Tag: Jordan Mason

49ers RB depth chart up in the air for Week 2

The #49ers RB situation is a huge unknown to everyone including, apparently, Kyle Shanahan.

The 49ers running back depth chart has been something of a mess the last few years with injuries forcing San Francisco into RB-by-committee approaches and shuffling starters sometimes by the week. An MCL sprain in Week 1 that landed starting RB Elijah Mitchell on IR for a couple months has the 49ers again staring at a murky RB situation.

It looks for all intents and purposes that veteran Jeff Wilson Jr. will be the starting RB Sunday in the 49ers’ home opener against the Seahawks. Neither of the other two running backs on the active roster, third-round pick Tyrion Davis-Price and undrafted rookie Jordan Mason, notched a carry in the season opener. Davis-Price was inactive because Mason was better on special teams, but now they’ll duke it out in practice for the RB2 job according to head coach Kyle Shanahan.

“Yeah, for the most part,” Shanahan said when asked if there’s a competition at backup RB. “That’s what it was last week to see, we knew it was just gonna be special teams. This week we’ll get a feel for them on these three days and then we’ll go with the hot hand in the game.”

Veteran RB Marlon Mack also joined the club’s practice squad and could conceivably be an option, though three days of practice may not be enough for the 49ers to get an idea of what he gives their offense.

Shanahan said for Davis-Price and Mason their spot in the backfield Sunday will come down to more than just running the ball.

“I like their style of running, both of them,” Shanahan said. “I think they’re very similar. They don’t mess around, they get downhill, two types of styles that we need and that we like. But there’s a lot more to playing football with us than just running with the ball.”

He went on to say pass blocking, pass catching, lining up in the correct spot and special teams were among the things the team took into account when assessing what their other RBs bring to the table.

Ideally they’d likely want to see their third-round pick, Davis-Price, step into a larger role and take the reins as the RB2 or more while Mitchell is out and perhaps even when he returns. Mason had an impressive preseason though as a UDFA from Georgia Tech, and that may give him a leg up entering the week of practice.

While fantasy players may want a hard answer on the 49ers’ RB situation going into Sunday, it’s clear the answer may not come until the game is playing out.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbxacb60r3mr0ac player_id=none image=https://ninerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=679156]

Why 49ers 3rd-round picks were inactive vs. Bears

Why were third-round rookies Tyrion Davis-Price and Danny Gray inactive vs. the Bears? Kyle Shanahan explained after Sunday’s game:

The 49ers took a pair of skill position players in the third round of this year’s draft. Both running back Tyrion Davis-Price and wide receiver Danny Gray inactive when San Francisco opened their season Sunday against the Chicago Bears.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan after the game told reporters special teams was the factor that left Davis-Price and Gray in street clothes for their first NFL action.

“When it comes down to our third back it’s about who went in on special teams more, and Mason did a better job throughout the week” Shanahan told reporters.

When asked if the same was true for Gray Shanahan said the situation was “the exact same.”

Both players are down a bit on the depth chart, so the likelihood they were going to make an impact on offense was relatively low. That’s why the club turns to special teams where undrafted rookie RB Jordan Mason and practice squad WR Malik Turner are able to contribute. Both Mason and Turner were active Sunday.

This will be something to keep an eye on moving forward, especially with RB Elijah Mitchell nursing a knee injury that forced him out of the game in the second quarter. Davis-Price would presumably dress in any game Mitchell is sidelined.

For Gray it could be a matter of game plan. A sloppy, wet game in Chicago didn’t look like a good time to unleash the speedy WR and his downfield ability.

Last season RB Trey Sermon was a third-round pick and a healthy Week 1 scratch who eventually saw some action due to injury while working his way into a special teams role. That could be the path both Davis-Price and Gray have to take to be active with any regularity. Until then San Francisco will prioritize players who can give them special teams snaps when they’re not getting time on offense.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbxacb60r3mr0ac player_id=none image=https://ninerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=679115]

6 takeaways from the 49ers’ initial 53-man roster

Takeaways from @nicholasmcgee24 after the #49ers announced their 53-man roster.

The 49ers’ 53-man roster is set. Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch have settled on the group they believe can deliver success in Trey Lance’s first season as the starting quarterback.

In true Shanahan fashion, the initial 53-man group has some surprises, the most significant being the decision to retain the services of Jimmy Garoppolo as the No. 2 quarterback.

Beyond that bet on the 49ers’ team chemistry, there were several other unexpected decisions that will not provoke the same level of reaction but could have more of an influence on the direction of the Niners this season. 

Let’s examine those roster choices in a look at six key takeaways from cutdown day for San Francisco.

Kyle Shanahan on 49ers RB situation after preseason game vs. Vikings

The 49ers have 3 RBs competing for 1 or 2 roster spots, and their 2021 third-round pick might be last in that race.

The 49ers ran the ball 31 times in their preseason win over the Vikings. Second-year running back Trey Sermon had five of those carries after dealing with an ankle injury leading into the game. Sermon had just eight yards on those five attempts.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Sunday in a conference call weighed in on whether he saw anything more than he wanted to see from the 2021 third-round pick.

“No. It’s about what I thought,” Shanahan said. “I was glad that he was able to start the game and help us out through that. And it didn’t last that long, but he took advantage of the plays that he had.” 

Sermon’s lackluster outing was his second of the preseason. He has 19 yards on 11 preseason carries. There was also a bad third-down drop Saturday. The ankle could’ve played a role vs. Minnesota, and the struggling offensive line could’ve played a role in both games. However, rookies Jordan Mason and Tyrion Davis-Price combined to rush for 98 yards on 19 carries Saturday. Second-year undrafted free agent JaMycal Hasty had 15 yards on three carries and caught a touchdown on one of his two targets.

Just based on statistical output it would appear the two first-year players have a leg up on Sermon in their hunt for roster spots. Shanahan was complimentary of Mason and Davis-Price, but also noted the two have plenty to continue working on.

“Yeah, I thought they all had a couple of good runs where they did break some tackles and create,” Shanahan said. “I thought they also had some holes that they missed where it’s not blocked great, but we have to get at least a yard on a couple of those. They all got running skills, so they do good jobs when they get the ball a number of times, but just trying to make them all be complete all-around backs to where they know their assignments and protections, know all the right techniques and the handoffs, know the way to line up in the formations, not having to ask the quarterbacks and stuff like that. And those are things we’re constantly trying to work on with all those young backs.”

The 49ers RB room is one of the most interesting aspects of their roster construction. Second-year RB Elijah Mitchell will make the club. Veteran Jeff Wilson Jr. and Davis-Price, a third-round pick in this year’s draft, should also be on the roster. Hasty, Sermon, and Mason will all battle for at least one, or maybe two spots.

San Francisco has a week of practice and one preseason game left to iron out those details, but going into the final preseason week it sounds like Sermon is trailing the other two in the hunt for a spot on the final roster.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbxacb60r3mr0ac player_id=none image=https://ninerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[lawrence-related id=678638]

Notre Dame at Georgia Tech: Fourth-Quarter Analysis

Notre Dame has done exactly what it needed to do heading into Clemson, which is stay undefeated.

Notre Dame has done exactly what it needed to do heading into Clemson, which is stay undefeated. Despite knowing they will not face Trevor Lawrence, the Irish will stay motivated as they prepare. That will not happen right away, though. For now, they can enjoy their 31-13 win over Georgia Tech.

The Irish (6-0, 5-0) continued a drive that began in the third quarter with a 20-yard pass from Ian Book to Kyren Williams. That was followed by four consecutive runs from C’Bo Flemister. On that final carry, Flemister found the end zone from 3 yards out.

The Yellow Jackets (2-5, 2-4) built some positives for their future by responding with a touchdown drive. That came on a 1-yard run from Jordan Mason. A subsequent two-point conversion failed, but the Yellow Jackets recovered an onside kick. Any hope this game would get closer was snuffed when the Irish’s defense only allowed the Georgia Tech offense to move backward on the resulting drive.

It wasn’t the prettiest game for the Irish, but style points don’t count. They now look forward to perhaps the most anticipated game of the college football season. It doesn’t matter which players are and aren’t playing or for how long. This will be one to look forward to.