San Francisco 49ers: What We've Learned Through Week 3 of Preseason
We’ll learn the important stuff about the San Francisco 49ers after Week 3 of the preseason, not before it.
The third preseason game is the dress rehearsal. That’s when most teams play their starters into the second half to make sure they’re clicking before the regular season starts.
The 49ers starters hardly played the first two weeks of the preseason. We learned more about the backups and the players fighting for roster spots.
Saturday against the Denver Broncos, running backs Reggie Bush and Kendall Hunter should make their 2015 preseason debuts. So we finally should get an idea of how the 49ers offense will operate next season.
Until then, here are five things we’ve learned about the Niners through Week 3 of the preseason.
The 49ers Are Not Set at Cornerback
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The 49ers have experimented with four different No. 2 cornerbacks this offseason.
First, the No. 2 cornerback was free-agent signee Shareece Wright. He got demoted after preseason game No. 1.
Next, the No. 2 cornerback was Keith Reaser. He got demoted after preseason game No. 2 last Saturday.
Next, Kenneth Acker was the No. 2 corner when the 49ers practiced in Santa Clara this Tuesday. Apparently, he got demoted the next day, because Dontae Johnson was the Niners’ No. 2 cornerback when they practiced in Denver against the Broncos on Wednesday, tweeted Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News.
Clearly, none of those four have seized the job.
To make matters worse, head coach Jim Tomsula said Niners No. 1 cornerback Tramaine Brock pulled a muscle at Thursday’s practice in Denver, according to a transcript (h/t the Press Democrat) released by the 49ers P.R. department. Brock also missed minicamp and OTAs with a muscle pull, not to mention most of last season as well.
Cornerback is a major issue for the 49ers.
The 49ers Are Not Set on the Offensive Line
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The first two weeks of the preseason, the Niners starting center was Joe Looney, while the starting right guard was Marcus Martin.
Apparently, Looney is out. On Tuesday, he played with the second-team offense while Martin moved to center and rookie sixth-round draft pick Ian Silberman played right guard.
Silberman played the first two preseason games with the second unit and blocked well in the running game and passing game. He has experience from college operating in a zone-blocking scheme, so he fits the Niners offense.
Here’s the question: When starting center Daniel Kilgore returns from his broken ankle, will Martin move back to right guard, or will Silberman keep the job?
The 49ers Have Big Plans for RB Kendall Hunter
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Fifth-year running back Kendall Hunter didn’t participate much during practice the first few months of the offseason, and he didn’t play in either of the first two preseason games.
Last year, he tore his ACL during training camp, and the Niners wanted to bring him back slowly. But now, they seem to feel he’s ready to go. During Tuesday’s practice, he led all members of the first-team offense with five touches.
And, according to Tyler Emerick of 49ers.com, “The featured runner for the first day of the team’s joint practices with the Denver Broncos was Kendall Hunter.”
That’s two days in a row the Niners made Hunter the focal point of the offense.
Either the Niners are preparing to use Hunter in a key role this season, or they’re preparing to showcase him during Saturday’s preseason game in hopes of trading him to a team that’s desperate for a running back—a team like the Dallas Cowboys.
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The 49ers May Get a Big Season from TE Vernon Davis
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Last season, tight end Vernon Davis never seemed healthy, in shape or involved in the game plan. Davis sat out minicamp and OTAs, and during the regular season, the Niners rarely threw to tight ends. They favored a spread passing attack that featured the wide receivers.
This year, Davis participated in the entire offseason program, and he seems healthy and engaged—at the top of his game.
In training camp, Davis caught more passes from Colin Kaepernick during 11-on-11 team drills (23) than any other player on the 49ers. Davis was the Niners No. 1 receiver, their go-to guy.
New offensive coordinator Geep Chryst is making a concerted effort to get Davis the ball early in practice and to keep him involved the entire time. We’ll see if that carries over to real games.
Chryst also is making a concerted effort to use Davis in a variety of ways instead of just lining him up at tight end every play. Chryst frequently lines up Davis in the slot or puts him in motion, which creates advantageous matchups for the Niners.
The 49ers May Begin the Season Without OLB Ahmad Brooks
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On August 26, the Santa Clara District Attorney’s Office charged Ahmad Brooks with misdemeanor sexual battery, according to Tracey Kaplan and Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News. A woman accused Brooks of groping her in a "sexual manner” while she was unconscious at a party last December.
A few hours after Brooks was charged, 49ers general manager Trent Baalke released a statement through the 49ers' P.R. department (h/t the Press Democrat) in which he said, “Ahmad is returning to home to California and will not participate in Saturday’s game.”
It’s possible the 49ers will keep Brooks away from the team until his court case is resolved, which means it’s possible he’ll miss some or all of the season.
If he does miss games, the Niners will have to replace him with a platoon of young outside linebackers—third-year pro Corey Lemonier and rookie Eli Harold. Lemonier probably would play in the base defense, while Harold would rush the passer in the sub-packages.
Harold has been playing so well in training camp that it’s possible he would replace Brooks in the sub-packages even if Brooks was with the team. Losing him would be no catastrophe.
All quotations and practice observations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
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