Wide receiver Jacob Cowing’s first training camp hasn’t been ideal.
The rookie fourth-round pick suffered a hamstring injury before pads came on, and he didn’t return until just before the 49ers’ preseason opener against the Titans.
Cowing was always going to face an uphill climb to find snaps as a rookie, and missing a couple weeks to open camp doesn’t make that ascension any easier.
On Monday the 49ers tried playing some catchup with Cowing in an unpadded practice.
Since so many of the 49ers’ reserves played in their preseason opener on Saturday, the team used only its first-team offense in Monday’s practice per ESPN’s Nick Wagoner.
While Cowing isn’t expected to be a starter, he didn’t suit up for Saturday’s game making him available for the relatively light session. It appears the team was aiming to make up for lost time and get their rookie receiver some much-needed reps. Cowing was lining up often, and had a handful of plays designed for him per Wagoner:
Niners clearly tried to work Cowing, who has been out for awhile, into the offense with some opportunities. They moved him around a lot and attempted to get him the ball in space a couple of times. He did have a drop on a catchable pass from Purdy, however.
It isn’t a huge surprise to see Cowing get off to a slow start. He’s missed a ton of time and he’s still trying to acclimate to a new offense at the highest level of the sport.
The good news is Cowing wasn’t expected to have a major role in the offense just yet. He has the rest of the preseason to get ramped up, and then he’ll have chances during the year to continue growing into his role with an eye toward the next couple of seasons where he could see significant time in the 49ers’ offense.
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