Tag: 49ers depth chart

Will Jauan Jennings play more even with 49ers healthy at WR?

More Jauan Jennings? It’s a real possibility even with the 49ers receiving corps getting healthier.

It’s unlikely we’ll see the 49ers and head coach Kyle Shanahan make any major schematic changes to their offense any time soon.

However, their injury issues have forced some players to jump into bigger roles and perhaps make a case for more playing time even after the injury situation improves.

No player embodied the ‘next man up’ mentality more than wide receiver Jauan Jennings in Week 3. With no Deebo Samuel at wide receiver and no George Kittle at tight end, Jennings played a career-high 60 snaps and turned in a remarkable 11-catch, 175-yard, three-touchdown performance.

His outing brought up questions about how the 49ers would navigate the WR position when Samuel was healthy since they so often run two-receiver sets that leave Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk on the field. Shanahan was asked in a press conference Friday about the possibility of using more 11 personnel (one running back, one tight end) in lieu of their typical 21 personnel (two running backs, one tight end). He said that drastic change is unlikely, but more Jennings is a possibility.

“I’m always comfortable with Jauan,” Shanahan said. “But our, if we’re not going 11, it has nothing to do with always trying to get our best 11 people out there. Jauan, I think, has been one of our best 11 people since he’s been here. That usually more has to do with advantages of 21-personnel and things like that. But it’s a good problem to have. I want to get Jauan out there more. He’s that type of player. It doesn’t always mean that you go totally different with your scheme and everything, but you can always rotate him in more too.”

Jennings has acquitted himself well every time he’s stepped into any kind of role with the 49ers. Utilizing him more may allow the club to keep Samuel and Kittle healthier down the stretch of the season. Jennings doesn’t have a ton of miles on his body, and he’s a big, physical receiver who is excellent at pulling down contested catches. He’s also flashed some run-after-the-catch ability during his career.

It’s unlikely we’ll see another game any time soon where Jennings is getting 10-plus targets while Samuel, Aiyuk and Kittle are all healthy. We can and should see more of him though considering how effective he is when he steps on the field. Don’t be surprised if his snap counts start to creep up and his production becomes a little more consistent.

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49ers injury report: George Kittle in, 5 questionable vs. Patriots

Lots happening on the 49ers’ Week 4 injury report. 2 out, 5 questionable, 2 notable names not on the report.

The San Francisco 49ers may be at something close to full strength on Sunday when they host the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium.

Two notable names were not included on the official injury report. Quarterback Brock Purdy is good to go after dealing with some back soreness leading into Week 3. Tight end George Kittle will also play after missing Week 3 with a hamstring injury.

Here’s who is on the injury report:

Out

DT Javon Hargrave (triceps)
LB Curtis Robinson (knee)

Head coach Kyle Shanahan indicated Robinson tore his ACL in Thursday’s practice. Expect both Hargrave and Robinson to go on season-ending IR. The 49ers would have three open roster spots if they don’t fill them immediately.

Questionable

WR Deebo Samuel (calf)
LB Dee Winters (ankle)
DT Jordan Elliott (foot)
S Talanoa Hufanga (ankle)
LT Trent Williams (toe)

A questionable designation is actually good for Samuel after he was ruled out early for Week 3. Shanahan said Samuel would miss ‘a couple’ games after he strained his calf in the final moments of the 49ers’ Week 2 loss. Samuel go work in Thursday and Friday which gives him a chance to go Sunday.

If Winters can play we may see him get run at the Will linebacker spot alongside Fred Warner. He was getting mixed in against the Rams before aggravating his ankle injury on a special teams play.

Elliott left Thursday’s session with a foot injury, but he returned to practice Friday. Hufanga is a new addition to the report after not being listed the first two days of practice. The same goes for Williams who complained about toe soreness Friday.

If Williams can’t go the 49ers could be in serious trouble on the offensive line. We’ve seen the offense survive with running back Christian McCaffrey, Kittle and Samuel, but they’ve really struggled when Williams is out.

We’ll find out more about the 49ers’ injury situation 90 minutes before Sunday’s kickoff.

Kickoff from Levi’s Stadium is slated for 1:05pm Pacific Time.

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Are 49ers preparing for change to starting offensive line?

The 49ers may have change coming on their OL with one player changing positions.

The San Francisco 49ers may be gearing up to try something a little different along their offensive line.

Going into the offseason it was clear the 49ers needed to at bare minimum add competition for the right side of the offensive front. Right guard was a rotating cast of players last season, while right tackle was a clear weak spot.

They added right guard help in the third round of this year’s draft when they selected Kansas offensive lineman Dominick Puni. He won the starting right guard spot out of camp and has acquitted himself well through three games.

At right tackle they brought in some veterans like Chris Hubbard and Brandon Parker, but neither really pushed incumbent right tackle Colton McKivitz for a starting job. It appears that competition may now be coming for the bookend opposite Trent Williams.

Offensive line coach Chris Foerster was asked in his Thursday press conference whether swing tackle Jaylon Moore played on the right side at all. He indicated that Moore does work on that side, but then he indicated another interior offensive lineman is moving to tackle.

“He gets a little work the right side,” Foerster said of Moore. “He’s been getting work since the start of the season. Wednesdays, Trent is usually off, and then Thursdays he’s back at practice, so he’s able to get a little bit more work at both tackles. As is, we’re working Spencer Burford to tackle as well.”

This is an intriguing development since Burford exclusively played guard for the 49ers since they selected him in the fourth round of the 2022 draft. However, he played all over the offensive line in college and logged more than 20 starts at either right or left tackle.

It’s not out of the question that San Francisco would make a mid-season change on the OL. They’ve done it at right guard in each of the last two years by rotating players in with Burford who started at that spot his first two seasons.

McKivitz would be the logical choice to replace. He’s allowed a team-worst 13 pressures, one sack, and half of the six quarterback hits the offensive line has allowed through three games per Pro Football Focus.

Keeping quarterback Brock Purdy upright and healthy is going to be vital to the 49ers overcoming the bombardment of injuries that’ve hit them this season, and making a change on the offensive line may be necessary to ensure that happens.

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49ers rookie RB draws comparison to former 49ers playoff hero

Are the 49ers about to develop the new Raheem Mostert?!

San Francisco 49ers rookie running back Isaac Guerendo finally got some real NFL work in his third regular season game.

After getting one carry for no yards in Week 2, Guerendo had five carries for 19 yards in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Rams. He had another five-yard carry called back for holding.

While his numbers were pedestrian, 49ers offensive line coach and run game coordinator Chris Foerster said Guerendo nearly ripped off a long touchdown run.

“Loved him. Loved him,” Foerster said in a press conference Thursday. “We had, oh man, if you guys watched the all 22, if you saw the play, [LG Aaron] Banks went up to get a linebacker and kind of didn’t go right at him, he kind of slipped and fell on his butt and, but it was right about on the 50. That’s a good feeling, right on the emblem. He fell backwards and missed the linebacker on that play. If he’d have got on that guy, there was a crease that he, I would’ve loved to see if he would’ve hit it. If he just could have, I thought he might have split the safety.”

The home run run plays have been missing from the 49ers’ offense so far this season. That one evaded Guerendo on Sunday, but Foerster’s comparison for the rookie fourth-round pick from Louisville indicates he could be seeing more time in the backfield soon.

“He reminds me of another 31 [Miami Dolphins RB Raheem Mostert] we had here in his running style,” Foerster said. “He’s got that upright, good-speed running style. And I’m not putting him in that category yet, but he really does. I want to see him get a chance to get, we just haven’t gotten him the space yet. I like him. He’s got a ways to go, obviously. He’s got a lot of developing to do. And that position is a hard, tough position. But he’s nothing but a positive upside. He really looks to be that, I won’t say change of pace. Shoot, he could be your lead dog, but he’s got that little, that extra gear we’ve been looking for in a change between, Christian’s playing fast, JP’s playing fast, but he’s got a little bit something different from those guys.”

Mostert worked largely in a reserve role until 2019 when he broke out late in the year and sent the 49ers to the Super Bowl with a 29-carry, 220-yard, four-touchdown performance in the NFC championship game. His specialty with the 49ers was the explosive run play where every touch was liable to go to the end zone.

It would be a huge boost for the 49ers offense if Guerendo starts executing those big run plays the way Mostert did. Starting RB Jordan Mason’s longest carry of the season is just 24 yards. Having a threat in the run game who can flip the field or score a long touchdown on the ground would make life easier on the 49ers’ offense. And if Guerendo turns into Mostert, they need to start getting him the ball more often.

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49ers need to make change in starting LB corps

It’s time for a change on the 49ers’ defense.

It appears the San Francisco 49ers may be headed toward a shakeup to try and cure some of what ails their struggling defense.

The 49ers entering Monday night were allowing a whopping 6.1 yards per play. That’s the third-worst mark in the league and 1.1 yards per play more than they allowed last season. They’ve also struggled on third downs and haven’t been able to come up with key stops at the end of both of their losses.

While there are a host of issues on that side of the ball, one glaring one is linebacker De’Vondre Campbell, who could be on his way to a lesser role. Second-year LB Dee Winters took over in the second quarter for a short stretch Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams before re-aggravating his ankle injury on LA’s fake punt.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Winters’ defensive snaps were something the club planned on leading up to the game.

“Just planned on it before the game,” Shanahan said. “We wanted to do that early going into this year also. But Dee just got hurt there, I think in that last preseason game, so that set that back a little bit. He’s gotten healthy and we planned on doing that early, just like the week before we planned on doing it with (S George Odum) G.O. and Malik (Mustapha). We started that and he got hurt on, he reaggravated his ankle on the fake punt.”

While Shanahan said the move wasn’t because of dissatisfaction with Campbell, he did say Winters had done enough to push for the starting Will LB spot.

“We want to keep working to get the best guys out there and Dee has had a good camp and he showed that he deserves the chance to push him,” Shanahan said. “He did good on the plays that he did when he was in there and hopefully he’ll get healthy so we can keep doing the same stuff.”

It’s not a surprise the 49ers are aiming to try something different at the spot previously occupied by Dre Greenlaw. Greenlaw’s athleticism in the second level allowed San Francisco to control an area of the field so many offenses thrive in, particularly in the passing game.

Campbell has struggled badly in coverage, allowing 14 catches for 149 yards and one touchdown on 16 targets according to Pro Football Focus.

Getting that second LB spot ironed out isn’t the only thing that can help the 49ers turn their defense around after a slow start, but it would certainly help what’s been a clear weakness so far in 2024.

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Kyle Shanahan comments on rookie WR aren’t encouraging

So, why didn’t Jacob Cowing play against the Rams?

Rookie wide receiver Jacob Cowing’s absence from a third consecutive game raised some eyebrows after the San Francisco 49ers’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Cowing figured to be a player who saw a bigger role with veteran WR Deebo Samuel sidelined by a calf injury. His absence wasn’t much of a story as WR Jauan Jennings put up an 11-catch, 175-yard, three-touchdown game, but it was put under a spotlight when second-year WR Ronnie Bell dropped a key throw late in the loss.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked Monday on a conference call about Cowing’s absence. His answer didn’t provide much optimism that Cowing would be a factor any time soon.

“He’s still working to get out there,” Shanahan said. “He is trying to get more comfortable with the offense and just earn a role with it, gets closer and closer each week. Still got a bit to go though.”

He doubled down when asked for reasons why Cowing wasn’t getting offensive snaps.

“There’s lots of reasons that go into it, but he hasn’t been able to make his way into that group yet,” Shanahan said, “and the more he gets comfortable with the offense and the more consistent he gets then he’ll earn those opportunities.”

It makes sense that Cowing wouldn’t be ready to contribute offensively just yet. The rookie fourth-round pick missed most of training camp with a hamstring injury. He did produce in his two preseason contests, but having success in a preseason doesn’t necessarily mean a player is ready to suit up in a regular-season game.

On the other hand, Cowing showed enough electricity with the ball in his hands that the 49ers should consider devising ways to get him on the field in some capacity. It’s hard to imagine they’re eager to give Bell more opportunity after his pair of drops Sunday. Their injury situation leaves them short on options, but it doesn’t seem like Cowing will be part of the solution any time soon.

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49ers need more from biggest offseason free agent signing

The spotlight is officially on the #49ers’ biggest offseason addition.

The San Francisco 49ers had a glaring problem on defense. That problem was exacerbated Sunday when star defensive tackle Javon Hargrave suffered a partially torn triceps that will require season-ending surgery.

Rushing the passer is something the 49ers have established as a foundation of their defensive success. It’s why they spent the No. 2 overall pick on defensive end Nick Bosa in 2019, and it’s why they’ve utilized a bevy of resources along the defensive line throughout the tenures of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch.

That part of their defense is off to a slow start in 2024, and now improvement is a steep uphill climb without Hargrave.

One way they can improve is by simply getting more out of defensive end Leonard Floyd who signed a two-year, $20 million contract with $12 million guaranteed this offseason.

Floyd had a sack and four pressures in Week 1 according to Pro Football Focus. He’s been silent since then. PFF has him down for just one pressure, no sacks and no quarterback hits over the last two games.

That’s not going to cut it for a player some deemed as the best edge rusher the 49ers have had opposite Bosa.

While Floyd has gotten off to a slow start, there’s reason for optimism that he’ll bounce back. Throughout his career there are a slew of two and three game stretches where he’ll be ostensibly absent from the pass rush before breaking out with big numbers.

The problem for the 49ers is they can’t afford for Floyd to go missing. They’re relying heavily on him to provide pressure off the edge across from Bosa. That reliance only increases with Hargrave’s injury.

A consistently good Floyd who is racking up 9.5 or 10.0 sacks would be a tremendous boost for the 49ers’ struggling defense. The sooner he breaks out of his slump and turns into that player, the better.

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49ers head coach confident team can replace All-Pro TE vs. Rams

George Kittle is doubtful vs. the Rams, which opens the door for a backup TE to carve out a bigger role.

One of the slew of injury problems facing the 49ers in Week 3 wasn’t one they anticipated having entering the week.

Tight end George Kittle got through Week 2 without issue, and was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice leading up to a Week 3 showdown with the Los Angeles Rams.

Then he started experiencing hamstring soreness after Wednesday’s session, leading him to miss Thursday and Friday before receiving a ‘doubtful’ designation for Sunday’s contest.

While losing an All-Pro TE isn’t optimal, head coach Kyle Shanahan in a press conference Friday expressed confidence in Kittle’s backup, Eric Saubert.

“I thought he’s done a hell of a job,” Shanahan said. “He’s stepped in well. Kittle was cramping most of the game, so he had to do a lot throughout the Minnesota game. He’s been real consistent since he’s been here. If he’s got to do it all, he’s up for the challenge. He’s shown he can help us in the passing and the run game.”

Saubert played 26 snaps in Minnesota – seven more than he played in the season opener against the New York Jets. That was also the most snaps he’s played in a game since Week 15 of the 2022 season when he was with the Denver Broncos.

Pro Football Focus gave Saubert a 73.2 overall grade for his game in Minnesota, which included two receptions for 26 yards. That was his most productive statistical game since Week 17 of the 2022 campaign.

Ideally the 49ers won’t need to navigate life without Kittle for long. This is a good opportunity for Saubert to step in and potentially carve out a larger role once Kittle is back. If he can produce as a run blocker and prove to be a viable pass-catching threat, we may see San Francisco utilize him more with Kittle once the All-Pro TE returns.

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It may be showtime for 49ers rookie after recent injury news in secondary

Another injury may force a rookie into the 49ers’ starting lineup.

The rash of injuries that have plagued the 49ers’ offense have now trickled over to the defensive side.

In a bit of a surprise, All-Pro cornerback Charvarius Ward was held out of Thursday’s practice because of knee and hamstring injuries. He was a full participant in Wednesday’s session, indicating the pair of injuries are new.

Defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen told reporters in a press conference after Thursday’s practice that Ward has some soreness and that the team is trying to be smart with the veteran CB. However, an absence in the middle of the week typically doesn’t bode well for a player’s chances to play. We’ll get official word on Ward’s status Friday afternoon.

If Ward is unable to go, all signs point to rookie second-round pick Renardo Green getting the start as the 49ers’ nickel corner. Sorensen during his press conference had a glowing review of Green.

“He’s looked great,” Sorensen said. “He continually gets better. So we’ve got total confidence in Renardo. He’s very competitive, he’s always wanting to learn, he is learning. Just feel great about him.”

The 49ers turned to Green in a dime package with four cornerbacks on the field in Week 2 against the Vikings. It marked his first regular season action as a pro. He played just four snaps. Head coach Kyle Shanahan indicated Green may be a part of their defensive plan moving forward following his brief playing time in Minnesota.

If Ward winds up missing Sunday’s game in Los Angeles, Deommodore Lenoir and Isaac Yiadom would likely be the starting outside CBs with Green stepping into the slot in nickel packages.

The 49ers and Rams kick off from SoFi Stadium at 1:25pm Pacific Time on Sunday.

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49ers rookie won’t lose starting job after big mistake vs. Vikings

The 49ers won’t be removing one of their rookies from the starting lineup.

San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Jacob Cowing might have had his ‘welcome to the NFL’ moment during the team’s Week 2 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

Cowing, who won the starting punt returner job out of training camp, muffed a punt in the middle of the third quarter with the 49ers trailing 13-7. Cornerback Isaac Yiadom dove on the ball for the 49ers after a wild scramble, so the fumble by the rookie didn’t come off as a major gaffe.

While the muffed punt isn’t ideal, it wasn’t enough to move head coach Kyle Shanahan off the rookie returner. He told reporters ahead of Wednesday’s practice that the club still has confidence in Cowing.

“No, that’s one muffed punt,” Shanahan said. “Just when it comes to catching stuff, he’s been as natural of a catcher as we’ve had in our eight years here, just in practice, how he’s been in the games. I know that one got away from him, which we can’t have those. But everyone muffs one here and there. You just hope that was the end of it.”

Shanahan’s confidence in Cowing may wind up extending beyond special teams.

The fourth-round pick out of the University of Arizona could be a player the 49ers rely on to pick up some of the slack while wide receiver Deebo Samuel is out with a calf injury. Cowing has yet to make his debut on offense, but that may change with the team dealing with injuries to key contributors on that side of the ball.

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