49ers news: Kyle Shanahan cancels final week of OTAs, moves up minicamp

Seeing no need for an extra week of voluntary practice, Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers are getting rid of the final week of OTAs.

Comb through a few articles here at Niner Noise that discuss organized team activities, and chances are you'll come across one or two that stress the fact that OTAs don't exactly count for much.

Apparently the San Francisco 49ers feel the same way.

The Niners already wrapped up two weeks of OTAs, each week involving three practices, one of which each week was open to the media. On Friday, as reported by David Bonilla of 49ers Webzone, the team announced it was going to cancel the final week of OTAs.

Those final practices were originally scheduled for June 5, 6 and 8.

49ers move up dates for mandatory minicamp

It's important to note that OTAs aren't actually required and are voluntary, although players frequently have bonuses in their respective contracts for attending these sessions.

Mandatory minicamp, however, is mandatory (hence the name), and players can be fined if they don't physically attend.

Read More: Vital storylines we watched during Week 2 of 49ers OTAs

With the final week of OTAs taken off the calendar, head coach Kyle Shanahan has elected to move up the three-day mandatory minicamp from June 13 through 15 to June 6. Minicamp will effectively take the place of the third week of OTAs but will be mandatory.

Additionally, as Bonilla reported, Shanahan will also likely make it a two-day practice instead of three days, which as been done previously. By doing so, and by moving minicamp up a week, Shanahan will be giving his crop of players, coaches and assistants an extra period of time off before training camp begins toward the end of July.

The specific dates for training camp haven't been announced yet.

Read more from Niner Noise