49ers training camp 2018: Aldrick Robinson shines, veterans rest & more

The San Francisco 49ers held an abbreviated training camp practice on Tuesday, and wide receiver Aldrick Robinson made the most of his opportunity. Niner Noise recaps the action from Aug. 7.

Tuesday’s training camp practice was a brief one for the San Francisco 49ers, who were dealing with some hazy and smoky conditions outside Levi’s Stadium, thanks to the plethora of Northern California fires nearby.

Veterans Joe Staley, Pierre Garçon, Laken Tomlinson and Earl Mitchell all received the day off from practice, per NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco, while a number of other Niners are still nursing injuries:

One of those injuries, an elongated knee issue for offensive guard Joshua Garnett, has ensured fellow guard Jonathan Cooper would get more reps after he was recently cleared from MCL surgery earlier this offseason.

San Francisco had been working Cooper in slowly, primarily in individual activities up to this point. But today, Cooper saw plenty of time at right guard with the first-team unit in full 11-on-11 drills.

It’s too early to determine whether or not the Niners prefer Cooper over Garnett at the starting right guard position. But as long as Garnett remains out, Cooper’s chances increase notably.

Wide Receiver Aldrick Robinson Shines in Practice

The 49ers have a pretty hefty battle at wide receiver in training camp. One of those not favored to make the 53-man roster is the veteran, Aldrick Robinson, who helped increase his chances Tuesday.

Robinson was the offensive star for team drills, first hauling in a beautifully thrown 26-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo during the team’s two-minute session. The wide receiver then followed that up with an impressive 70-yard catch from Garoppolo shortly thereafter, according to 49ers.com’s Joe Fann:

This means two notable things. First, it’s great to see Garoppolo continuing his work on the deep ball — arguably the biggest issue he had coming into training camp.

More importantly, it’s helping give Robinson a chance to make the roster. While he still has to be viewed as one of the fringe members on the roster bubble, at least this should help Robinson quickly latch on with another squad once roster cuts are announced.

If he’s cut, that is. Tuesday’s efforts helped prevent that to an extent.

Too Many Drops by Defensive Backs

As the San Jose Mercury News‘ Cam Inman pointed out, the Niners secondary was in position to reel in a number of interceptions during Tuesday’s practice. But too many of them fell to the ground, including one by cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon, who responded by punting the ball 50 yards.

Earlier during training camp, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh called dropped interceptions and pass breakups “missed opportunities.”

San Francisco had a few of those today.

Trent Taylor Makes It Look Easy

Well, this is kinda cool (h/t Scott Young of 49ers Hub):

Second-year wide receiver Trent Taylor, who recently returned from back surgery, seems to be right on track to picking up where he left off last season.

This wraps up the third week of camp practices for the Niners, who’ll enjoy a brief walk-through on Wednesday before hosting the Dallas Cowboys for Week 1 of the preseason at Levi’s Stadium. Kickoff for that game is at 10 p.m. ET.

The 49ers then resume practice again on Sunday, Aug. 12.