Kaepernick’s status remains a mystery
SANTA CLARA — Defeating the Green Bay Packers in back-to-back postseasons did wonders for Colin Kaepernick’s résumé. Losing to them last October, however, was a blow to his already eroding job security.
Now comes an exhibition meeting Friday night at Levi’s Stadium with Kaepernick’s career again at a crossroads.
Will he play after missing the first two exhibitions because of a sore throwing shoulder?
Could he start instead of Blaine Gabbert, who’s been in that role for every game since last Nov. 8?
Coach Chip Kelly wouldn’t tip his hand earlier this week, instead deferring to the medical staff’s eventual opinion. All that’s at stake is, well, this summer’s hot-and-cold quarterback competition.
“If anybody is up and healthy and we have to make an evaluation of them, we want to play them in a game,” Kelly said Wednesday.
Kaepernick and Gabbert aside, the 49ers have 88 other players to evaluate before trimming their roster to 75 by 1 p.m. Tuesday. Here are five players to watch against the Packers and Cal product Aaron Rodgers, who’s expected to make his exhibition debut:
LB Marcus Rush
Producing three sacks, and nearly a fourth, confirmed that Rush has the capabilities of making this roster. But he’ll need to also excel on the special teams units. If he does, it won’t bode well for Corey Lemonier’s roster hopes; Tank Carradine and Eli Harold are the favorites to fill in during Aaron Lynch’s fourgame suspension.
“I see him as a complete outside backer,” defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil said of Rush. “He can rush the quarterback, he can set edges in the run game and he’s very good in pass coverage with what we ask him to do.”
Rush impressed O’Neil even before his three-sack outburst against the Broncos. O’Neil discovered him studying film for over an hour during pregame. Added O’Neil: “It’s just good to see a guy put in the extra work and he’s studying tackles and he’s studying formations. Then he goes out and he has a three-sack performance.”
WR Dres Anderson
Can one catch per exhibition earn Anderson a roster spot? Well, at least his catch last game was for a 30-yard touchdown, albeit in the fourth quarter. “It felt good to be back in the end zone,” Anderson said. “But I’m just grateful to be back on the field. Past couple years I’ve been going through things.”
Anderson was an undrafted rookie out of Utah last year who spent his rookie season on injured reserve with a knee injury. He is the son of former Rams receiver Flipper Anderson. “My dad was in the league for 10 years so he schooled me on everything,” said the younger Anderson. “So I got the game from him, and also my uncle, Paco Craig (a former Detroit Lions receiver).”
ILB Gerald Hodges
Starting next to Na Vorro Bowman last Saturday in Denver, as well as the final four games last season, hasn’t secured that role for him going forward. He appeared out of position on an opening-series touchdown run against the Broncos, and Bowman has since said that all defenders must buy into a team mentality.
Hodges, Michael Wilhoite and Ray-Ray Armstrong remain in a three-way race for the starting spot. Wilhoite started the exhibition opener and is the only one to have cross-trained at both inside linebacker positions. Armstrong appears the most athletic and energetic. Game on.
C Marcus Martin
Could Martin be running out of chances on the 49ers offensive line? This 2014 third-round draft pick out of USC has served as the backup center throughout the offseason program and training camp. But this week, he shifted over to guard so the 49ers could sample Zane Beadles’ abil- ity to snap behind Daniel Kilgore.
Martin struggled while starting the first 13 games at center last year before Kilgore’s surgically repaired leg was ready to resume that position. As a guard, Martin faces deeper competition with Beadles, Joshua Garnett, Andrew Tiller and Anthony Davis, who’s starting to be converted from a right tackle into a right guard.
RB Du Juan Harris
The battle for the No. 3 job isn’t going so well for Harris, a late-season acquisition last year who doesn’t have the draft-pick equity others do. Harris fumbled at the goal line last game, and he lost a handoff at the 5-yard line in the exhibition opener.
Harris has a team-high 13 carries through two games, so the team should have an idea how he stacks up against fellow reserves Mike Davis, Kelvin Taylor and Kendall Gaskins. Special teams contributions also will factor into which of that crew survives the upcoming cuts.
For more on the 49ers, see Cam Inman’s Hot Read blog at blogs.mercurynews. com/49ers. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ Cam Inman.