The San Francisco 49ers kicked off their 2019 OTAs this week, and Niner Noise takes a preliminary stock watch on which players are seeing values rise or fall.
The San Francisco 49ers began their 2019 installment of organized team activities (OTAs) this week. For the most part, these sessions are the first chances the entire 90-man roster will get to work out together, including the rookies. While there are players who are out and will likely remain out until training camp, there’s always enough to report on to gauge just how the team is jelling.
Unfortunately, there were a number of injuries arising from this initial week of three practices, notably a hamstring injury suffered by the Niners’ top pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, edge rusher Nick Bosa.
Additionally, other players — running backs Matt Breida (pectoral) and Raheem Mostert (forearm), linebacker Fred Warner (knee) and tight end Garrett Celek (concussion) — are going to be out until training camp.
It’s early. So don’t read too much into the “lengthy” injury report. Teams commonly keep players away from non-padded practices for precautionary reasons, and the real time to worry won’t come about until training camp later this summer.
Same goes with practices, too. But for OTAs, especially for first- and second-year players or guys on the fringes of the roster, showcasing some positives can be a real bonus.
But with any risers, there are going to be fallers.
The media was allowed to attend only one practice during the week, so it’s tough to truly gauge the entirety of this first OTA installment. Based off what we know, though, here’s an initial stock watch on some 49ers players after these first three practices.
Stock Down: Tight End Garrett Celek
Garrett Celek’s concussion isn’t good news at all for the soon-to-be 31 year old in a contract year.
The 49ers placed Celek on the inactive list in Week 17 last year, suggesting he suffered his concussion in Week 16. With Celek still placed in the concussion protocol, the nearly five-month period off has to be pretty concerning.
Health is the No. 1 priority, of course, and the Niners won’t want to rush him back for any reason. Yet the No. 2 tight end battle behind Pro Bowler George Kittle is an intriguing one this offseason. San Francisco added former Stanford tight end Kaden Smith in the 2019 NFL Draft, while also signing the veteran, Levine Toilolo, to a one-year deal.
Either player could feasibly take Celek’s precarious hold on the No. 2 spot on the depth chart, potentially pushing Celek off the roster, if the Niners prefer to go either younger (Smith) or with someone more adept in blocking (Toilolo).
And with Celek not in a position to showcase why he can stick around this season, he’ll already be fighting uphill to retain his spot once he’s eventually cleared.
Stock Up: Wide Receiver Deebo Samuel
OTAs can be so crucial for rookies, so it’s a good thing first-year wide receiver Deebo Samuel is already making solid impressions out of the gate.
Samuel, the 49ers’ second-round NFL Draft choice from 2019, has apparently established a rapport with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, as indicated by The Athletic’s Matt Barrows and backed up by Jimmy G’s comments himself.
“Deebo, he’s had a couple, yesterday especially, that after the catch he’s just so explosive and fast,” Garoppolo told the press after the second day of OTAs.
The 49ers hotly pursued Samuel after failing to produce a single 500-yard wide receiver in 2018. Samuel should be able to immediately contend for a starting job alongside second-year pro wideout, Dante Pettis.
By the looks of it, Samuel is well on his way towards doing so.
Stock Down: EDGE Nick Bosa
Again, it’s early. So don’t read too far into this.
Yet Nick Bosa suffering a hamstring injury right out of the gate during OTAs isn’t exactly the most ideal way to kick off these programs.
There will be those arguing Bosa comes with an injury history, sparked by his collegiate abdominal surgery from his senior year at Ohio State, which eventually led to his decision to sit out the rest of 2018 in preparation for this year’s NFL Draft.
That move didn’t hurt his draft stock, obviously, as he ended up going No. 2 overall. But it possibly established an injury history as part of the discussion, which is unfortunate.
Why Bosa sees his stock value drop, however, is due to the fact hamstring injuries can be tricky things. If it’s a slight pull, Bosa could be back in a matter of days. But worse hamstring injuries can take weeks, even months to heal properly.
San Francisco is surely hoping for the former.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters he wasn’t sure on the severity of Bosa’s injury, so that’s going to be something to monitor in coming days.
Stock Down: Linebacker Malcolm Smith
The 49ers added to their linebacking corps this offseason by grabbing free-agent backer Kwon Alexander and drafting former Arkansas linebacker Dre Greenlaw in Round 5 of the draft.
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While Alexander (ACL recovery) and Warner (knee) weren’t practicing initially, their presence on the roster spells bad news for veteran linebacker Malcolm Smith, whose two-year stint in San Francisco has been nothing but disappointing.
Smith, after missing 2017 with a torn pectoral, dealt with hamstring issues early in 2018 and was eventually relegated to backup duties late last year. The 49ers subsequently renegotiated his contract to a one-year deal, which expires in 2020.
And it looks as if Smith isn’t on the field during OTA starts, either.
“We hope we can have him later in OTAs,” Shanahan said of Smith, who is dealing with an ankle injury, during his post-practice presser.
Considering the other investments San Francisco has made at the position, Smith needs all the reps he can get between now and roster cuts. Avoiding the injury bug would be a good thing, too.
It appears he’s not quite able to accomplish that just yet.
Stock Up: Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon
It seemed as if cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon was destined to have a rough 2018 campaign after securing the starting job his rookie season. After all, Witherspoon was routinely beat during last year’s training camp, and that carried over into the regular season.
Pro Football Focus even ranked Witherspoon the worst-graded qualifying cornerback last year — a mark not helped by the fact he led the 49ers in penalties in 2018.
So it shouldn’t come as a surprise the Niners added some competition at the position during the offseason, namely oft-injured veteran Jason Verrett.
According to that same Matt Barrows report, Witherspoon was “the man to beat” at the position during practices, which is a great sign for the third-year player.
Witherspoon will still have a tough competition with Verrett, whose injury history will remain a concern for the entire season. Yet it’s a great sign to see the 49ers’ former third-round investment turning a corner on what was mostly a forgettable 2018 campaign.
Stock Down: Offensive Guard Joshua Garnett
Well, in fairness, offensive guard Joshua Garnett‘s stock level hasn’t exactly been high ever since Kyle Shanahan took over in 2017.
Garnett has gone from a former first-round NFL Draft pick to being a fringe roster addition the last year-plus. And it’s looking as if 2019 will be no different.
The 49ers already elected not to pick up Garnett’s fifth-year option, which isn’t a surprise. Yet one of the key reasons to keep him around into the regular season hinged on the recovery of fellow guard Laken Tomlinson, who suffered a torn MCL in Week 17 last year against the Los Angeles Rams.
Tomlinson, following his recovery, was able to take the field with the first-team unit during Week 1 of OTAs, which points to him reclaiming his starting gig on the left side.
San Francisco also beefed up some of the backup options, including bringing aboard another Shanahan player from the Atlanta Falcons, interior lineman Ben Garland, during the offseason.
Neither situation is ideal for Garnett, who remains on the roster bubble.
Stock Up: Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo
OK, so he might be wearing a knee brace and will likely continue to do so for the entire season. But it sure was nice to see clips of Jimmy Garoppolo tossing the football during OTAs.
Garoppolo told reporters “every throw is doable now” after Tuesday’s practice, which is a great sign.
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And he even earned some praise from one of his teammates, cornerback Richard Sherman.
“Jim was threading it today,” Sherman said, via NBC Sports Bay Area’s Jennifer Lee Chan. “He got the ball right where he wanted to. Obviously, he’s been limited, but today he had a lot of reps and looked really good. He was putting the ball in risky spots, real confident throws. He completed every single one of them.”
The 49ers offense is certainly better off with Garoppolo under center. And it’s a bonus he’s already establishing chemistry with some of the newer Niners pass catchers, including Deebo Samuel and the veteran, Jordan Matthews, who appeared to be one of the quarterback’s favorite targets in practice.
“It was just a great ball and a great throw from him,” Sherman said of one particular toss to Matthews. “It was just exactly what you want to see from your quarterback, moving on in his rehab, and where he is in the process.”
Well, if that’s not a rise in stock value, what is?
The 49ers continue Week 2 of OTAs on Tuesday, June 4.