Richard Sherman gives Jimmy Garoppolo a thumb’s up.
SANTA CLARA >> Richard Sherman again didn’t mince words when it came to the 49ers starting quarterback.
Jimmy Garoppolo has Sherman’s stamp of approval, and it came Tuesday with in-depth insights as if Sherman was breaking down Garoppolo’s film with reporters.
Such praise was unlike Sherman’s scolding of Colin Kaepernick after the 2013 season’s NFC Championship Game, when Sherman was a — the — Seattle Seahawks cornerback who tipped a pass for a game-clinching interception and afterward called out Kaepernick for daring such a pass.
“James is great, man. He’s fun,” Sherman began. He’s been phenomenal around the team. He goes through every single read. His mind works really fast, which is cool to see.
“I’ve had the great pleasure watching him, and I look forward to try to take (the ball) from him a few times.”
Sherman spoke before taking part in individual drills at minicamp, an encouraging step in his Achilles rehabilitation that has him feel-
ing “light years” better.
Aside from helping the 49ers’ cadre of young defensive backs, Sherman shared what he’s learned from the sideline while watching Garoppolo the past two months.
“He’s very deliberate in his reads, and he doesn’t force it if he doesn’t have to,” Sherman said. “You can see a lot of the things that he learned from Tom (Brady), just going through his progression, going through them quick, going through the triangle, his reads from left to right, taking what the defense gives, not forcing the big play.
“Some quarterbacks get impatient — ‘Man, I’m not getting the deep ball, I’m not getting a big play’ — and they force it and it’s a mistake. A lot of times he doesn’t make that same mistake.”
Kaepernick made that mistake in the 2013 NFC finale, throwing a fade pass into the end zone that Sherman tipped to Malcolm Smith for a game-clinching interception. Afterward, a mic’-d up Sherman said: “Two years in a row, your season ends the same way. You would think he would learn.”
Sherman warmed up with the cornerbacks for individual work before the team session. He slipped once, failed to snag a pass once but otherwise looked fine and showed no issues with his surgically repaired Achilles.
Sherman has yet to practice against Garoppolo but was selling his quick release. How quick is it?
“It’s pretty quick,” Sherman said. “It’s not A-Rod (Aaron Rodgers) quick. It’s definitely quicker than most quarterbacks.”
Even though Sherman is on the NFL Players Association’s executive committee, he says now is not the time to discuss the NFL’s new national-anthem policy requires to stand on the field in respect. Also, he has no
interest in analyzing the Seahawks’ overhaul, saying: “Once they cut ties, I cut ties.”
• Rookie Dante Pettis essentially won his first fullsquad, minicamp practice Tuesday, pacing the 49ers wide receivers by catching all four passes targeted for him. That was good and necessary news from the second-round draft pick. His receptions and precision routes compensated for the absences of Marquise Goodwin and Trent Taylor.
Taylor hasn’t practiced in the offseason program because of minor surgery to remove bone spurs, the result of “wear and tear” from his rookie season, coach Kyle Shanahan said. Taylor should be back within the first week of training camp.
Goodwin did not dress for practice, did not appear injured and watched in upbeat fashion.
Pettis had multiple highlights in the 90-minute session. Midway through, he hauled in a 40-yard pass from C.J. Beathard down the right sideline for a near touchdown, against Tarvarius Moore’s tight coverage. Beathard later hit him for a nice, 13-yard reception.
Pierre Garçon remains the top option and most proven veteran on the 49ers’ receiving corps. One other wide receiver back on the radar: Aaron Burbridge, who caught a Beathard touchdown pass. Burbridge, whose physical style and frame are shades of Anquan Boldin, spent last season on injured reserve and is a special-teams ace.
• Reuben Foster lined up as the weak-side linebacker next to Malcom Smith at the “Mike” spot on the first-string defense. Minicamp remains a non-contact session, and Foster let out a “Whoo!” as he raced by rather than hit ballcarrier Jerick McKinnon.
“He’s been Rube. I mean, Rube is Rube,” safety Jaquiski Tartt said. “He’s been exciting. He’s bringing energy to our defense. And that’s what we’d been missing.”
Foster has refrained from media interviews this offseason, and if he doesn’t speak before today’s session, he won’t have to until training camp, which opens July 25.
• Garoppolo completed 9 of 12 passes with two would-be sacks in 11-on-11 action. He got intercepted by Tyvis Powell, who lined up as the first-string left cornerback in place of Jimmie Ward (ankle) and Sherman (Achilles). Garoppolo led the offense in a few extra drills after the formal practice ended.
Beathard was 12-of19 with a fumbled snap and the victim of a couple drops. Nick Mullens was 7-of-10. Undrafted rookie Jack Heneghan saw no 11on-11 reps.
• Ward did not practice and instead went through individual conditioning because of a lingering ankle injury that kept him out of last week’s organized team activities. Shanahan said before practice that Ward was expected to participate.
• Dekoda Watson, one of the 49ers’ top specialteams players, injured his calf while pass rushing and limped off the field.
• Joe Williams, a secondyear running back, fumbled when colliding with linebacker Mark Nzeocha. That came on Williams’ only reception, and he had two other touches on runs. Prior to practice, Shanahan said Williams’ strides over the past year are “why he’ll have a chance” but that he must be consistent and must protect the ball.