Defensive end Ford progressing slowly; Sanu is impressing
On Wednesday, nearly nine months after Dee Ford missed the first of 15 games because of a back injury, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan still wasn’t ready to offer anything definitive about the Pro Bowl pass rusher’s availability for the 2021 season.
Ford played in just one game last season because of an upperback injury the team initially characterized as a neck issue. Ford previously has had two lowerback surgeries. The 49ers will report to training camp July 27.
“I’m just keeping my finger’s crossed, hoping he can come ready to go in training camp,” Shanahan said. “And hoping he can help us out this year.”
Ford spent most of the offseason rehabbing at the team facility before he left to consult with his back specialist in Kansas City, Shanahan said. Given Ford’s murky future, the 49ers signed pass rusher Samson Ebukam to a twoyear, $12 million contract in March.
Ford “made a lot of progress in the months that he was rehabbing here,” Shanahan said. “We knew we weren’t going to put him in OTAs because we didn’t want his back to act up.” Strong Sanu: The 49ers need wide receivers to emerge behind headliners Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel, the only locks to make the 53man roster in a position group that includes 13 players. One wideout who stood out this spring: Mohamed Sanu.
Sanu, 31, whose career has nosedived since he was dealt by the Falcons to the Patriots for a secondround pick at the 2019 trade deadline, earned praise from both Shanahan and offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel for his performance in offseason practices. Shanahan said Sanu had a “hell of a camp.”
“I think Mohamed Sanu serves as a good vision for a lot of the young guys because this dude came back in great shape and with something to prove,” McDaniel said. “You can tell that he doesn’t expect anything to be given to him. He’s trying to earn his spot on this team. It was very exciting to see him perform. He was doing really well. And if comes back to training camp in the same shape, he’s a guy that’s going to be tough to beat out for that final (53man) roster.”
Last year, Sanu, who was coming off ankle surgery, was released by the Patriots before the season. And was he released by the 49ers on Oct. 6 after an 18day stint in which he had one catch and played 40 snaps in three games. Sanu finished the season with the Lions and had 16 receptions for 178 yards and one touchdown in seven games.
Sanu had a careerhigh 838 yards on 66 catches, the secondhighest total of his career, in 2018 with Atlanta. Shanahan and McDaniel coached Sanu when they were on the Falcons’ staff in 2016.
L.A. and W.V.: The 49ers will have extended stays in two disparate cities this season: Los
Angeles and White Sulphur Springs, W.V.
They will have joint practices with the Chargers before the teams meet for a preseason game Aug. 22 at SoFi Stadium. During the regular season, the 49ers will stay on the road between their opener at Detroit on Sept. 12 and their date at Philadelphia on Sept. 19.
The 49ers will stay and practice at the Greenbrier Resort. They stayed at the Greenbrier last year between earlyseason road wins against the Jets and Giants.