The San Francisco 49ers officially opened up training camp with their first practice this summer, marking the beginning of preparation for the 2017 season. Here are the highlights from the day’s action.
By the time the San Francisco 49ers were on the field for the first official practice, first-round pick Solomon Thomas remained unsigned.
But any qualms and fears were put to rest shortly with the rookie defensive lineman inking a four-year deal, ending the holdout.
Thomas was on the practice field within precisely 43 minutes, per Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
San Francisco 49ers
No repeat of the situation between defensive lineman Joey Bosa and the then-San Diego Chargers. No drama, no prolonged contract dispute. Via Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group:
"Thomas said he instructed his agent, Tom Condon at CAA Sports, to wrap up a deal quickly and thus avoid a prolonged stalemate. Last year, a month-long stalemate ensued for fellow Condon client Joey Bosa with the Chargers after they selected him No. 3 overall, the same slot as Thomas this year.He knew how fast I wanted to be out here and that I didn’t want to be by myself another month, Thomas added."
The signing of Thomas was the highlight of the day, as any potential contractual issues were put to rest and it completed the final signee of the 49ers rookie draft class. Details have yet to be released, but this is the Over The Cap estimation of Thomas’ contract:
- Total value — 4 years, $28,154,382 million; signing bonus of $18,615,912
- Cap number by the years:
- Year 1 – $5,118,978
- Year 2 – $6,398,723
- Year 3 – $7,678,468
- Year 4 – $8,958,213
Thomas wasted no time joining his teammates, as he immediately made his way to the practice field after signing his deal. He passed his conditioning test and watched the second half of practice from the sidelines, according to various reports from writers on site.
Joining Thomas in the headlines was the injury to safety Jimmie Ward, who was subsequently placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. Our own Peter Panacy reported on the injury.
On the field, it was rookie linebacker Reuben Foster and running back Carlos Hyde who seemed to be the ones garnering the most attention. Just as head coach Kyle Shanahan envisioned, Foster’s medically repaired shoulder was deemed healed and stable enough for full participation at training camp.
It was Foster who made the play of the day for the defense. From Chris Biderman of The Niners Wire:
"Rookie quarterback C.J. Beathard in seven-on-seven drills threw a pass toward the right flat that was tipped by defensive back Prince Charles Iworah. It ended up in the hands of Reuben Foster, who highlighted his training camp debut with the 49ers by making the interception and returning it for a would-be touchdown."As Biderman notes, Foster played with the second and third team units for the duration of the practice. He sits behind NaVorro Bowman and Malcolm Smith on the depth chart, who occupy the starting MIKE and WILL linebacker spots.
Shanahan was pleased with the first-round draft pick from Alabama following practice (h/t Biderman):
"I was excited. It was good to get him out there, get him on the field, coach Kyle Shanahan said. I know he’s been chomping at the bit for a while now. It was good to see him go through it full speed, deal with getting aligned right and stuff. I think he got an interception out there today, which was good for him. It was a good first day."Rounding out the day’s headlines was Hyde, who has been the subject of offseason talk regarding his standing on the roster. Some feel he may be dealt at some point this season, possibly even cut before the season begins. That in mind, it looks like Hyde is doing everything he can to cement himself as a valuable member of this team.
When asked about who has stood out in terms of playing shape, general manager John Lynch specifically targeted the running back.
John Lynch with praise for #49ers RB Carlos Hyde:
— Joe Fann (@Joe_Fann) July 27, 2017
"Carlos Hyde looks tremendous. He's really dedicated himself."Hyde weighed in at 228 pounds, saying it’s the lightest he’s been at since high school. With a new running scheme set to be implemented, speed is of the utmost importance, and it appears that Hyde has taken that into consideration with his offseason training — evident in the dip in weight. And that weight change has already made a difference in Hyde:
#49ersCamp Notes - Day 1: Carlos Hyde looks fast. Really fast. His weight loss is obvious and he beat the defense to the edge several times.
— Rob Lowder (@Rob_Lowder) July 28, 2017Battling it out with Hyde is veteran Tim Hightower and rookie Joe Williams. The trio look set to take the bulk of carries for the 2017 season.
Next: Ahmad Brooks: Why 49ers’ LB has the most to lose in training camp
It’s shaping up to be an eventual training camp and preseason for the 49ers as new faces are scattered across the board.
- Cap number by the years: