Kawakami: All the money issues and wrong assumptions that might mess up the 49ers’ season (paywall)
“Maybe all of these issues will seem silly when and if the 49ers are 10-3 by late November. Maybe the season will fall apart in October and we’ll understand that these were some of the main reasons why. Or, most likely, it will be parts of both.
I just wanted to put the potential 2025 pitfalls all down in a single story right now, before the rush to Tuesday’s cutdown to 53 players and accompanying roster chaos over the days that precede and follow. And we’ll check back on any cause-and-effect results in a few months.
But also, before legions of the Faithful complain that I’m far too negative, let me state for the record that I think the 49ers will be a solid team this season, and much better than they were on the way to 6-11 last season. They still have as many high-level players as almost anybody in the league, they still are coached well, they have defensive coordinator Robert Saleh back this season, and they have a more promising group of young players than they’ve had in a while.
I’ll get to my official win-loss prediction early next month, but I’m not writing this to say that the 2025 49ers will be bad. I’m writing this to say that these are the reasons they possibly won’t be as good as they could’ve been.“
Rookie 49ers LB Nick Martin shows there is a lot more than violence to his game
“But Martin could emerge as the third linebacker on running downs, and he could show up in other packages, too. He knows he is a good fit on Saleh’s attacking defense. He knew it back when the 49ers drafted him, as coach Kyle Shanahan got on the phone and mentioned how the team had lost a big hitter in Greenlaw.
“He goes, ‘Coach, I already know. I already know I can do that. Like, that’s where I wanted to be,’” Shanahan said. “He knew all about us, and I think he was just as excited to come here as we are to have him.”
49ers practice report: Trent Williams tumble and a dustup mark physical session (paywall)
“The 6-foot-5, 320-pound Williams labored to his feet gingerly. What could’ve been a moment of déjà vu for an aging premier talent who has missed at least one game in each of his last 10 seasons proved to be a false alarm. He returned to the huddle and stayed in for the remainder of the final 11-on-11 period.
“Nah, I mean, you get angry just because you got to get up off the ground, but it’s a part of football,” Williams said. “You try to make a conscious effort in practice to stay off the ground but, I mean, you can’t ask guys to practice hard and then not practice hard enough to where you can’t fall.”
A number of players failed to stay on their feet during a physical session that also featured a brief scrum, mere days away from Tuesday cuts. Center Jake Brendel and reserve nickel back Chase Lucas, a fringe 53-man roster candidate, seemed to be at the center of the action with linebacker Fred Warner and right tackle Colton McKivitz verbally involved.
Nicknamed the “energizer bunny” by head coach Kyle Shanahan, Lucas has been no stranger to heated competition. Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir would know.
Earlier this week, Lenoir commented for the first time on his NFC Championship Game beef with Lucas (then on the Lions) that made the rounds on social media — and how the two have since made amends.
“Everybody’s seen the video that went viral of us going after each other at the NFC Championship Game,” Lenoir said, “but when I actually met him, he was one of the coolest guys on the team. … When he started coming to my house and stuff, we playing a game and talking ball, then I found out he kind of think like me. So I looked at him as a unique person. … That’s like one of my best friends.”
49ers rookie guard Connor Colby could start Week 1 after Dominick Puni injury
“The 49ers place a premium on their offensive linemen being agile and athletic. Colby (6-foot-5, 309 pounds) topped out at 19.31 mph while running the 40-yard dash in 5.11 seconds at the NFL Scouting Combine.
“The cool thing about O-linemen is they just gradually get better each day as they learn what we’re asking,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said last week.
“It’s always different techniques. You never have a guy come out of college who is going to have to run as much as we ask him to. So that always takes a number of days, sometimes a number of years. But I think he’s improved a lot here in these last couple weeks.”
Colby has shown himself to be a quick study as he adjusts to the 49ers’ style of run-blocking.
“I think just running off the ball is the biggest thing,” he said. “In college, I had a tendency to square up every block, and that’s not what they’re looking for here. In the pass game, I just try to use my hands as efficiently as possible.
“I don’t know if I’m the strongest guy out on the field, but if you tell me to run on an angle, I can do that pretty well.”
Brant Boyer provides final updates ahead of 49ers-Chargers preseason finale
“San Francisco 49ers special teams coordinator Brant Boyer spoke to reporters Thursday, following the team’s 18th practice of training camp. The 49ers are preparing for their preseason finale—a home matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. Here’s everything he had to say.”
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