Rounding Up San Francisco 49ers' Offseason Buzz, Post-Minicamps
The San Francisco 49ers would be more than happy if none of their players made news the next six weeks.
No news is good news for NFL teams this time of year. Players can’t practice, so they hang out at home. Public Relations directors take their families on vacation and pray they don’t have to handle any crises while they’re away.
Around this time two years ago, 49ers’ outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks was arrested for hitting teammate Lamar Divens in the head with a beer bottle and punching him in the face.
And around this time three years ago, 49ers’ outside linebacker Aldon Smith held a party at his house and got stabbed.
Nothing like that has happened this offseason, and hopefully nothing will. Here is a roundup of the Niners’ latest offseason buzz.
Wide Receivers Coach Ronald Curry Talks Up Quinton Patton
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Joe Fann of 49ers.com recently asked wide receivers coach Ronald Curry if third-year receiver Quinton Patton “flashed” during minicamp.
“Quinton Patton has always flashed,” Curry replied. “He’s going to get a real opportunity to go out there and see what he can do.”
Fann asked Curry what Patton “has been missing in his game.”
“An opportunity,” Curry reiterated. “And he’s going to get one.”
Patton didn’t get one during the regular season the past two years—he was stuck behind veterans at the bottom of the depth chart. He has made only six catches during his career.
But he received plenty of opportunity during training camp and preseason last year. He was competing to be the No. 3 receiver, so the Niners force-fed him the ball to give him a chance to “flash.”
I watched every training camp practice last year. By my count, Patton led all 49ers receivers in targets and catches during team drills.
During the preseason, Patton received nine targets—the third-most targets on the team behind Bruce Ellington and David Reed, according to Pro Football Focus. Again, Patton had his chances.
And he wasted them. In nine opportunities, Patton caught only two passes and dropped one, per Pro Football Focus. As a result, the Niners buried him on the depth chart and didn’t play him until Week 14.
I disagree with Curry that Patton simply needs a break. He needs to play better—simple as that. During minicamp he was up and down, catching a long touchdown pass on Day 2 but dropping a couple of passes on Day 3.
Third-Year Defensive End Quinton Dial in the Starting Lineup
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The 49ers have two obvious starters on the defensive line—Glenn Dorsey and Ian Williams. They're terrific and have started for the Niners in the past.
The third starting spot is up for grabs, although you couldn’t tell that during OTAs and minicamp. Third-year defensive end Quinton Dial took almost every rep with the first-team defense.
“The plan at this point seems to be for Dial and Dorsey to start at the end positions and for Williams to at start nose tackle,” wrote Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
In the context of the 49ers defense, “start” might be a loaded word. The “starters” are the defensive linemen who play in the base defense, which the Niners use only about 35 percent of the time. They use their sub-packages the other 65 percent of the time.
Former 2013 second-round pick Tank Carradine almost surely will be one of the defensive tackles in the sub-packages because he's a pass-rushing specialist. Dial might be the other defensive tackle until veteran defensive lineman Darnell Dockett fully recovers from his torn ACL.
“Redshirt” Cornerback Keith Reaser Turning Heads
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Starting slot cornerback Jimmie Ward missed all of OTAs and minicamp with a broken foot. Presumptive starting cornerback Shareece Wright also missed OTAs and minicamp—he had an undisclosed injury.
Their absence created playing time for three cornerbacks the Niners drafted in 2014—Dontae Johnson, Kenneth Acker and Keith Reaser, who missed his rookie season due to a torn ACL.
“The 49ers coaches and team officials will say that they’re excited about all of their young cornerbacks,” wrote Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. “Reaser, however, is perhaps the apple of their collective eye.”
Johnson and Acker struggled with the first-team defense, giving up big-time separation and big-time catches. Reaser didn’t. None of the 49ers’ receivers could shake him, and that includes the No. 1 receiver—Anquan Boldin.
Once during minicamp, Boldin lined up in the slot and Reaser lined up right across from him, inches away from Boldin’s face, telegraphing man-to-man coverage. Bring it on, Anquan.
Quarterback Colin Kaepernick decided to go after Reaser. Almost in one motion, Kaepernick caught the snap in the shotgun and threw the ball up for Boldin, who hadn’t taken more than a few steps past the line of scrimmage when the ball left Kaepernick's hand.
As Boldin and Reaser seemed joined at the hip as they ran down the field, as if running a three-legged race. They turned and spotted the ball in the air at the same time, then Reaser boxed out Boldin, jumped and made the interception.
When do you ever see Boldin get beat like that?
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Tramaine Brock Taking on New Responsibilities
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Despite how well Reaser has played this offseason, he will not be the Niners' No. 1 cornerback in 2015.
“(Tramaine) Brock is the team’s top cornerback,” writes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee, “and there has been talk that (Brock) will follow the opponent’s best wide receiver all over the field. He may also follow if that receiver moves inside to the slot position.”
This is new. The Niners' No. 1 cornerback did not follow a specific receiver under previous defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Last season, Chris Culliver played on the right side of the defense all season, and Brock was supposed to play on the left but ended up missing 13 games due to injury. So Perrish Cox played on the left.
Next season, the Niners' cornerbacks could play all over the place. Brock might line up in the slot and Reaser might line up outside on one play, and the next play Reaser might be in the slot and Brock might be outside. Or both of them could play outside while Jimmie Ward covers the slot. The combinations seem endless.
Moving Brock is smart—he is by far the Niners' best corner. They should line him up wherever they expect the action to be.
49ers Interested in Free-Agent Guard Evan Mathis
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The Philadelphia Eagles recently cut All-Pro guard Evan Mathis, who was scheduled to earn $5.5 million in 2015.
According to John Clayton of ESPN.com, Mathis has drawn interest from four teams: “Indianapolis, Kansas City, Miami and San Francisco.”
It makes sense the Niners would be interested in Mathis. They lost starting left guard Mike Iupati this offseason, and Mathis is one of the best left guards in the NFL. Especially in a zone-blocking scheme, which the 49ers have used heavily this offseason.
That being said, I doubt the 49ers will sign Mathis.
First of all, they’re moving veteran guard Alex Boone to left guard, so they don’t really have a hole at that position.
At right guard, the Niners have Marcus Martin and Brandon Thomas—two players they drafted in the third round last year. I’m guessing the Niners want to give them an opportunity to play. Mathis would get in their way.
All practice observations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
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