Niner Noise
FanSided

49ers’ player stock report after Week 2 of 2019 OTAs

By Peter Panacy

SANTA CLARA, CA - JULY 30: Ronald Johnson #88 and Chris Culliver #29 of the San Francisco 49ers go up against each other in a 7 on 7 drill during practice at the San Francisco 49ers training facility on July 30, 2011 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - JULY 30: Ronald Johnson #88 and Chris Culliver #29 of the San Francisco 49ers go up against each other in a 7 on 7 drill during practice at the San Francisco 49ers training facility on July 30, 2011 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 8
Next
SANTA CLARA, CA – OCTOBER 21: Richard Sherman #25 of the San Francisco 49ers looks on from the sidelines against the Los Angeles Rams during their NFL game at Levi’s Stadium on October 21, 2018 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA – OCTOBER 21: Richard Sherman #25 of the San Francisco 49ers looks on from the sidelines against the Los Angeles Rams during their NFL game at Levi’s Stadium on October 21, 2018 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

Stock Up: Cornerback Richard Sherman

There appears to be a night-and-day difference for veteran cornerback Richard Sherman, who admittedly felt sluggish and not at 100 percent during training camp last year after suffering his 2017 Achilles injury.

The 31 year old nearly intercepted a pass on Wednesday by quarterback Nick Mullens, intended for wide receiver Dante Pettis, and would have done so if he managed to get both feet down in bounds.

Sherman’s secondary teammate, cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon, offered up some praise and discussed the difference in Sherman’s game between 2018 and now (h/t KNBR’s Taylor Wirth):

“He looks very good,” Witherspoon said of Sherman. “A lot of bounce in his step, breaking both directions well. I don’t see any limitations. It’s fun an exciting to watch.”

When asked if Sherman was showing an improvement over last year, Witherspoon responded “absolutely.”

Sherman wasn’t targeted often in 2018, largely because opponents focused on the less-experienced Witherspoon. Still, the Niners stand to benefit from a physically more-capable Sherman this season.

Especially given some of the question marks surrounding the secondary.