Camp to see intense workouts
Stiffer competition, jobs on the line next 3 weeks at normal practice fields
SANTA CLARA >> A sense of homesweet-home should accompany the San Francisco 49ers as they report to training camp Tuesday for a 19th straight year on their regular practice fields.
No, this isn’t Rocklin like the franchise’s heyday, but it’s also not Arizona, where the 49ers bunkered for their final month last season because of Santa Clara County’s COVID-19 precautions.
This also shouldn’t be like the 49ers’ abbreviated offseason program this past spring on their home grounds. The next three weeks will feature more intense workouts, stiffer competition and true jobs on the line.
“I’ve been telling guys that they’ve got to prepare their mind for by far the hardest training camp you’ve ever endured,” linebacker Fred Warner said last week. “Because if we really want to have the season we want, you’ve got to go through hell.”
Here are the biggest questions entering camp:
1. HOW IS NICK BOSA’S RECOVERY, AND DEE FORD’S? >> Nothing could alter the 49ers’ fate more than how Nick Bosa responds from last season’s left-knee injury. He’s rehabilitated away from the team facility in Southern California and South Florida. The 49ers figure to ease him into action, so a true indication of his comeback likely won’t come until the Sept. 12 season opener in Detroit.
Further bolstering the pass rush would be a healthy Dee Ford, who vanished after last season’s opener with a neck and back issue. He rehabilitated with the 49ers’ strength staff for months but was not present once organized team activities rolled out in May.
“He looks great. He’s back,” Warner told KNBR 680-AM last week about Ford. “I’ve seen him plenty and he’s been working his tail off. I know the type of player that he is, and the fact that he’s back healthy is going to
give us a huge advantage.” 2. HOW DOES GAROPPOLO RESPOND
AS LANCE LEARNS? >> Jimmy Garoppolo is competing for the starting job for the first time since entering the NFL in 2014 as Tom Brady’s backup. He’s getting paid starter’s money ($24 million salary), and it’s his job as long as he stays healthy.
Trey Lance’s arrival as the No. 3 draft pick means Garoppolo must now hold off a young phenom with dual-threat skills as a passer and rusher. Garoppolo responded with excellent spring workouts that matched his positive attitude.
Truth is, his practices will likely be less scrutinized than those of Lance, who must show how fast he can master Shanahan’s complex scheme and adapt to the NFL speed after playing just once last fall for North Dakota State in the Football Championship Subdivision. Lance had yet to sign his four-year, $34 million slotted deal a day before camp.
3. HOW DOES THE OFFENSIVE LINE’S REMODEL LOOK? >> Resigning left tackle Trent Williams obviously helps, but the 49ers needed more to upgrade their line and further protect whoever is at quarterback. Hiring veteran center Alex Mack was a welcome touch. The bigger question now: where does second-round draft pick Aaron Banks factor in at guard?
Banks could step in at right guard as Daniel Brunskill retreats into a backup role at multiple spots. Or, if the 49ers are so bold, Banks could unseat left guard Laken Tomlinson, whose $4.5 million salary is fourth-highest on the team. Also key is establishing a swing tackle who can step in for Williams or right tackle Mike McGlinchey (and Justin Skule, who sustained a seasonending knee injury in May). 4. CAN THE ROOKIE CORNERBACKS MAKE PLAYS? >> It was a pleasant surprise that the 49ers re-signed Jason Verrett and K’Waun Williams to one-year deals. Emmanuel Moseley and Dontae Johnson are also back. Richard Sherman is not. The future cornerback tandem could very well be this year’s draft picks: Ambry Thomas and Deommodore Lennoir.
Thomas and Lennoir aren’t within striking distance of starting roles. If they make plays in their debut camp and come up with some takeaways, that would make a great first impression on first-year defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans. 5. WHICH WIDE RECEIVERS MAKE THE CLUB? >> Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel make for a formidable pairing, and the 49ers rarely deploy three wide receivers, but if there’s a time to fret over the Nos. 3 and 4 roles, it is now. Will the 49ers go young or old for their reserves, and who among them can return a punt without fumbling it?
Fans are clamoring to see Jalen Hurd make catches for the first time since his 2019 exhibition debut. But his injuries, including last camp’s anterior cruciate ligament tear, should dampen expectations early in camp. Veterans Travis Benjamin and Mohamed Sanu are the most proven options while Richie James Jr., River Cracraft and Jauan Jennings want back on the roster.
With 14 wide receivers, the 49ers are stocked up, in case injuries deplete the corps as fast as it did last August.