49ers news: Daniel Brunskill hurt, other preseason Week 2 nuggets

The 49ers enter Week 2 of the 2022 preseason without Daniel Brunskill, whose injury lessens his chance of claiming a starting job.

Never flashy or dominant, but always appreciated for his consistency and versatility, San Francisco 49ers offensive lineman Daniel Brunskill is going to play a vital role for head coach Kyle Shanahan in some capacity or another.

In the wake of Pro Bowl center Alex Mack’s offseason retirement, it looked as if Brunskill would compete for the starting bid here, going up against Mack’s primary backup last season, Jake Brendel, while also pinning rookie lineman Spencer Burford to the starting right guard spot Brunskill occupied in 2021.

The Brunskill-Brendel competition was a point of emphasis entering the preseason, yet Brunskill saw just one snap in the Niners’ 2022 preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers before having to depart with a hamstring injury.

Not good for Brunskill, as head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters the day after the game that the veteran lineman would miss a few weeks, likely derailing his preseason campaign in full.

Either way, considering Brunskill’s versatility and ability to play every spot along the offensive line, it’s not like his roster spot is in any jeopardy.

He might just be relegated from a starter to a primary backup.

Additionally, Shanahan told reporters on Monday that free safety Jimmie Ward suffered a hamstring injury, too, although his took place during Sunday’s practices and could ultimately result in the veteran defensive back missing Week 1 of the regular season.

Jets now in on 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo?

The New York Jets suffered a serious scare on Friday night during their preseason bout against the Philadelphia Eagles where second-year quarterback Zach Wilson went down awkwardly with a non-contact knee injury.

Those are never good in any scenario, and early belief was it could be a torn ACL, which would end his season before it even got off the ground.

Subsequent tests suggested a bone bruise and meniscus tear, and there’s hope Wilson might only miss a few weeks’ time, but arthroscopic surgery will ultimately determine the severity of the damage.

If Wilson is expected to miss substantial time, however, it would open up the possibility of San Francisco having another potential trade partner for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who has easy ties with some former 49ers coaches now with New York, head coach Robert Saleh and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur.

Two 49ers already included in NFL Top 100 for 2022

Congratulations are in order for veteran safety Jimmie Ward, who received a first-time nod on the NFL Top 100 list, coming in at No. 96 after spending eight seasons in the league.

Perhaps Ward should be higher, but that’s been the nature of one of the NFL’s more underrated defensive backs.

Meanwhile, fullback Kyle Juszczyk is back on the list at No. 100 after finishing at No. 97 a year ago.

The NFL Top 100 will continue after Nos. 100 through 51 were announced on Sunday.

49ers news from FanSided network

Browns could make QB trade with 49ers if Deshaun Watson suspension increases (Sravan Gannavarapu, FanSided.com)

"If the Cleveland Browns decide to make a move on Jimmy Garoppolo to compensate for the loss of Deshaun Watson, it wouldn’t necessarily be the worst move. This is primarily due to how the rest of their roster is currently constructed.Cleveland boasts one of the league’s best rushing attacks in addition to a very strong offensive line, which will appease Garoppolo given what he had in New England and San Francisco."

While the Jets are awaiting further news on Wilson, the Browns could be in play for Garoppolo if Watson is suspended longer than six games, and Cleveland has far more salary cap space to absorb Jimmy G’s contract.

Turf at Bears’ Soldier Field looks borderline unsafe (John Buhler, FanSided.com)

"In the lead-up to their preseason opener vs. the Kansas City Chiefs, Soldier Field, I kid you not, resembles Neyland Stadium. I never thought I would see the grass inside of a major football stadium look as horrendous before the weather changed, but here we are. No wonder the Bears want to move to Arlington Heights, as McDonald’s Stadium turf will be so much better than this."

The Niners may recall how Levi’s Stadium’s turf wasn’t particularly great back in its inaugural season in 2014, but what’s more important is San Francisco traveling to take on the Bears in Chicago for Week 1 on Sunday, Sept. 11.

Hopefully, the field is in much better shape by then.

49ers news from around the rest of the internet

49ers activate TE Charlie Woerner from PUP list (49ers Webzone)

"The San Francisco 49ers have activated tight end Charlie Woerner from the active/physically-unable-to-perform (PUP) list. He had been recovering from a core muscle injury. The team is preparing for its second preseason game, an August 20 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. The team announcement came before Sunday’s 12:45 p.m. practice."

Takeaways from 49ers win over Green Bay Packers (Jordan Elliott, Niners Nation)

"[Trey] Lance was 4-5 for 92 yards in this game, but 76 of those came on a slot fade thrown deep down the left sideline to speedster Danny Gray. As important as Lance’s arm talent is in the equation, it cannot be complete without skill-possession players who possess the requisite speed to stress defenses on the back end.Gray proved that he has the ability to contribute right away in that role, utilizing his 4.3 speed to win outside on a spartan route and create enough separation to not only make a big play downfield but also have the room to take off without being run down."

Splashy debut helps Samuel Womack’s case to win nickel back battle (Jennifer Lee Chan, NBC Sports Bay Area)

"Womack has been turning heads since reporting to 49ers headquarters as a fifth-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft (No. 172 overall). The Toledo product showed off his ball-hawking skills under the bright lights on back-to back drives Friday night."

What we learned from last Friday’s games (Coral Smith, NFL.com)

"While I’m sure we’ll see more of Lance in the preseason as he continues to adjust to being the everyday starter, the touchdown throw under pressure is a big indication of his growth as a passer."

49ers stock up, stock down after preseason win over Packers (Kyle Madson, Niners Wire)

"Stock up: LB Marcelino McCrary-BallThe undrafted rookie linebacker got in early and played a ton. He was around the ball a lot and pulled down an interception off a tipped ball in the red zone. Then he showed off his athleticism and went 57 yards on the return to give the 49ers offense great field position at Green Bay’s 39."