49ers activate Kittle from PUP list; McCaffrey returns to practice
“Sunday’s move means Kittle will, barring a setback, definitely be back at some point in the first four weeks. It’s just a matter of how soon he’s ready to play in a game after not playing football for more than seven months.”
49ers OC Klay Kubiak shares key updates ahead of Raiders preseason game “San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak spoke with reporters after Sunday’s training camp practice. Here’s everything he had
to say.”
Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle provide ‘energy’ in return to 49ers practice
“Obviously, when you don’t practice, the way the media works now is, (it’s a) firestorm,” McCaffrey said. “But this was kind of part of the plan from the jump, to ramp up pretty big, get nine, 10 practices in. Then, come back down and then ramp back up so we’re fresh for the duration.”
49ers’ George Kittle practices Sunday for first time since Achilles injury (paywall)
“The five-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler worked through individual drills but did not play any snaps during the team 11-on-11 periods as he eased back in Sunday.”
49ers’ Christian McCaffrey returns to practice after 2-week absence: ‘I feel fresh’ (paywall)
“Both McCaffrey and tight end George Kittle were in uniform for Sunday’s practice, Kittle’s first since tearing an Achilles tendon Jan. 11. Though he’s easing back in and was held out of everything but individual drills, McCaffrey took part in a handful of 11-on-11 snaps and carried the ball three times. He broke one of those carries to the right for a roughly 25-yard gain.
“I feel fresh,” he said. “It’s good to be back out there.”…Black had another impressive practice, breaking at least two big runs. His hard-charging style, however, also created a friendly fire moment when he plowed into the back of center Jake Brendel, knocking the 300-pounder face-first to the ground. Brendel got up and took part in the next play…..All eyes were on Kittle on Sunday, but fellow tight end Jake Tonges was prolific for the second straight day. That included back-to-back sideline catches on throws from Purdy. If Kittle couldn’t take part in the Week 1 opener, Tonges likely would start at tight end.”
49ers trade for veteran linebacker who played under Kyle Shanahan and Raheem Morris
“He spent his rookie season in Atlanta under offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. Raheem Morris was coaching on the offensive side of the ball for the majority of his tenure when Jones was there. However, there was overlap in 2020, when Morris was the defensive coordinator alongside the interim coach. That was in 2020. So Shanahan and Morris have both seen Jones during 100+ tackle seasons…With Martin suffering a hamstring injury late Thursday, it could also be the team telling us that Martin’s injury is severe.
If you’re on the roster bubble, the last thing you want to see is your team trade for the position you play.
One of Jones’ calling cards has been as a pass rusher. As we’ve seen, that is something Raheem Morris is going to do early and often with his inside linebackers. Jones pressured the quarterback on 23.1% of his rushes last season with Tampa Bay.
No matter where he’s been, Jones’ pressure percentage has been above league average. And even as he’s gotten longer in the tooth, Jones has still recorded multiple “hustle stops,” which is when a defender makes a tackle from 20 yards away. He had two last season in 20 snaps. That’s a sign that his speed remains above average.”
49ers training camp practice 16: Quick hits
“Jacob Cowing also drew some attention during Sunday’s practice. “Jacob Cowing looking sharp in 1-on-1 drills. Finishing camp strong,” Tafur reported. Cowing is competing for a spot in a crowded wide receiver room, so strong practices at this point in camp can only help his case.
Mike Evans was another player to watch. The veteran wide receiver left practice and took off his pads, appearing frustrated. Jennifer Lee Chan reported that the situation could be injury-related, although there was no immediate indication of the severity.”
The Good and Not So Good from Day 16 of 49ers Camp: Kittle and McCaffrey Return
“Black isn’t a hybrid slot receiver like McCaffrey, but he can catch passes, and the 49ers will throw to him. He’s a three-down player. But the best thing he does is run the ball, particularly between the tackles. He has the speed to get to the perimeter, but he wants to run downhill. He hits holes between the tackles with zero hesitation, and can squirt through the tiniest of creases. In that sense, he reminds me of Frank Gore. At one point, he took a helmet-to-helmet hit from Fred Warner on a pass over the middle, stayed down for a second, shook his head, ran back to the huddle, lined up in the backfield, took the handoff and exploded around the left side for a 20-yard gain. He’s so tough….[James Thompson Jr] is probably the second-best defensive tackle on the team after Osa Odighizuwa. Thompson Jr. is a terrific run defender who actually can rush the passer as well. Today, he lined up with the starters and beat Carver Willis to “sack” Purdy. Whoever scouted this guy deserves a promotion….[Raheem Morris] is trying to install so many new things, and he doesn’t currently have the personnel to pull off any of them. To be fair, his players do a good job aggressively breaking on intermediate passes over the middle, but they can’t seem to stop anything else. Today, Morris kept using a defense with five defensive linemen, one linebacker and five defensive backs. And it couldn’t stop anything — not the run or the pass. On third down, he wants to be aggressive and blitz. This just leaves his subpar safeties one on one against superior players. And if the blitz doesn’t get to the quarterback right away, which it usually doesn’t, the defense gives up huge catches.”
