The San Francisco 49ers wrapped up their seventh day of on-field training camp today, and Niner Noise breaks down the latest from Santa Clara.
Exactly one week from today, the San Francisco 49ers will engage in their first game of the Kyle Shanahan/John Lynch era.
Well, preseason game, one should note.
In the meantime, training camp continues in Santa Clara, and there were more than just a few tidbits and notes from the Niners’ practice facility next to Levi’s Stadium.
Minor injuries continue to be a storyline. But the good news is this has opened up the chance for other players to see more important snaps.
#49ers pre-practice participation report. LB Eli Harold will miss his third straight day with a concussion. pic.twitter.com/1iaC50rYfN
— Eric Branch (@Eric_Branch) August 4, 2017
Linebacker Eli Harold’s concussion allowed second-year EDGE Ronald Blair to see some time with the first-team unit, per David Fucillo of Niners Nation.
Blair and rookie Pita Taumoepenu are on the roster bubble, so the chance to see some work in the SAM linebacker spot certainly helps. The more versatile these two players can be, the better.
Rookie linebacker Reuben Foster continues his strong camp, with yet another turnover on a pass intended for running back Matt Breida. Foster apparently injured his ankle on the play, per the Sacramento Bee’s Matt Barrows, but it doesn’t appear too serious.
Bay Area News Group’s Cam Inman had another Foster pick, this time against running back Carlos Hyde in a 1-on-1 drill:
Some Separation at Nickel Corner?
The 49ers have two players competing for first-string duties at nickel this camp — K’Waun Williams and Will Redmond.
According to Niners Wire’s Rob Lowder, though, Williams might be separating himself from the competition:
#49ersCamp Notes - Day 7: K'Waun Williams continues to solidify his status as #49ers top nickel CB. INT'ed a deep Barkley pass to Robinson.
— Rob Lowder (@Rob_Lowder) August 4, 2017
Williams and Redmond both missed 2016 with injuries. But Williams has the bonus of being a hand-picked commodity of Lynch, whereas Redmond is a Trent Baalke holdover.
These two players are essentially competing for one spot on the roster.
Ahkello Witherspoon Bounces Back
Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon has had a rough training camp, as he’s been the victim of goal-line muggings by Hyde and tight end Vance McDonald.
But the rookie did manage some nice work against the pass, as Barrows wrote:
"Rookie Ahkello Witherspoon, who has been the Charlie Brown of the last two practices, got a chance to flex his own muscles during a move-the-ball session when he knocked the ball away from Pierre Garcon on a pass from Brian Hoyer.On the next play, Hoyer was looking for Marquise Goodwin over the middle, but couldn’t pull the trigger due to close coverage from Witherspoon."
Rookie defensive backs typically struggle in year one, so this learning curve shouldn’t be too surprising.
Joe Williams’ Best Day of Camp
Rookie running back Joe Williams has been relatively quiet the first few days of training camp. Most of the publicity at the position has gone to Hyde, although Williams is starting to turn a crucial page.
Shanahan had some noteworthy praise for the former Utah tailback (h/t Jerod Brown of Niners Wire), which paints a good picture for San Francisco’s backfield:
When asked about Joe Williams, Shanahan said he thought yesterday was his best day & today was even better. I agree. He's coming on. #49ers
— Jerod Brown (@JerodBrown_) August 4, 2017
Williams doesn’t appear poised to overtake Hyde on the depth chart anytime soon. The rookie could even open up the regular season as the No. 3 option behind both Hyde and the veteran, Tim Hightower.
But at least Williams is starting to show signs of making a serious impact.
Next: 6 biggest risers & fallers so far at 49ers training camp
Keep posted to Niner Noise as we update you on all the buzz surrounding training camp and leading into the preseason!