The San Francisco 49ers kicked off day two of their 2019 OTA sessions, and the media was on hand. Here are some of the top takeaways from these practices.
Tuesday marked the first day media members were able to attend San Francisco 49ers‘ organized team activities (OTAs), as they officially started on Monday.
This was the second of three practices the Niners are scheduled to have this week, with another three taking place next week and a further three occurring the first week of June. While players aren’t donning pads just yet — that will come in training camp — there are some important notes to make and reports to break down.
Of course, one of the bigger storylines will be quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and his return to the field after tearing his ACL in Week 3 last year.
Garoppolo and running back Jerick McKinnon, who also tore his ACL, have been spending much of the offseason rehabbing their injuries. And both were back on the field Monday and Tuesday, albeit in limited fashion.
NFL Network’s Omar Ruiz explained further:
https://twitter.com/OmarDRuiz/status/1130890356382470144
McKinnon not being as involved as Garoppolo early in OTAs shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, as running backs typically require a lot more movement and agility than quarterbacks. The 49ers will likely keep working both players, especially McKinnon, into their practices slowly.
Still, it is nice to see this again:
Video: First look at #49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo at OTAs pic.twitter.com/4irXCmR2fe
— Cam Inman (@CamInman) May 21, 2019
If there’s one thing the 49ers want to avoid during these early practices, it’s the injury bug. San Francisco’s 2018 campaign was all but derailed by injuries, namely those to Garoppolo and McKinnon. And while the team made strides to add to depth during the offseason, even just one long-term injury can seriously hinder a team’s chances.
Such could be the case with running back Matt Breida who, according to 49ers.com’s Joe Fann, suffered a slightly torn pectoral while lifting weights. Per the report, Breida will be ready by training camp but will miss the remainder of OTAs and minicamps until then.
Additionally, linebacker Fred Warner will be out until training camp after having a minor knee procedure. This should open up the door for the rookie linebacker, Dre Greenlaw, to see some serious first-team snaps between now and then.
Tight end Garrett Celek remains in the concussion protocol, which also opens up the door for rookie TE Kaden Smith. There’s a position battle to watch there, too.
So, what are some other notable takeaways from the Niners’ second day of OTAs?
EDGE Nick Bosa Tweaks His Hamstring
Speaking of injuries, the 49ers might be dealing with a small one with their top pick of the 2019 NFL Draft, Ohio State EDGE Nick Bosa.
According to The Athletic’s Matt Barrows, Bosa suffered a slight injury to his right hamstring during a pass-rushing drill and was removed from practice:
Nick Bosa was clutching his right hamstring following a pass rush drill. He appears to be done for the rest of practice. We’ll have updates on who practiced, who didn’t later this afternoon. #49ers
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) May 21, 2019
Bosa is already fighting off some injury concerns, stemming from his 2018 collegiate abdominal injury, which eventually led to him sitting out the majority of his final season at Ohio State to prepare for the draft.
To draw a correlation between the two, however, is quite premature. If anything, Bosa getting his proverbial “football legs” back underneath him could possibly lead to such an injury. But nothing more.
Still, hamstring injuries can be tricky. Serious ones can force a player to miss substantial time, which could hinder Bosa’s development and preparations for the regular season.
At any rate, the Niners aren’t going to be pressed into rushing Bosa onto the field anytime soon, particularly given the draft capital invested in him this past April.
Deebo Samuel Developing Chemistry with Jimmy Garoppolo
According to multiple insiders on hand, Jimmy Garoppolo looked OK during practices. Not great, but OK.
That’s fine, all things considered. OTAs are typically more important for younger players, and it’s a chance to see which ones are rising to the top early on.
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Thankfully for San Francisco, it appears another one of its top NFL Draft picks, South Carolina wide receiver Deebo Samuel, is making some positive strides. According to the San Jose Mercury News‘ Cam Inman, he and Garoppolo were developing something of a nice rapport during the rainy practice sessions.
The 49ers used their second-round pick on Samuel, who certainly impressed head coach Kyle Shanahan during the 2019 Senior Bowl, where Shanahan was the South squad’s coach. And considering no Niners wideout reached 500 receiving yards last year, the early signs of Samuel providing a positive impact are noteworthy.
Samuel is going to be competing for a starting gig this season alongside second-year pro Dante Pettis, who’ll look to back up what was an impressive finish to his rookie campaign last season.
The 49ers’ wide receiver battle during training camp should be pretty tight, too.
Ahkello Witherspoon and Jimmie Ward in the Lead to Start?
It’s far too soon to begin accurate predictions of how depth charts pan out and who will start. And at cornerback and free safety, the 49ers figure to have another stiff competition for starting jobs.
Fifth-year pro defensive back Jimmie Ward could appear to be in line to start over his primary competition, Adrian Colbert, while third-year cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon is trying to assert himself amid other corners, Jason Verrett and Tarvarius Moore.
According to the Sacramento Bee’s Chris Biderman, both Ward and Witherspoon made good effort during day two of OTAs, which is a positive early sign for them securing starting jobs by Week 1:
Good showings from Deebo Samuel, Marquise Goodwin, Trent Taylor and Jordan Matthews. Ahkello Witherspoon and Jimmie Ward were aggressive in coverage. Rookie Dre Greenlaw was playing with the first team LBs as Fred Warner and Kwon Alexander sat out.
— Chris Biderman (@ChrisBiderman) May 21, 2019
Pro Football Focus ranked San Francisco’s secondary dead last in 2018, which doesn’t bode well after the team made relatively few personnel changes during the offseason. Verrett, a one-time Pro Bowler, has a lengthy injury history, so it’s likely he’ll also be brought along slowly between now and training camp.
That should give Witherspoon a good deal of first-team reps during practices, which certainly won’t hurt his chances to assert himself on the depth chart.
Good Thing the 49ers Have Depth at Running Back
With Matt Breida out until training camp, the Niners are going to be relatively thin at running back for the foreseeable future.
Oh, and Jerick McKinnon isn’t practicing much, either, according to Matt Barrows:
Remember the #49ers' impressive depth at RB? Well, three of them aren't practicing:
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) May 21, 2019
* Matt Breida suffered a slight pec tear while lifting
* Raheem Mostert's fractured arm wasn't healing properly so he had the arm re-set
* Jerick McKinnon still coming back from ACL surgery.
Special teams ace Raheem Mostert, who broke his forearm halfway through 2018, had another surgery recently to repair it. He’ll be out at least another month, according to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco.
Thankfully, the Niners added one of Kyle Shanahan’s favorites from his time with the Atlanta Falcons, running back Tevin Coleman, during the offseason. Coleman will likely see a good chunk of first-team reps for a while, yet the injuries also open up additional chances for depth runners, such as Jeff Wilson.
Wilson is a long shot to make the 53-man roster this season, especially if San Francisco’s injured runners return healthy, as expected. Yet he, and other depth members, will be vying for potential shots elsewhere in 2019 if they don’t end up making the cut.
The 49ers wrap up day three of their first week of OTAs on Wednesday.