3 exceptional takeaways from Week 1 of 49ers OTAs

The first scraps of football are upon us, as the 49ers' Organized Team Activities have begun. While not a lot will impact what happens in Week 1, there are some tidbits for us to take a look at.

With the first week of Organized Team Activities out of the way, San Francisco 49ers fans can finally start looking forward to some real football as the season gets under wa--

Oh right, it's only May.

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Unfortunately, OTAs are the only small sliver of football that we have so far, but at the very least it's the first time we see the entirety of the roster (or close to it) out on the field.

Of course, with no pads and minimal contact allowed, we can't get too carried away with anyone performing too well. But those who start the preseason process well are at the very least the ones to watch.

This leads us to this quick little segue for the first takeaway from the first week of OTAs.

Takeaway No. 1: Nobody told Christian McCaffrey that he's allowed to slow down a little

Running back Christian McCaffrey is one of the crown jewels of the offense as the leader of the 49ers running back corps, proving to be a big difference maker after joining the team last midseason via a trade with the Carolina Panthers.

He also seems to know no other way than to tackle everything head on, even the very first week of practice.

Some people might roll their eyes and not be impressed by this piece of work ethic, but let's be very clear about this: McCaffrey has nothing to prove for the 49ers and absolutely no net benefit to be doing this.

He knows the playbook, his position is certain, he's not the most durable player across his career and nobody would bat an eyelid if he sat out OTAs or only had a brief run-through. Instead, McCaffrey was setting the standard for not only the rookies on the field but also some of the veterans who didn't suit up.

The Niners benefited greatly from getting McCaffrey onto the team, not only as an elite player but an excellent character and team leader in that locker room.