Tag: Ambry Thomas

A wrinkle emerges in 49ers starting CB competition

The #49ers are having a full-blown competition for starting jobs in the secondary that could lead to some shuffling of their CB group.

The 49ers secondary suddenly has a ton of intrigue.

It looked going into training camp that Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir would be the two outside cornerbacks, with newly-signed CB Isaiah Oliver settling in at the nickel corner spot. The position battles in that case would all be relegated to players down the depth chart just trying to make the roster.

That all got thrown into flux Sunday when Oliver started the 49ers preseason opener and didn’t play particularly well.

One player who did stand out in the 49ers secondary in that preseason contest was CB Ambry Thomas, who had a tackle for loss and a couple of pass breakups. According to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle, Thomas on Tuesday was one of the 49ers’ outside CBs while Lenoir slid to the nickel where he played last season before bumping outside when Emmanuel Moseley went down.

Defensive coordinator Steve Wilks spoke about Thomas to open his press conference after Tuesday’s practice.

“Ambry I thought did a tremendous job on some of things that we saw on tape, particularly also during the game coming up strong on that fourth down play. And then having a PBU,”  Wilks said.

He also complimented second-year CB Samuel Womack III, who won the nickel CB job out of camp last year before surrendering it to Lenoir in Week 3.

“Same thing with Sammy Womack,” Wilks said. “I think a critical situation on the toss. We pride ourselves at the corner position coming up making tackles and it was great to see those guys doing that.”

It’s clear the 49ers like what talent they have at corner, and now the competition in the slot could wind up changing how the club lines up with their outside CBs.

There’s a chance Lenoir and Ward are the starting outside corners in base packages with Thomas coming in and Lenoir moving to the slot in nickel. Given how often teams have three-plus corners on the field though the difference is probably negligible over the course of a full season.

The good news about the glut of competition for the 49ers is that secondary depth has been a problem for them the last couple years. Being in a spot where they have to sit starting-caliber players would only help an already strong defensive unit.

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49ers CB Ambry Thomas takes good 1st step in make-or-break year

Ambry Thomas is at a crucial point of his career, and turned in a strong performance in the offseason according to new defensive coordinator Steve Wilks.

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Ambry Thomas by the end of the 2021 season looked like a long-term starter in the 49ers’ secondary. By the time injuries struck the 49ers’ secondary in 2022 it was clear the 2021 third-round pick had fallen off of his original upward trajectory. This season may be his last chance to point his arrow upward again with the 49ers, and he appears to have taken the right steps this offseason.

While OTAs and minicamp don’t tell the whole story for a player, they’re key for a player like Thomas to simply get some momentum going into the break before training camp. Defensive coordinator Steve Wilks on Wednesday after the team wrapped its offseason football activities said Thomas and the other young CBs did all the right things in those sessions.

“Ambry, I thought has had a great OTAs and mini-camp,” Wilks said. “So when you look at those two guys (Thomas and CB Deommodore Lenoir) with the amount of reps they’ve taken with Mooney (Charvarius Ward) not being there, I think it has only been a plus. And I saw progression with Sammy (CB Samuel Womack III) as well, Womack, so I’m excited about the young guys that we have on the outside.”

Thomas has perhaps the most to gain or lose in camp this year. There’s a path to him grabbing a starting job, but there’s also a path to him not making the final roster. Wilks emphasized that playing well in camp and the preseason will be the next, more important step for Thomas.

“I think right now, I’m very impressed with being in gym shorts right now,” Wilks said. “But I think once we get the pads on in training camp – we have an opportunity to go practice against the Raiders before we play them and we’ll see exactly once we get to the preseason, but I’m very confident that he can get it done.”

OTAs and minicamp aren’t ultimately going to tell the story for a player on their path to a roster spot, but Thomas was in a place where he couldn’t afford any more steps backward. If he plays well in camp and the preseason, even if he doesn’t snag the starting job from Lenoir, an improved version of Thomas would be a dramatic upgrade for the 49ers’ depth at a position where they desperately need it.

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NFL draft: How 49ers have fared at 3rd-round spots in 2023

The 49ers pick at No. 99, 101 and 102 in this year’s draft — three places they’ve not had much success historically.

The 49ers managed to come away with 11 picks in the 2023 draft despite a couple of high-profile trades that saw them deal most of their top-100 draft capital.

San Francisco isn’t scheduled to pick until the No. 99 spot this year, at which point they choose three times in four selections with Nos. 99, 101 and 102 sitting atop their war chest.

History hasn’t been particularly kind to the 49ers when they’ve picked at those three spots since the merger. They’ve used the 99th, 101st and 102nd picks seven times since 1970 and those players combined to make just one Pro Bowl, and only two played more than three years with San Francisco.

While it’s not necessarily easy to find quality talent at those spots in the draft, it definitely exists and the 49ers’ ability to keep their Super Bowl window open long-term may depend on their ability to find a starter or two with their late Day 2 picks this year.

Let’s take a look at the selections for San Francisco since the merger at the 99th, 101st and 102nd picks:

The Detroit Lions at the NFL trade deadline: Buy, sell, or hold?

Different options if the Lions want to be buyers, sellers or hold tight at the NFL trade deadline

The NFL’s trade deadline hits at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, November 1st. There has already been some interesting trade activity around the league, notably RB Christian McCaffrey from the Panthers to the 49ers and EDGE Robert Quinn leaving Chicago for Philadelphia.

It’s been quiet on the trade front in Detroit. Other than some rumored interest in tight end T.J. Hockenson, which the club refuted over the weekend, the Lions have not been linked to any players coming or going beyond message board wishlists and comment section speculation.

Still in the early stages of a massive rebuild, the Lions aren’t expected to be active players in the trade market. GM Brad Holmes will work the phones to see what might be out there, and he could find some interesting offers as either a buyer or a seller.

 

One player each NFL team could trade before the deadline, from Chase Claypool to Melvin Gordon

A couple of these players are already on the move. Will any others be dealt before the NFL trade deadline?

The NFL’s trade deadline is fast approaching, and there have already been some players on the move. That includes the Carolina Panthers recently dealing running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers and receiver Robbie Anderson to the Arizona Cardinals.

There are a number of contending teams that could be looking to shore up an area of weakness as they aim to make a postseason run. Not to mention, there are a number of struggling teams looking to sell some big-name players to acquire additional draft capital.

Ahead of the Nov. 1 deadline, let’s look at some other players who might be on the move, with one from every NFL team, as assembled by our NFL Wires staff.

Ambry Thomas sends the 49ers to the playoffs

Watch Ambry Thomas send the #49ers to the playoffs.

It was a rough rookie season for 49ers rookie CB Ambry Thomas. Injuries pushed him into action late in the year, and he started each of the final five games with improvement in each of those contests. Thomas’ biggest play of the year came on the last play of the regular season.

On a first-and-10 for the Rams late in overtime with the 49ers nursing a 27-24 lead, Rams QB Matthew Stafford unleashed a deep throw for wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. The throw hung in the air and Thomas jumped up to haul it in. His first-career interception sealed San Francisco’s 27-24 win and sent the 49ers to the postseason.

Ambry Thomas interception in OT puts 49ers in the playoffs

Ambry Thomas’ pick puts the the Niners in the playoffs

The San Francisco 49ers have earned a playoff spot in the NFC. And they had to work overtime to get it.

The Niners trailed 17-0 before rallying to take a 27-24 lead in the extra period Sunday at SoFi Stadium on a Robbie Gould field goal.

The Los Angeles Rams, who won the NFC West by virtue of the Arizona Cardinals’ loss to Seattle, had a chance to tie the game with a field goal or win it with a touchdown.

Matthew Stafford looked for Odell Beckham Jr. deep down the sidelines but the pass was underthrown and DB Ambry Thomas make a great interception to end the game.

Thomas was a third-round pick, 102nd overall, out of Michigan in 2021.

The San Francisco 49ers will be on the road for an NFC Wild-Card game against the Dallas Cowboys.

Much-needed cornerback help coming for 49ers ahead of Week 18 vs. Rams

The #49ers activated one CB off the COVID list with a chance for more Saturday, and it sounds like Emmanuel Moseley will return vs. the Rams.

The 49ers got some much-needed good news on the cornerback front Friday ahead of their Week 18 showdown with the Rams in Los Angeles. CB Ambry Thomas was officially activated from the Reserve/COVID-19 list, and head coach Kyle Shanahan on Friday expressed optimism that CB Emmanuel Moseley will be activated off injured reserve following a week of practice.

Thomas’ activation leaves a trio of cornerbacks and four total defensive backs on the COVID list. Dontae Johnson, K’Waun Williams and Deommodore Lenoir are still there along with free safety Jimmie Ward. Shanahan on Friday told reporters all four players have a chance to clear COVID protocols by game time Sunday.

If they’re unable to activate enough CBs, the 49ers will need to dip into their practice squad for help. Moseley and Thomas figure to start with Josh Norman working as the third corner. That could change if Johnson, Williams or Lenoir are cleared. If those three are still on the COVID list come Sunday San Francisco would likely activate at least two of their three practice squad corners.

Nothing is official with Moseley yet, but Shanahan was very hopeful about the veteran cornerback returning from a high ankle sprain.

“I feel good about him being ready this week,” Shanahan said in his post-practice press conference.

In an additional roster move, the 49ers released tight end Tanner Hudson who was elevated to the active roster before Week 17.

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Ambry Thomas improving with more playing time

More playing time has been helpful for #49ers rookie CB Ambry Thomas.

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49ers rookie CB Ambry Thomas has seen his role expand since Emmanuel Moseley went down with an ankle injury. With Moseley likely out for the rest of the regular season, San Francisco needed one of their reserves to step up and Thomas has shown marked improvement since earning a start in Week 14 in Cincinnati.

While the 49ers’ defense faltered late in the team’s loss to the Titans on Thursday, Thomas had by far his best showing of the year. He was targeted five times and allowed just two catches for 42 yards and notched a pair of pass breakups per Pro Football Focus.

Thomas prior to Thursday allowed 13 catches on 15 targets for 250 yards with no pass breakups.

It’s clear the third-round pick is taking strides with his additional opportunities. His numbers in Week 13 weren’t good, and they were worse in Week 14 but his coverage was tighter in that one. He put it all together Thursday and combined good coverage with good ball skills and had the best game of his rookie year.

If Thomas can finish the year trending up, it puts the 49ers’ secondary in a much better spot going into next year when Jason Verrett and K’Waun Williams are both free agents. It’s also an indicator that playing time is helpful for young players who need to improve.

There’s a long way to go before Thomas can consistently be a good NFL starter, but his outings the last three weeks are a sign he’s on the right track to close his first season as a pro.

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Midseason grades for 49ers 2021 rookie class

Grading this #49ers rookie class through the first half of the year is kind of impossible, so we tweaked it a little.

The 49ers’ 2021 rookie class hasn’t contributed much as the team scuffled through the first half of its season. A 3-5 record falls well short of the expectations San Francisco had entering the year, but not a lot of the slow start can be attributed to anything this year’s draft class is doing on the field.

Part of the reason that group hasn’t contributed much to losing is because most of them haven’t been on the field enough to make an impact in any facet.

Of the 49ers’ eight draft picks – only one is a regular starter, and none of their first six selections see the field with any regularity. Because of the sporadic or minimal playing time, it’s hard to grade the picks through the first eight games.

We went through and issued grades less as a referendum on the player, and more as a way to assess how head coach Kyle Shanahan and the front office did in getting its roster ready to compete for a Super Bowl this year. That was their stated goal. It’s the reason Jimmy Garoppolo has been the starting quarterback since Week 1, and it’s the reason the lack of production from their rookie class has been so minimal.

Here are their grades based on what we know through eight games: