Bowman anxious for next comeback
Linebacker feels ‘great’ as he returns from second leg injury in three years
SANTA CLARA » Linebacker NaVorro Bowman can’t wait to debut with his repaired left Achilles in the Sept. 10 regular-season opener.
That will be the true test for his second comeback in three years from a left leg injury.
But, first, he mus t trudge through at least one more exhibition, Sunday night’s nationally-television visit to Minnesota.
“I’d rather just sit down and wait for Game 1 if it was up to me,” Bowman said Thursday. “But coaches want to see a few things, see guys playing together.
“So I’m not sure how much I’ll play, but I will (play).”
Any questions about Bowman’s
range and agility really can’t be answered until he’s pursuing the Carolina Panthers’ Cam Newton, Christian McCaffrey and others at Levi’s Stadium in about two weeks.
Meanwhile, he and those around him are saying all the encouraging things you’d want to hear about this comeback, which has been an easier road than the knee injury which cost him 2014.
“I feel great,” Bowman said. “I feel I can do everything I was able to do before the injuries, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Added defensive coordinator Robert Saleh: “He has no deficiencies. Bowman’s looked really, really good. Both coverage-wise, he still has his range. He’s got good quicks in and out of his breaks. So, I’m really not worried about all that stuff.”
But Saleh, a first-time defensive coordinator, is not downplaying the challenge awaiting Bowman and other linebackers when it comes to covering tight ends.
“You’re looking at (the Seattle Seahawks’) Jimmy Graham, (the Panthers’) Greg Olsen, (the New England Patriots’ Rob) Gronkowski, and there’s matchup problems,” Saleh said. “So, how you’re going to handle those matchup problems will always be a discussion. I do think they can easily cover them, between him and Foster. They can easily cover a tight end.”
Saleh didn’t close the door on possibly inserting Ray-Ray Armstrong for some coverage help. But Bowman, an eighth-year veteran, doesn’t envision himself leaving the field.
“I’m still a three- down linebacker. I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Bowman said. “You’re able to go out there and cover. … They’ve given me chances to do that and so far it’s looking good.”
Saleh’s scheme means Bowman is only responsible for one gap as opposed to two in recent years. Regardless of the scheme, Saleh noted: “The guy gets like 150 tackles in his sleep.”
Bowman, lost in Week 4 to the Achilles rupture, is helping groom rookie linebacker Reuben Foster, whom he praised as “a good partner” that is a smart player and has “the potential to be good.” Bowman, by the way, said so after beating Foster in a feisty game of ping pong in the locker room.
• Jimmie Ward’s ability to practice back- to- back days was a positive sign Thursday, and he doesn’t think he’s behind the learning curve at free safety, having practiced that position through the offseason program.
He also is confident he doesn’t need any refreshers on tackling, something he might not be able to do until the Sept. 10 regularseason opener if the 49ers keep him out the final two exhibitions, including Sunday’s at Minnesota.
“It’s only a concern to people who don’t know I can play safety,” Ward said. “To me, I feel comfortable. It’s my natural position.”
Ward played cornerback last season after mainly lining up as the nickel back against slot receivers his first two years as the 49ers’ 2014 first-round draft pick.
Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh says that Ward’s instincts will help his move to free safety, but one aspect remains unknown.
“The hardest part is being able to track and tackle,” Saleh said. “Coming out of the middle hole, when the defense gets creased and it’s him and the back one on one. That’s the hardest tackle in football in my opinion. Those are the reps that he hasn’t gotten.”
“I was always taught when I was young to close as much space as possible as fast as you can,” Ward said. “That’s so important because if you miss an angle, that can be a touchdown.”
• Defensive lineman DeForest Buckner, hindered in recent weeks by an ankle injury, practiced for a second straight day. Said Buckner: “I feel I’ve been missing out on a lot in working on my technique. It’s very frustrating not being out there. I understand the training staff and team are being cautious. But personally, it’s a struggle.”
• Defensive tackle Tank Carradine’s ability to face off against tight ends at the line of scrimmage earned high praise from Saleh.
“He’s damn near an elite six-technique,” Saleh said. “To be able to create pocket push from an edge, I think that’s where his home is. There’s no shame in that, I think he’s pretty freaking good at it. That’s where Tank’s strength is.
“Will he get some inside rush? Yes,” Saleh added. “He had some success with it with Denver. But, as a six, dominating tight ends and being able to transition from run thought to pass on first and second down, I don’t know if you’ll find much better than that in the league.”
• Quarterback Matt Barkley, not C. J. Beathard, lined up with the second-string offense in warmups before media access in practice got closed for team drills. Coach Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday he’d see how practice unfolded this week before naming Brian Hoyer’s immediate backup for Sunday’s exhibition.