The Most Intriguing (or Best) Rookie Storylines at San Francisco 49ers' OTAs
The San Francisco 49ers chose not to make their rookie minicamp open to the media this year.
The only media availability was a 20-minute portion of practice Friday afternoon in which players stretched and warmed up, a brief interview session with the draft picks in the 49ers’ auditorium and a group interview with head coach Jim Tomsula.
Tomsula addressed the biggest storylines from the rookie minicamp, including former Rugby League star Jarryd Hayne’s acclimation to the NFL, former 49ers’ outside linebacker Charles Haley’s guest appearance and undrafted rookie quarterback Dylan Thompson’s workload.
In ascending order, here are the five more intriguing rookie storylines at the 49ers’ OTAs.
5. Five Cornerbacks Trying Out
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Ten draft picks, nine undrafted free agents and 10 other first-year players participated in the 49ers’ rookie minicamp this weekend. Twenty-nine players is not enough to have a full practice.
So the Niners invited 10 more players to attend the minicamp and try out for the team. According to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, five of those 10 players were cornerbacks—Willie Creear from Eastern Michigan, Dasheon Frierson from San Jose State, Charles Garrett from Nevada, Randy Harvey from Florida International and Mylan Hicks from Michigan State.
Why did the 49ers invite so many cornerbacks to try out? Here’s a theory.
Without those five corners, the Niners would have had only one corner attend the rookie minicamp—Keith Reaser, a fifth-round pick in 2014 who missed his entire rookie season with a torn ACL.
The Niners didn’t draft or sign a single rookie corner this offseason. So they had to bring in four or five cornerbacks, or else they would have had to cancel rookie minicamp altogether. A team cannot practice with only one corner.
4. Jarryd Hayne Comfortable Fielding Punts
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In 2014, Jarryd Hayne was the Rugby League Player of the Year. In 2015, he’s fighting for a spot on the 49ers’ roster.
And he's fighting to make the team primarily as a kick- and punt-returner. Last Friday afternoon, Hayne fielded punts from rookie fifth-round pick Bradley Pinion on a side field next to the Niners’ weightlifting facility. According to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, “Hayne appeared to handle most of his opportunities with ease.”
Which shouldn’t surprise you. Hayne has experience returning kickoffs in Rugby League and, according to 49ers’ head coach Jim Tomsula, it's easier to catch a football than a rugby ball. “The wind gets that rugby ball, and that thing’s zig-zagging all over the place,” Tomsula said.
Hayne should excel during OTAs, minicamp and training camp, given his background. He's in his element when the pads are off. “When you watch what we’re doing here," said Tomsula, "he’s still playing Rugby...He’s fielding balls and running around in shorts and a T-shirt.”
Hayne’s real test will come when he puts on the pads during preseason. Will he know how to brace himself for the hits he will take on kick and punt returners? Those hits are full-speed, sometimes headfirst collisions, which are different from the form tackles in Rugby League.
3. Eli Harold Picking Up Pass-Rushing Tips from Charles Haley
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Friday after practice, rookie third-round pick Eli Harold stood quietly and observed Hall of Fame pass-rusher Charles Haley tutor Aldon Smith and Tank Carradine on the finer points of pass rushing.
What did Harold learn?
“Things I’ve never seen or heard,” said Harold, per Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. “I feel like it’ll definitely help me out a lot in the future. But it was definitely advanced things. He was talking about balance and target, where to keep your eyes and head level. Things like that.”
Haley racked up 100.5 tackles in 169 games—he knows pass-rush technique. He only can help Harold, Smith and Carradine. It’s terrific news that Haley is teaching them.
It would be even better news if Haley also was teaching Ahmad Brooks and Corey Lemonier—two veteran outside linebackers who never learned advanced pass-rush techniques. Those two got by on pure athleticism, although Lemonier isn’t really getting by—he has just one sack in two seasons.
The Niners should put Haley on a retainer and bring him back for training camp.
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2. Only One Quarterback Participating
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Teams typically bring at least two quarterbacks to rookie minicamp.
Two quarterbacks allow the team to pace each one’s development and conserve their throwing arms.
But the Niners aren’t taking the two-quarterback approach. According to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, the Niners’ “plan right now is to give (rookie undrafted free agent Dylan) Thompson all of the practice time” and not bring in another quarterback.
“His arm seems to be doing well,” said Tomsula. “We’ve talked about it. And if he needed that for his arm, we would. But right now, we don’t feel like we need to do that.”
The Niners seem eager to accelerate Thompson’s development. Perhaps they want to bring him up to speed by training camp in order to compete with Blaine Gabbert for the No. 2 quarterback job.
1. Three Former South Carolina Gamecocks Reuniting on the Niners
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According to Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com, three former South Carolina Gamecocks teammates participated in the Niners’ rookie minicamp this weekend—running back Mike Davis (fourth-round pick), tight end Rory “Busta” Anderson (seventh-round pick) and quarterback Dylan Thompson (undrafted free agent).
After the draft, Trent Baalke explained why he likes players from South Carolina. “On the offensive side of the ball you know they’re going to come into the league well-versed," Baalke said. "They’re going to be able to pick up the information. They’re going to usually, almost always be able to play on three downs if it’s a back. And they’re prepared.”
In general, they’re ready to contribute right away—that’s what Baalke's saying.
And they provide another benefit for the Niners in particular: Davis and Anderson will help Thompson get his feet underneath him.
Thompson doesn’t have to go through an awkward adjustment period of getting to know a completely new group of receivers, tight ends and running backs. He already knows Davis and Anderson. Those three have chemistry. Thompson can lean on them while he develops rapports with other players.
All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
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