There’s football on tonight… the 0-4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs the 2-2 Dallas Cowboys.
The Cowboys are obviously a 49ers opponent and the Bucs might have players on the trade block, given how bad their season is going. I’ll watch Vita Vea mess up the Cowboys offense and daydream about him coming home……
49ers trade deadline targets (Vita Vea? Will Macdonald?), injury timelines and more: Mailbag ”The following teams are either 0-4 or 1-3 and seem the most apt to trade a defensive lineman. I’ve listed them
in alphabetical order.
Buccaneers (0-4): DT Vita Vea. The big defensive tackle hails from nearby Milpitas, Calif., and would reunite with Evans. Maybe the 49ers will send Florida native Mac Jones in a home-state swap?
Cardinals (1-3): Edge Josh Sweat. He had 12 sacks last season and won’t turn 30 until March.
Chargers (0-4): Edge Khalil Mack. He turned 35 in February, but the fact he has three sacks so far (no 49er has more than two) shows he’s still got it.
Commanders (1-3): DT Daron Payne. A rotation including Payne, Osa Odighizuwa and Gracen Halton wouldn’t be too shabby. A result of the 49ers’ long list of D-line injuries is that Odighizuwa has logged 123 snaps in the past two games. That’s a lot for a defensive lineman and ought to set off alarm bells for the 49ers.
Dolphins (0-4): DE Joshua Uche. Uche, who has bounced around the league, has one sack so far in Miami. He turned 28 last month.
Jets (1-3): DE Will McDonald IV. McDonald is just 27 and had 18.5 sacks over the past two seasons. The Jets picked up his $13.8 million fifth-year option this season, but a long-term deal appears unlikely.
Saints (1-3): None.
Texans (0-4): DE Danielle Hunter. The 49ers have been linked to the veteran pass rusher in free agency in the past. He had 15 sacks last season and two so far this year.
Titans (0-4): DT Jordan Elliott. I know you wanted me to put Jeffrey Simmons. But what would he cost the 49ers?”
49ers Week 4 Trench Grades: They may have stumbled into gold (paywall)
“The 49ers may have stumbled into something incredible with the trio of Naquan Jones, Sebastian Valdez and Gracen Halton. Halton’s not perfect, but he can anchor down well in one-on-ones, and possesses a violence to shed blocks uniquely. Jones and Valdez possess that violence and double-team splitting ability. Ironically, all the 49ers’ injuries may have helped their run defense. Just wait until Mykel Williams is playing run snaps instead of Ogbo Okoronkwo. HOO BOY.”
49ers top pick Mykel Williams eager to make up for disappointing rookie season (paywall)
“Another focus for Williams during his recovery: getting leaner. He did not specify his current weight but said he began taking his diet more seriously after the injury. To reach his desired weight, though, Williams had to make some tough sacrifices. He gave up peach cobbler — his favorite craving when he has a sweet tooth — in addition to ice cream, in favor of protein shakes.”
Is it time to panic about 49ers’ injuries? Breaking down IR, trade deadline plan
“There’s a scenario in which those practice squad players hold their positions throughout October. Then, the return of injured players could set up the 49ers well for the stretch run.
But that assumes there won’t be more injuries in the meantime. With this team, that would be a bold assumption….San Francisco would be smart to invest in insurance policies for Bosa, West, Thompson and Okuayinonu in case their recoveries don’t go as planned. A run-stuffing defensive tackle and another edge rusher capable of getting after the quarterback have to be among the top priorities for the Niners as the season goes on.
Currently, they’re 22nd in defensive rushing success rate and 26th in sacks per dropback.”
At least four 49ers players will miss Week 5 NFC West showdown vs. Seahawks
“[Stout] begins the practice week with his status unclear for the 49ers’ Week 5 game against last season’s Super Bowl champions.”
Kyle Shanahan reveals injury updates, previews 49ers-Seahawks matchup
“No, you put the ball in Deebo’s hand and he can execute it. He runs as good as anyone. That’s why I like him at kick returner, possible punt returner. There’s a game you used to play when you were younger that I can’t say the name of it anymore. It’s tackle the guy with the ball with no rules to it. I always say he’d probably be my first pick in the draft if that was the game.”
After big-game beatdowns, 49ers’ thoughts on Seahawks are hard to believe (paywall)
“When pressed on his just-another-week outlook, Warner smiled, suggesting his real emotions were just beneath the surface, when reminded of the Seahawks celebrating a title in the 49ers’ locker room shortly after trouncing them twice.
Before Warner roared like a lion, feigning fury, he asked: “Are you trying to rile me up?”
How Kaelon Black’s heads-up instincts bailed out Jake Brendel on big 49ers play
“Brendel, known among his teammates as someone who rarely has a missed assignment, did not hear Purdy signal he was making the shift to 5 yards behind center.
Brendel thought Purdy was directly behind him. Brendel snapped the ball, and he immediately knew something had gone awry.
“As soon as I didn’t feel his hands, I kind of gave a little flick of the wrist,” Brendel said. “That’s kind of a big no-no to do as a center, but I just wanted to get the ball back there.”
The ball fluttered in the air, and that is when the rookie did not act like a rookie during the chaos that followed.
What was Black thinking in that split-second?
“Just get the ball and make a play,” Black answered. “I couldn’t let it hit the ground. I feel like it was just instincts at that point. If something goes wrong, you just try to make it right, as best as you can, especially in that situation where we needed to convert that fourth down.”
49ers sign former Rams wide receiver to the practice squad
“Smith, 5’9”, 180 pounds, had been with the Rams since 2024. He was waived by Los Angeles on October 2. He’s speedy. Smith ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash at Florida A&M’s Pro Day.
This move tells me that the 49ers want to surround their core passing targets, Mike Evans and George Kittle, with as much speed as possible. Of course, the plan probably isn’t to play Smith, but they’ve only worked out or signed guys who can run or have return experience at wide receiver.”
