Camp is taking on familiar themes
Yet another pick from Foster; a safety is hurt
SANTA CLARA » A repetitive vibe already is setting in at 49ers training camp, where Monday another safety got hurt, another interception came from rookie linebacker Reuben Foster and more deep passes found Marquise Goodwin.
Here are the top three things we learned after a fourth straight day of practice before Tuesday’s day off: 1.
SAFETY FIRST, SECOND, THIRD? » Jaquiski Tartt became the third 49ers safety to get hurt in training camp, leaving Monday’s session with a rib injury. Tartt took 30 minutes to gingerly walk off the field and into the locker room after breaking up a Brian Hoyer pass intended for Cole Hikutini.
The 49ers’ two projected starting safeties, Jimmie Ward and Eric Reid, did not practice Monday. Ward is out for likely another two weeks after straining a hamstring Thursday. Reid rolled his right ankle in Sunday’s practice and is listed as day-to-day.
Those exits have yielded more reps to Vinnie Sunseri, Don Jones and a pair of undrafted rookies,
Lorenzo Jerome and Chanceller James, the latter of whom nicely broke up a Matt Barkley pass to Aaron Burbridge.
Coach Kyle Shanahan said the string of injuries could prompt the 49ers to move some cornerbacks to safety and possibly pursue free agents.
“Always sucks to see these guys go down, especially Eric in the run game,” Barkley said. “It’s a little easier on us knowing they’re not in but we wish they were playing and hope they get a speedy recovery.”
2. RED-HOT REUBEN >> Reuben Foster isn’t any thirdstring linebacker. He is a first-round draft pick who keeps making plays. Monday, he produced his teamhigh third interception in four days, and it was Shanahan’s favorite of the bunch.
Instead of biting on a play-action fake like he did Sunday, Foster learned from his mistake and snared rookie Nick Mullens’ pass.
“He had the same play today, and he didn’t fill up in the run,” Shanahan said. “He dropped back and got a pick. It’s one play he got beat on bad yesterday and today we ran the same play at him and he got an interception. That’s what you want to see.”
Foster has lined up as the third-string, weak-side linebacker, and Shanahan isn’t ready to promote him. Ahead on the depth chart are first-team linebackers NaVorro Bowman and Malcolm Smith, and secondteamers Brock Coyle and Ray-Ray Armstrong.
Foster is doing more than picking off bad throws. He hit running back Raheem Mostert 5 yards into the backfield, broke up a Barkley pass intended for tight end Blake Bell and slammed running back Matt Breida into the ground.
3. OFFENSE DIGS THE LONG BALL >> Pierre Garçon expressed surprise at the start of camp how Brian Hoyer adores deep passes. “Before I got here, I didn’t know he could throw the ball that far,” Garçon said. “He loves to throw the deep ball. I didn’t know his arm is that strong.”
Day after day, Hoyer is going deep, and his most success came Monday, even after Aldrick Robinson dropped a perfectly placed, 60-yard bomb on Hoyer’s first throw, and even after Dontae Johnson broke up a 45-yarder to Garçon.
Once Hoyer got hot, he found Garçon against Rashard Robinson from 25 yards, and later Hoyer hit Goodwin on a 60-yarder over Jones. Backups Barkley and C.J. Beathard and also got into the deeppass act, finding Robinson and Goodwin respectively. Hoyer was 8 of 17 in team drills, Beathard was 7 of 8 and Matt Barkley 5 of 11.
• Right tackle Trent Brown reported to camp with his 6-foot-8 frame under the 49ers asking weight of 358 pounds. Although he struggled Sunday, Brown rebounded Monday, including in one-on-one drills in which he claimed to be undefeated.
“I was just working out every day and being consistent with dieting,” Brown said of his weight. “No special recipe for it, just being consistent. No carbs. Stuck to the plan.”
Said Shanahan: “If Trent is on with his concentration and his technique, if he comes off the ball at the right time, if he’s not late off it, he is a big man and tough to get around.”
• Outside linebacker Aaron Lynch, like Brown, earned kudos from Shanahan for reporting to camp in shape. Lynch said he lost nearly 30 pounds to make his pre-camp target of 273 pounds.
• Keith Reaser, who’s rotated at first-string cornerback with Johnson, did not practice because of a knee injury listed as a day-today issue. Monday marked Reaser’s 26th birthday.
• Veteran Tim Hightower took the first snap at running back instead of Carlos Hyde, who replaced him on the next snap and fumbled a pitch shortly thereafter.
• Undrafted rookie linebacker Jimmie Gilbert sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament Sunday and is facing surgery, Shanahan said.
• The 49ers waived/injured B.J. Johnson and claimed fellow wide receiver Tim Patrick off waivers from the Ravens.