Tag: Dante Pettis

Offseason NFC West Roundup: Catching up with the San Francisco 49ers

In the final part of this series, we examine the Seahawks’ biggest competition for the NFC West title: the San Francisco 49ers.

As the Seattle Seahawks look to make another playoff run in the 2020 season, they face stiff competition in what could be the NFL’s toughest division next year. In the third entry of this three-part series, we review the reigning NFC Champions – the San Francisco 49ers.

Part One | Part Two

San Francisco 49ers

2019 record: 13-3, 5-1 NFC West

Against Seattle: 1-1

2019 postseason: Made Super Bowl LIV (lost 20-31 to the Kansas City Chiefs)

Key additions: WR Travis Benjamin, OT Trent Williams

Key losses: RB Matt Breida, DT DeForest Buckner, WR Emmanuel Sanders, OT Joe Staley

49ers coach Kyle Shanahan will have to stretch the limits of his creativity this season if he hopes to stay ahead of the Seahawks and maintain his team’s momentum after a stunning collapse in Super Bowl LIV.

San Francisco’s offseason was altered dramatically in mid-June after an eventful couple of days in Nashville, where a number of key 49ers joined quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo for voluntary practices. First, breakout second-year receiver Deebo Samuel broke his foot while running a route, which puts him in question to return by the start of the season. The next day, return specialist Richie James Jr. broke his wrist, followed by an announcement that an unnamed 49ers player had tested positive for COVID-19.

As a result, the receiver unit could look somewhat different for the 49ers at the start of the season, with the exception of mainstay Kendrick Bourne. Second-year receiver Jalen Hurd was looking to be a breakout star during the 2019 preseason before incurring a back injury that kept him out for the entire year; if he stays healthy, he could easily step into a starting role. Over the offseason, San Francisco signed former Chargers wideout Travis Benjamin to a one-year contract and drafted two receivers in the 2020 NFL Draft – first-rounder Brandon Aiyuk and seventh-rounder Jauan Jennings.

The player who stands to gain the most from this opportunity, however, is third-year receiver Dante Pettis, who encountered the dreaded “sophomore slump” in 2020 after a promising rookie season. Pettis accumulated a number of injuries in 2020, including a torn pectoral in training camp that prevented him from building and retaining the upper body strength needed to be a competitive NFL receiver. He showed a couple of flashes of his old self when he did see the field, but his overall production dropped enough that he was designated a healthy scratch for the Super Bowl. With 2020 being Pettis’ prove-it year, he will likely see plenty of preseason and early-season action in the voids left at kick returner or at receiver.

Once again, the 49ers’ running back situation inspires plenty of debate, even after the offseason trade of Matt Breida to the Dolphins. Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman should be locks to make the roster, but plenty of questions surround the rest. Jerick McKinnon has spent two years on injured reserve, while Jeff Wilson Jr. contributed almost solely as a goal-line back in 2019. The 49ers signed two undrafted free agents at the position – JaMycal Hasty out of Baylor and Salvon Ahmed out of Washington – but both are considered long shots to make the 53-man roster.

The offensive line, which struggled at times last season due to a number of injuries to starting players, has gone through a bit of a shakeup with the 49ers replacing retired Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Staley with Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams, as well as releasing guard Mike Person in favor of the much younger Daniel Brunskill. Center Weston Richburg, who missed the entire 2019 postseason with a torn patellar tendon, is on course to be ready for training camp.

Finally, the vaunted 49ers defense looks to be as efficient as ever, despite the trade of star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts. San Francisco replaced Buckner with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft with South Carolina product Javon Kinlaw, a First-Team Associated Press All-American, while also re-signing safety Jimmie Ward as well as defensive ends Arik Armstead and Ronald Blair III.

The squad also retains cornerbacks Richard Sherman and Akhello Witherspoon, reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Nick Bosa, safety Jaquiski Tartt, and linebackers Kwon Alexander, Fred Warner, and Dre Greenlaw, the latter of whom denied the Seahawks the game-winning touchdown for the NFC West title in 2019.

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49ers shouldn’t trade Dante Pettis just yet

A proposed trade by ESPN sent Dante Pettis to the Texans for Keke Coutee.

The 2019 season couldn’t have gone much worse for Dante Pettis. He entered the offseason as the team’s presumed No. 1 receiver, and he finished the year as a healthy scratch in the Super Bowl. His time in San Francisco hasn’t quite run its course though, which is why a proposed trade involving Pettis by ESPN’s Field Yates doesn’t make a ton of sense.

Yates wrote a piece detailing five ‘win-win’ trades around the NFL. One of his proposals involved the 49ers sending Pettis, a 2018 second-round pick, to the Texans in exchange for wide receiver Keke Coutee, a 2018 fourth-round pick.

While neither player has been particularly stellar over two years in the league, a direct swap seems unlikely for a 49ers team that traded up to select Pettis in the 2018 draft. Giving up on him after his second season, when he produced as a rookie, feels premature.

Pettis came on late in his rookie season to finish with 27 catches for 467 yards and five touchdown receptions. He was good enough to earn the inside track for the No. 1 wide receiver job heading into camp in 2019. He disappointed in training camp, and struggled for his entire second season — notching only 109 yards and two touchdowns on 11 receptions. Pettis took nine snaps between Weeks 11 and 12, and didn’t play again the rest of the year.

While his second season was discouraging, the 49ers are more likely to give Pettis another chance to succeed than replace him with an another disappointing prospect. Coutee has played only 15 games in two seasons, with 50 catches, 541 yards and only one touchdown.  There aren’t a lot of reasons to believe Coutee would be a more productive player for the 49ers than Pettis, and Pettis’ peak in the NFL was better than Coutee’s, even if Coutee was more consistent with his production.

The more likely scenario for Pettis is the 49ers afford him every chance to climb back to the form he had during a five-week stretch at the end of his rookie season when he had 20 catches for 359 yards and four touchdowns. With Deebo Samuel nursing a broken foot and Richie James Jr. dealing with a broken wrist, Pettis will get plenty of reps outside and in the slot to carve out a more significant role in the 49ers’ receiving corps.

If he doesn’t answer the call this preseason, however, it’s hard to believe the 49ers keep him on the roster. At that point a trade becomes much more conceivable as San Francisco aims to thin out its receiving corps. Until then though, he’ll get a legitimate shot to make the team and have a role in the offense in 2020.

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49ers not giving up on Dante Pettis yet

49ers general manager John Lynch isn’t ready to give up on Dante Pettis just yet.

The 49ers made some changes to their receiving corps in the offseason, including trading up in the first round of the draft to select Arizona State wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. One of the reasons the 49ers needed to add another high-value receiver is because of some struggles from that group a season ago.

While Jalen Hurd and Trent Taylor battled through injuries, Dante Pettis struggled to find the consistency necessary to garner regular playing time. He wound up a healthy scratch for the Super Bowl after not playing a single snap the final six weeks of the season.

Despite a disappointing second year from Pettis, general manager John Lynch is still optimistic the 2018 second-round pick can contribute on offense. He talked about Pettis on Thursday during on interview on Joe, Lo and Dibs on 95.7 The Game in San Francisco.

“I know a lot of people have soured on him, but we haven’t,” Lynch said. “He didn’t come to camp ready to play last year physically. And we challenged him — that’s got to change, because we believe if he does, he’s a guy who can really excel in our offense.”

Pettis as a rookie flashed some of the ability that excited the 49ers enough to trade up in the second round for him. He battled injuries, but still managed 467 yards and five touchdowns on 27 catches in 12 games. He entered Year 2 with the expectation that he’d be the team’s leading receiver. His poor training camp showing carried over to the season where he posted just 11 catches for 109 yards and two touchdowns.

Perhaps 2019 was more indicative of where Pettis ultimately fits on an NFL roster. However, he was good enough as a rookie that the 49ers aren’t going to give up on him without giving him another shot to prove his worth as a regular member of the receiving corps.

If he does, the 49ers’ second-round investment will help elevate their offense while Aiyuk gains his NFL legs. If he doesn’t and starts slow in camp, he’ll likely find himself wearing another uniform regardless of how much Lynch and the 49ers believe in him.

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5 49ers who could take on larger roles in 2020

Dante Pettis headlines a group of players that may have a bigger impact on the 49ers roster next season.

The 49ers in 2020 will return largely the same group of players they took to the Super Bowl last season. It stands to reason that most of last year’s key players will again emerge as essential pieces for San Francisco on both sides of the ball.

There are a handful of players from last year’s roster though that could wind up making a bigger impact in 2020 than they did in 2019. Despite the fact they’ll return most of their stars, the 49ers will need some additional players to step into larger roles next season to repeat a deep playoff run. Here are five players that could wind up securing bigger roles:

WR Dante Pettis

Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

This seems inconceivable given how Pettis’ second NFL season went. He caught just 11 passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns in a year where he was supposed to emerge as a No. 1 receiver. In fact, he fell so far out of the rotation that he wasn’t even active for the Super Bowl.

It’s easy to just give up on the former second-round pick, but he flashed enough toward the end of his rookie year to provide some optimism that he can be a contributor in a good receiving corps. It’s a make-or-break third season for Pettis, who’ll go into the year battling  for a roster spot. If he responds well to that challenge, he could emerge as a reliable target in a receiving corps that desperately needs a playmaker or two to step up.

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Dante Pettis’ offseason mission will determine fate in 2020

The 49ers aren’t giving up on Dante Pettis yet, but this offseason is crucial to his future with the club.

Dante Pettis was supposed to be a major player in the 49ers’ passing attack in 2019. Instead he found himself relegated to the bench for much of the year, and a healthy scratch in the Super Bowl.

Now he heads into a crucial, career-altering offseason with another chance to carve out a role in a fluid 49ers’ receiver room.

Despite the fact Pettis played only 9 snaps after Week 10, and none from Week 12 through the postseason, head coach Kyle Shanahan is leaving the door open for a turnaround from the third-year receiver in 2020.

“I think he took a documented step back in his second year (and) I’ve been around a lot of players who have done that,” Shanahan said according to Matt Barrows of the Athletic. “The players I’ve been around — which is a ton — they go one way or the other. They keep being like that, then they usually filter out. Or it’s a wake-up call for them and they come back and you kind of see it in April. It’s like, ‘OK, this guy treated January to April so much different than before.’ Then it usually changes their career.”

Pettis may have fallen victim last offseason to some complacency after a strong rookie campaign where he caught 27 balls for 467 yards and five touchdowns. He was supposed to step in and be a No. 1-type of target for Jimmy Garoppolo. Instead he saw his snaps and numbers dwindle, following his rookie year with an 11-catch, 109-yard, two-touchdown campaign.

He’s hardly the first 49er in recent years to back up a good rookie season with a poor sophomore effort. Safety Adrian Colbert, a seventh-round pick in 2017, finished his rookie season well and looked to be the starting free safety going into 2018. He struggled through most of his second season before an injury landed him on Injured Reserve, and he was cut before the 2019 season.

Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon had a similar path, but went the opposite direction. While he struggled down the stretch and was benched in the playoffs, Witherspoon played well for most of the year. Shanahan is hoping for a Witherspoon-style bounce back from Pettis this year.

“Ahkello, with the way he came back last year (in) the offseason, I mean, he looked different,” Shanahan said per Barrows. “And you can tell he was on a mission. And that’s why the first few games of the year before he got hurt, he was playing on an extremely high level. And that’s what I expect to happen with Dante.”

Getting a big third year from Pettis, a former second-round pick, would do wonders for a 49ers receiving corps that’s gotten some significant investments over the last two years. Pettis was a second-round selection in 2018. Deebo Samuel also went in the second round in last year’s draft, and Jalen Hurd was taken one round later. There’s a chance they wind up drafting another receiver this year in a deep class that some analysts are calling the best draft ever for that position.

Pettis playing well, combined with Samuel, a healthy Hurd, Kendrick Bourne (who’s a restricted free agent) and a couple other players could help the 49ers roll out a dynamic receiving corps that elevates the offense to a new level in 2020.

If he can’t bounce back in Year 3, he’ll find himself taking the same route Colbert took.

The good news for Pettis is the door is open for his return to prominence in the 49ers’ passing game. Shanahan is just waiting for him to walk through it.

49ers only have 4 healthy WRs vs. Saints

The 49ers will get their starting LT back, but they’ll be very thin at WR vs. the Saints.

The 49ers will enter their Week 14 game in New Orleans very shorthanded at wide receiver. Both Dante Pettis and Marquise Goodwin have been ruled out against the Saints after getting a ‘questionable’ designation on Friday’s status report.

Pettis is dealing with a knee injury, while Goodwin showed up on the report late with ankle and knee ailments. They’re both among the seven inactive players for the 49ers on Sunday:

TE Levine Toilolo
QB C.J. Beathard
WR Dante Pettis
WR Marquise Goodwin
RB Jeff Wilson
DL Jullian Taylor
SS Jaquiski Tartt

Pettis and Goodwin had seen their roles diminish greatly the last two weeks with the emergence of Deebo Samuel, Emmanuel Sanders and Kendrick Bourne as reliable pass-catching threats. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said after last week’s loss to Baltimore that he wanted to get Goodwin and Pettis more involved down the stretch. That won’t happen Sunday.

The good news for San Francisco is left tackle Joe Staley will make his return to the lineup after dislocating and fracturing a finger in Week 10. Surgery on that finger kept him out of three contests. He’ll suit up and start.

Staley’s first return in Week 10 from a broken fibula didn’t go well, and the 13-year veteran may have pushed himself to come back too quickly. With time off to heal the finger, it stands to reason his leg should be healthier as well.

Here are the Saints inactives:

49ers injury outlook continues trending up ahead of crucial showdown with Saints

Arik Armstead got a day off, while the 49ers health continues improving ahead of their showdown with the Saints.

The 49ers’ injury report from Thursday’s practice looks only slightly different than Wednesday’s. The only changes to it are positive on the injury front for San Francisco heading into their crucial Week 14 visit to New Orleans to take on the No. 1-seed Saints.

Wide receiver Dante Pettis missed practice Wednesday with a knee injury he suffered in practice leading up to the team’s Week 13 loss to the Ravens. He was inactive vs. Baltimore, but his return to practice Thursday could signal that the second-year receiver will be available vs. New Orleans.

A glaring difference was Arik Armstead’s absence Thursday after a full Wednesday practice. The team’s leader in sacks missed the session for a veteran’s day off. There was no injury, and there’s no doubt about his availability Sunday.

Defensive tackle DJ Jones also got a full session in after limited participation Wednesday. He sprained his ankle against the Ravens and was considered day-to-day to start the week. Thursday’s practice indicates Jones will be ready to play Sunday, although his status won’t be determined until after Friday’s practice.

Here’s the full participation report for Thursday:

Did not participate

DL Arik Armstead (non-injury related)
S Jaquiski Tartt (ribs)
DL Jullian Taylor (elbow)

Limited participation

DE Dee Ford (quad, hamstring)
CB Richard Sherman (knee)
TE George Kittle (knee, ankle)
WR Dante Pettis (knee)
OT Joe Staley (finger)

Full participation

DT D.J. Jones (ankle)
RB Matt Breida (ankle)
WR Deebo Samuel (shoulder)
WR Emmanuel Sanders (ribs)

49ers’ trio of WRs emerging as reliable threats just in time for postseason push

The 49ers’ receiving corps is starting to play like a Super Bowl-caliber unit behind Deebo Samuel, Emmanuel Sanders and Kendrick Bourne.

The 49ers seem to have found an answer to their wide receiver problem, and it came at just the right time.

After drops plagued the receiving corps in a Week 10 loss to the Seahawks, and nearly doomed them early in Week 11 vs. the Cardinals, the 49ers receiving corps has started to solidify thanks to the trio of Emmanuel Sanders, Deebo Samuel and Kendrick Bourne.

Those three receivers ate up nearly all of the snaps for receivers Sunday in Baltimore. Sanders played 56 of 57 snaps. Samuel played 55, and Bourne played 25. The only other receiver to get playing time on offense was Richie James, who played two. Marquise Goodwin saw just one play on special teams, while Dante Pettis missed the contest with a knee injury.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Monday told reporters that the Sanders-Samuel-Bourne trio are the three players who’ve separated themselves in a once underwhelming receivers room.

“We feel those three guys have earned the right to be out there more than the rest,” Shanahan said. “We feel they have been the most consistent and started playing the best here over the last month or so. So, we have planned to do that more. I don’t like how much they went. I think we do have to rotate a little bit more and keep those guys fresh.”

Sanders, Samuel and Bourne wound up catching nine passes for 143 yards and a touchdown. Jimmy Garoppolo completed just 15 throws for 165 yards and one touchdown. The receivers were responsible for effectively all of the team’s production through the air on a rainy Baltimore afternoon.

Their production is welcome after the passing game hit a low point against the Seahawks. Sanders got hurt in that game, and key drops by Samuel, Pettis, Goodwin and Bourne all played a role in the 49ers’ 27-24 overtime loss. Samuel had a good game with eight catches for 112 yards, but the overall production from the receiving corps looked like it might plague the 49ers all season.

Sanders on Sunday looked healthier than he’s looked since sustaining a rib injury against Seattle. Samuel continues to develop into a weapon, going up to haul in a 33-yard touchdown catch between two defenders. And Bourne caught all three balls thrown his way, including a nice catch on a ball thrown low and behind him that he turned upfield for a 30-yard completion.

They’ve combined for 87 catches, 1,114 yards and eight touchdowns through 13 weeks, and Sanders has only played with the club since Week 8. The 49ers’ top three wide receivers through all of last season (Bourne, Pettis and Trent Taylor) combined for 95 receptions, 1,169 yards and 10 touchdowns. Bourne’s team-best 487 yards from last season have already been eclipsed by Samuel, with Bourne and Sanders set to pass or get near that mark by the end of the year.

Getting high-end production from that group is less important than getting consistent production. They’ve proven they can be dangerous, and teams are going to have to start ensuring they’re not selling out to stop the 49ers’ run game. Better receivers will mean a more diverse, effective offensive attack. Tack on George Kittle’s regular dominance, Kyle Juszczyk and the team’s quartet of running backs, and suddenly there’s a group of pass catchers with the chance to be dominant.

Despite a minimal role for Richie James, and declining a declining role for Goodwin, Shanahan is still optimistic the team will continue working to get them more involved and producing with some consistency.

“We also have confidence in the other two guys that are there so we need to use them,” the head coach said. “Richie came in and I know made a huge block on Raheem’s (Mostert) long touchdown run, and I know ‘Quise is ready to go. So, we’ve got to make sure that we do get them in a little bit more. That has changed here and it’s gotten a little more each week here over the last month.”

The good news for the 49ers is they’re no longer in a position where they have to play unproductive receivers in hopes of getting a breakout game. They have a group they know they can rely on, which allows them to work the guys lower on the roster in a little more judiciously.

Roles may expand some for players like James, Goodwin and Pettis, but the emergence of Sanders, Samuel and Bourne as a reliable trio has the 49ers offense in position to be as potent as its ever been just in time for a playoff run.

49ers optimistic Matt Breida, Joe Staley, Dee Ford can return vs. Saints

The 49ers should be relatively healthy with several key players returning from injury vs. the Saints.

The 49ers’ Week 14 showdown in New Orleans against the Saints could wind up playing a significant role in how the postseason shakes out. A win for San Francisco may be the difference between whether the NFC goes through the Bay Area or New Orleans.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan is optimistic about the team’s health going into that contest. He expects running back Matt Breida, left tackle Joe Staley and defensive end Dee Ford to all return against New Orleans. Shanahan does not anticipate the return of wide receiver Dante Pettis, who injured his knee in practice leading up to the Baltimore game.

“I’m holding out hope on all of them,” Shanahan said. “I’m definitely more optimistic about Breida, Ford and Staley. I would be surprised to get Pettis back. None of them are for sure, though. Hopefully, we’ll be able to get three of the four.”

Breida hurt his ankle in Week 10 against Seattle and the team shut him down after he played on an ankle injury for most of last season. He’s been out the last three games, and missed the contest in Baltimore despite practicing all week.

Staley also returned to practice last week after sustaining a hand injury against the Seahawks. He missed three games after he had surgery to repair a fractured, dislocated finger. That game against Seattle was his first since breaking his fibula in Week 2 vs. the Bengals. He’s played in just three games all season.

Ford missed the last two games against the Packers and Ravens after he injured his hamstring chasing down Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray in their second meeting in Week 11. He hasn’t practiced at all the last two weeks.

Several key 49ers will be day-to-day after getting hurt Sunday. DJ Jones is nursing an ankle sprain. Richard Sherman is dealing with a knee sprain, and Jaquiski Tartt has a fractured rib. Shanahan didn’t offer any word on their potential availability, although we’ll find out more Wednesday when the team has its first practice of the week.

The only player who’ll for sure miss significant time is defensive lineman Jullian Taylor. He hurt ligaments in his elbow and will be out at least two weeks according to Shanahan.

49ers DE Dee Ford, WR Dante Pettis ruled out vs. Ravens

The 49ers won’t have Dee Ford or Dante Pettis, but Matt Breida could return vs. the Ravens.

The 49ers on Sunday will try and slow down the NFL’s highest scoring offense without one of their starting edge rushers. They’ll also be down one of their receivers on offense.

Dee Ford did not practice for the third consecutive day Friday and was ruled out of the contest on the team’s official status report. Dante Pettis practiced Wednesday and hurt his knee. He missed Thursday and Friday, and the team listed him as ‘out’ on the status report.

The good news for the 49ers is George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and Emmanuel Sanders are all off the injury report after going into last week’s contest as ‘questionable.’ Kittle didn’t practice Wednesday while Samuel and Sanders were limited. They were all limited Thursday and Friday, and will be active Sunday.

Kicker Robbie Gould was a full participant all week after missing the last three games, and running back Matt Breida returned to practice in a limited fashion this week after missing the last two contests.

Here’s the full status report:

Out

DE Dee Ford (quad, hamstring)
WR Dante Pettis (knee)

Questionable

RB Matt Breida (ankle)
OT Joe Staley (finger)