Isaiah Oliver – Page 2 – Syndication Server

49ers depth chart: Nickel CB dilemma is over

The #49ers are punting on the rotating nickel cornerback thing. It’s Isaiah Oliver’s job now.

The 49ers entered the season dealing with an incomplete nickel cornerback battle. Defensive coordinator Steve Wilks indicated the plan was to shuffle the team’s defensive backs based on matchups. That plan is now scrapped.

Initially it looked like the 49ers would play CB Isaiah Oliver in the slot against bigger slot receivers. Smaller slot receivers would see Deommodore Lenoir, who would kick inside and be replaced on the outside by CB Ambry Thomas.

That was the case the first week with Thomas playing 54 percent of the snaps and Oliver playing 52 percent. In Week 2 it was mostly Oliver after Thomas struggled out of the gate. Thomas missed Week 3 with a knee injury, and then his snap percentage was 30 percent and 25 percent in Weeks 4 and 5, respectively.

In Week 6 he played just four snaps on defense, which signaled the end of his time as a rotational CB. Wilks confirmed as much Friday.

“For us, right now, yes,” Wilks said in a press conference. “I think we have the numbers and particularly the guys that we brought in, [CB] Anthony Brown and those guys that can give us flexibility on the outside as well as he can play inside as well. But I think Oliver has definitely positioned himself inside at the nickel position.”

Oliver hasn’t played less than 62 percent of the team’s defensive snaps since Week 1. He’s performed well in the slot after struggling throughout the preseason, and Thomas’ stints playing on the outside weren’t going well. The 2021 third-round pick is allowing a 75 percent completion rate and a 94.3 passer rating on 16 targets with one pass breakup on the outside.

Thomas is a good depth option, it’s just become clear that the duo of Lenoir and Charvarius Ward outside with Oliver as the nickel is San Francisco’s most effective trio of CBs. The rotation was likely to stop eventually, and now Wilks has confirmed it’s done after six weeks.

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Vikings/49ers injury report sees some changes

The Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers injury report is out for Friday and there were some slight changes

The initial injury report for the Minnesota Vikings had four players on it Thursday afternoon. When the latest injury report came out on Friday afternoon, they didn’t see any changes.

LG Ezra Cleveland (foot)-Did not practice
CB Akayleb Evans (oblique)-Limited
OLB Pat Jones II (shoulder)-Limited
WR Jalen Nailor (hamstring)-Limited

With Cleveland missing his second-straight practice, it’s looking more likely that Dalton Risner will get the start on Monday night.

The 49ers saw improvement from both left guard Aaron Banks and linebacker Dre Greenlaw both saw some improvement, going from no practice to being limited.

LG Aaron Banks (ankle)-Limited
LB Dre Greenlaw (hamstring)-Limited
RB Christian McCaffrey (oblique)-Did not practice
WR Deebo Samuel (shoulder)-Did not practice
CB Isaiah Oliver (knee)-Limited
S George Odum (quadricep)-Full

The big three on the injury report in running back Christian McCaffrey, wide receiver Deebo Samuel and left tackle Trent Williams all did not practice. They are all considered day-to-day and can still play on Monday night.

Saturday afternoon’s injury report will be revealing for both teams.

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Vikings vs. 49ers initial injury report

The 49ers have five starters not practicing with only Ezra Cleveland fully sitting out for the Vikings

The initial injury report for the Minnesota Vikings’ Monday night matchup against the San Francisco 49ers is out and the Vikings only have four players on it.

LG Ezra Cleveland (foot)-Did not practice
CB Akayleb Evans (oblique)-Limited
OLB Pat Jones II (shoulder)-Limited
WR Jalen Nailor (hamstring)-Limited

Cleveland left Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears with a mid-foot sprain. If he can’t go on Sunday, Dalton Risner will get the start.

Evans looks to have fully healed from his knee injury, but an oblique isn’t something to mess with.

Jones is a new addition with a shoulder injury. If he can’t go, Andre Carter II will likely be active.

Nailor began his practice window on Wednesday and it appears that the Vikings will be ramping him up slowly.

The 49ers have multiple players on their injury report, including five starters not practicing.

LG Aaron Banks (ankle)-Did not practice
LB Dre Greenlaw (hamstring)-Did not practice
RB Christian McCaffrey (oblique)-Did not practice
WR Deebo Samuel (shoulder)-Did not practice
CB Isaiah Oliver (knee)-Limited
S George Odum (quadricep)-Full

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Watch: Isaiah Oliver snags Matthew Stafford tipped ball must-see interception

Isaiah Oliver came up with a must-see interception on a tipped ball from Matthew Stafford.

Kyle Shanahan’s offense and Sean McVay’s offense have traded shots all day during Week 2 in Los Angeles. It’s been the defenses that have been leaky on both sides of the field.

However, all it takes is one play to swing momentum. With Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua and the Rams’ offense marching down the field again, Steve Wilks’ defense came up with a much-needed turnover.

With the game tied, Stafford tossed pass to his running back Kyren Williams. Yet, Williams let the ball bounce off his hands into the air. With the ball floating through the SoFI Stadium air, Isaiah Oliver snagged the tipped ball with one hand.

Via @NFL on Twitter:

https://x.com/NFL/status/1703532047426318826?s=20

The 49ers’ offense made Oliver’s interception count, turning it into three points to take the lead in the game.

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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7 players to watch in 49ers 2nd preseason game vs. Broncos

7 players to watch on Saturday in the #49ers 2nd preseason game:

The 49ers on Saturday will suit up for their second of three preseason games. While their preseason opener didn’t go particularly well with a 34-7 loss to the Raiders in Las Vegas, it did give some valuable information about where some key players stood in the hunt for starting jobs and roster spots.

Based on the preseason opener and the trio of practices since, we put together a list of the seven players we’re keeping a close eye on when the Broncos visit Levi’s Stadium on Saturday.

49ers starting nickel CB spot up for grabs

Add nickel CB to the #49ers short list of open starting jobs.

It looked initially like the 49ers found their starting nickel cornerback this offseason when they signed veteran CB Isaiah Oliver to a two-year deal. Now it appears his grip on that job has loosened following a rough preseason debut.

The 49ers tabbed Oliver to replace Jimmie Ward who held down that spot last season when Deommodore Lenoir was forced outside by an injury to CB Emmanuel Moseley.

Oliver was the lone “starter” to play for San Francisco on Sunday vs. the Raiders. His place in the lineup and subsequent rough performance were two indicators that he’s not necessarily in line to start per head coach Kyle Shanahan.

Shanahan on Monday in his press conference said there’s open competition happening at that spot.

“Just because he isn’t a guaranteed starter,” Shanahan said when asked why Oliver played. “He has been doing that spot a lot, but there’s a lot of competition there. We sat out our outside corners, but we didn’t want to sit out any nickels and needed some guys to play because there’s a lot of things we’re still deciding.”

Oliver was targeted four times and gave up four receptions according to Pro Football Focus. Shanahan is hopeful there’s some improvement from the veteran CB.

“There were a couple things where he stood out that weren’t always his fault and I think he needs a little bit more help on the goal line,” Shanahan said. “The touchdown they gave up, our corner playing with vision and understanding he’s got to come off on that for our quarters-type coverage there. But it was a good first game for him and hopefully he’ll keep getting better for us.”

A lack of game planning and playing with unfamiliar teammates makes things particularly tough on defensive backs in the preseason, so Oliver will get some benefit of the doubt from the coaching staff. Defensive coordinator Steve Wilks in May was very high on the former Falcons cornerback.

“Oliver is someone that I had the opportunity to go against being in that division,” Wilks said. “And we didn’t know exactly what was going to happen in free agency with Jimmie (Ward) and when that didn’t happen, we wanted to make sure that we sort of got the best nickel in free agency and that’s what we went out and did, so I’m excited about Oliver. He’s long, he’s physical, can tackle, can cover, he’s going to be a good blitzer for us, everything that we do within this defense.”

It’s not time to panic for Oliver just yet. He’s a veteran player who’s put out good tape in the NFL. There’s plenty of competition from younger players though. Second-year CB Samuel Womack III won the nickel job out of camp last year. Undrafted rookie D’Shawn Jamison is capable of playing inside, as is veteran CB AJ Parker who made a couple nice plays Sunday.

After it looked like the 49ers nickel CB job was sewn up, it can now be added to the list of camp battles for San Francisco to sort out over the final two preseason games.

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NFC South roundtable: Who were the division’s biggest free-agent losses?

Which free-agent losses will hurt most within the NFC South this upcoming season? Here are our picks for each team’s biggest departure.

Which free-agent losses will be felt most throughout the NFC South in 2023?

Our managing editors name one former player from each team that may be missed during the upcoming campaign.

49ers appear to have answer for open nickel CB spot

The 49ers have an answer for their open nickel cornerback job.

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No NFL team is going to set its depth chart in stone in the middle of May. Coaching staffs are always going to promote competition in order to find their 22 best players to start on each side of the ball. For the 49ers they don’t have a ton of openings for starting spots, and it appears one of their defensive vacancies has already been filled.

Jimmie Ward’s exit in free agency left the nickel cornerback spot open on the 49ers’ depth chart. Deommodore Lenoir started last season there before kicking outside when Emmanuel Moseley tore his ACL. Lenoir is now a favorite to start outside across from Charvarius Ward, leaving the slot as a question mark. Defensive coordinator Steve Wilks on Friday made it seem as though the team answered that question in free agency when they added former Falcons CB Isaiah Oliver.

Oliver struggled some in his first couple years after the Falcons selected him in the second round of the 2018 draft. His career arc shifted dramatically though when they moved him into the slot. Since then he’s been an ascending player whose biggest hiccup was a torn ACL that cut his 2021 short after four games.

The team will certainly leave the door open for Lenoir to move back inside if someone steps up and takes the starting outside CB job. They’ll also have second-year CB Samuel Womack in the mix. He won the starting nickel job out of camp last year before relinquishing it to Lenoir after two games.

However, it looks like they prioritized filling that hole in their depth chart via free agency when they added Oliver. His spot isn’t set in stone just yet, but he’s firmly in the driver’s seat going into OTAs.

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49ers agree to terms with veteran CB Isaiah Oliver in free agency

The #49ers are adding CB Isaiah Oliver from the Falcons.

The 49ers are adding cornerback Isaiah Oliver to their cornerback room according to NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo. It’s the second time in as many seasons the 49ers have looked for CB help on the free agent market. Matt Barrows of the Athletic reported the deal is for two years.

Oliver, a 2018 second-round pick of the Falcons, struggled in the first three years of his career, but came on strong in 2021 and 2022. During his first three seasons he allowed 13 touchdowns with just one interception per Pro Football Focus. In the last two seasons he’s allowed only one TD with with one interception.

The uptick in productivity came with a move down to the slot where he primarily played during the 2021 and 2022 campaigns. Prior to that he was typically lined up outside for Atlanta.

One key issue that stands out is Oliver’s injury woes the last two years. A knee injury in 2021 held him to just four games, while another knee injury in 2022 limited him to 12 contests.

While the versatility is nice, it’s likely he’ll compete with Samuel Womack at nickel corner for San Francisco with Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir the frontrunners to start on the outside.

Emmanuel Moseley moving on in free agency opened up a starting CB spot for the 49ers. Lenoir’s inside/outside versatility gave the team some flexibility on where they added a corner. Instead of tracking down a player to line up outside, they snagged Oliver to likely take over the nickel spot.

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1 free agent the Saints should target from every other team in the NFL

1 free agent the New Orleans Saints should target from every other team in the NFL, from the Arizona Cardinals to the Washington Commanders:

They say that you miss all of the shots you don’t take, which has been a popular philosophy for the New Orleans Saints in free agency. It’s sometimes tough for them to land their top targets due to the complicated salary cap gymnastics required to fit everyone on their books — but that hasn’t stopped them from aggressively pursuing players who they believe can make their team better.

And that should continue to be the case in 2023. It’s early, and many of these players will sign extensions with their teams in the weeks ahead. But we have an idea of the areas the Saints must upgrade to field a competitive roster in the fall.

Given the list of free agents currently expected to be available, here is one player from each of the other 31 teams around the league who New Orleans should at least make a run at once they’ve reached salary cap compliance (with our division previews and list of alternative free agent targets collected at the bottom):