better supporting cast than Dak Prescott had with the Cowboys when he helped them go 13-3 as a rookie in 2016.
I also think this San Francisco team is better than the 2018 Bills, which saw Josh Allen start for the first time (he went 5-6 as a starter in 11 games while completing just 53% of his passes). His leading receiver was Zay Jones, who had 652 yards that year, and who probably isn’t as a good as George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel.
So yes, I believe the 49ers could have a successful season with Lance as the starting quarterback from Week 1. The more he plays in the regular season will help him later in the year, when San Francisco might be in the mix for a playoff spot.
@theacmeredith asks: When you attend training camp, how can you tell who is sitting out? Feels like with 90 guys in camp, it’d be easy to miss.
Great question.
My first job during a camp practice is tracking down a member of the 49ers’ PR staff for a copy of the roster, then I take roll by checking off everyone I see (and double checking with my media brethren).
Usually I have a good idea of who’s practicing and who isn’t by the time the individual drills are over. Over time, you get a sense of where players are in the warmup lines and where each position group starts its days, so it gets easier over time to track down all 90 guys in the first 10 or 15 minutes of practice.
@TheSFGiantsGuy asks: Have seen plenty of camp buzz about Deommodore Lenoir and Talanoa Hufanaga, are they looking at starting roles give the lack of healthy depth at their positions?
It seems unlikely Lenoir has done enough to unseat Emmanuel Moseley. But Moseley is working his way back from a tweaked hamstring, which has meant more practice time for the rookie from Oregon.
I think Lenoir has played well enough for the team to feel good about him being the No. 3 corner, or at least someone who can push Dontae Johnson for that role. Lenoir through two preseason games has allowed a 0.0 quarterback rating when targeted, according to Pro Football Focus, with thanks to that gift of an interception against the Chiefs.
Hufanga has a more-realistic chance at emerging with a starting job Week 1, in my opinion.
Veteran Tavon Wilson has been fine during training camp working with the starters while Jaquiski Tartt recovers from his long bout with turf toe. Wilson has the obvious edge in experience (125 NFL games since 2012, 45 starts), but he might not have the upside of Hufanga, who has already emerged as one of San Francisco’s best special teams players.
I asked Shanahan if Hufanga was putting himself in position to compete for the starting job Week 1.
“Yes, I think Hufanga with the way he’s played these last two weeks and the way he’s been in practice, I think he’s definitely given himself an opportunity,” Shanahan said.
That makes Hufanga one of the players to watch during Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas (yes, it’s still strange to type) Raiders.
@JoshSlocum14 asks: How do you see Dee Ford being used early in the season? Every 3rd down or more sparingly?
I’d imagine the plan would be to work Ford in slowly, perhaps starting with obvious passing situations on third and fourth down. Things could change as the season goes on and he gets more comfortable and confident with his back.
That curtailed role would be easier to give Ford with the presence of Samson Ebukam playing opposite of Nick Bosa. I’d be surprised if Ford played more than 12-15 snaps a game early in the season. He played 15-25 when he was healthy back in 2019.
@IsaacSJ408 asks: Jalen Hurd killing it whenever he’s available in practice or something? Not sure why else he’s still a consideration for the 53 when he’s never available.
The discussion about Hurd stems mostly from his ability. He might be the team’s third-most-gifted receiver, which is notable given the lack of established options behind Aiyuk and Samuel.
But the availability issue is the most important. Hurd has to practice consistently before the team will feel comfortable about putting him in games, and without playing in games, it’s hard to save him a spot on the 53-man roster.
That said, Hurd is talented enough become a real problem for defenses if he were to ever get healthy. The 49ers might have to decide if it’s worth giving Hurd a roster spot, placing him on IR so he can get his knee 100% healthy, and then activate him later in the season.
That route might mean losing someone on the back end of the roster bubble who could contribute right away. At least until that player clears waivers until Hurd gets to IR. If Hurd did come back healthy, he might help solve the team’s depth questions and make it so the team doesn’t have to trade for a receiver ahead of the deadline like it did in 2019 with Emmanuel Sanders.
Or, there’s a chance Hurd never becomes a viable NFL contributor. San Francisco would be wise not to give him a roster spot if that’s where they think this is headed.
