Aiyuk embracing 49ers coaching role while continuing ACL rehab
“Those are things he hasn’t seen from his perspective,” Hankerson said of Aiyuk. “He’s seen it from a player’s perspective. But sitting in that meeting room now, I’ve said to him, ‘Brandon, you can be in here and be my coach, you can be my assistant.’
“And he loves that because he can coach up the guys and he helps big-time with that. So just mentally, it’s been one of the biggest things for him.”
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“I don’t think Aiyuk’s relationship with anybody in the organization is great — his best friend on the team was always Deebo Samuel, who was shipped away the first chance the 49ers got this offseason. Aiyuk might’ve been traded this offseason, too, if he wasn’t still recovering from his knee injury.
But I think Aiyuk and Shanahan can find common ground if Aiyuk has a great season. Aiyuk didn’t get the huge contract because he’s everybody’s buddy, he got it because he’s been a great target for Brock Purdy. He’s still the 49ers’ best option down field. If Aiyuk is back putting up 120-yard, two-touchdown performances by October, the football will matter most. It always does.”
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“The kid’s football IQ is through the roof,” Bullocks said. “He’s very smart. He’s a fast learner, he pick’s it up. So I can’t wait, and I’m excited by him. I can’t wait to get him on the field.”
I pushed him to expound on that.
“I knew he was smart, but I didn’t think that his football IQ was that smart, and he was just going through the plays,” Bullocks said. “I’d be like, ‘Talk me through this play.’ He telling me everybody’s responsibility, all 11 on the field, the whole secondary, what’s the holes in the defense. I left that meeting — you can ask Ray Brown. We [were] both impressed with him, outside his athleticism. That’s before he ran the 4.3 and we liked him even more leaving that interview.”
Some praise can ring hollow. This didn’t.
As Bullocks suggested, I then talked to Brown, who had a similar experience talking to Sigle at the Shrine Bowl.
He laughed and shook his head in a sort of disbelief when I asked about that IQ.
“Off the charts. Off the charts,” Brown said. “That dude loves ball, but he knows it. He knows it extremely well, just being able to have the versatility of playing three different positions, and to be able to understand the information, not just repeat what you say, but he can take it and he can apply it. Like, the dude’s just unbelievably smart.”
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“I heard him quite a few times,” Brown said of Stout. “I actually looked up a couple times and I noticed him. Oh, yeah, you can hear him. You could hear him in communication. He knew exactly what those guys were doing, where people were supposed to be.
“I thought he did a great job of being able to communicate what was happening in-between plays, after plays, before plays. The guy just communicates at a high level.”
49ers OTA practice roundup: Robinson, Purdy finding instant chemistry
“The session got off to an uneven start for Robinson, who could not hold onto a Purdy pass with cornerback Deommodore Lenoir swooping in for the pass breakup.
Robinson bounced back with a difficult 25-yard pass at the sideline against good coverage safety Jason Pinnock.
He made another good reception against cornerback Tre Brown, then split the coverage of cornerback Renardo Green and safety Richie Grant for a big gain on a pass from Purdy.”
Brock Purdy, Mac Jones discuss 49ers OTAs
“San Francisco 49ers quarterbacks Brock Purdy and Mac Jones spoke to reporters after Wednesday’s practice. Here’s everything they had to say.”
Nick Bosa’s role has shifted from student to mentor on 49ers’ defensive line (paywall)
“Bosa showed up in Santa Clara earlier than usual to see for himself, and No. 11 overall pick Mykel Williams has played follow-the-leader. The two have been attached at the hip, according to defensive line coach Kris Kocurek.
“If you watch (Williams) at practice, he’s always standing right behind Nick and then Nick knows he’s watching,” Kocurek said.
“It’s a good match. You got an older — I shouldn’t even say older — you got a veteran player in Nick going on the seventh year with a rookie that’s like a sponge right now and wants to learn from one of the best in the game.”
Williams’ potential role had Kocurek reminiscing over Armstead’s most productive years with the 49ers when he took advantage of his versatility to produce in the interior and off the edge. Considering that Williams did a little bit of both at Georgia, albeit in a different scheme, he could line up opposite Bosa one snap and directly beside him the next.
Sundays are still far off though. For the purpose of OTAs, though, look for Bosa and you’ll find Williams.
“A lot of eagerness to learn, more so than I’ve seen probably from any young guy,” Bosa said. “Just wants to learn as much as he can, and I’m excited to give all the knowledge I can to him. I think he’s got a ton of talent, so the sky’s the limit....”The rookies are on top of everything, not acting too much like rookies,” Bosa said.
“It’s just been cool to be out here during a time where I could kind of relax and have some fun on the weekends, and hang out with the guys a little bit. Usually I come out here when it’s time to just get straight to work.”
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“Ricky has the natural ability, the natural talent, the skill set that we look for,” Hankerson said. “Now, it’s about putting on a little bulk. That way, he can play through contact with some of the big, physical corners and sustain it, rather than getting knocked out every single time he gets bumped by someone.”
49ers’ Mac Jones and Brock Purdy are old pals — and a big reason Jones is in San Francisco (paywall)
“Jones also has a background with Purdy. They’ve both trained with throwing coaches in Jacksonville, Fla., which is where Jones grew up. Jones also hosted Purdy when Jones was Alabama’s quarterback and Purdy was in high school.
“We got to hang out and eat dinner and then go back and play computer games at my apartment,” Jones said. “We always talk about that and how crazy the world works. His story is so cool to me.”