Shanahan speaks about RB quandary, Trey Lance
Kyle Shanahan remained fairly tight-lipped during his conference call Friday, one day after the San Francisco 49ers’ 17-0 preseason finale loss to the Houston Texans and four days before they must cut the roster to 53 players.
One of the spots primed for a cutdown is the running back position, where the Niners have six players in the running for… well, fewer than six spots.
Jeff Wilson Jr. seems safe behind Elijah Mitchell, and thirdround rookie Ty Davis-Price has flashed some, but undrafted rookie Jordan Mason, 2021 thirdrounder Trey Sermon and thirdyear back JaMycal Hasty are within the potential cut range.
“I like all our guys,” Shanahan, the 49ers’ head coach, said, perhaps posturing for trade value on players who’d otherwise be cut. “It’s a good problem to have, but unfortunately we can’t have all our guys on our team.”
Asked specifically about Sermon, who underwhelmed last season out of Ohio State and has not shaken that label this preseason, Shanahan defended the second-year back, saying “Trey has come a long way here this year — he’s someone we can count on.”
As for that other Trey (Lance), the one who will hand off to the running backs, and tote the ball himself throughout the regular season, Shanahan knows it’s haymaking time for his young quarterback.
“I would love to get Trey more practice and everything, more experience. I would always want that. But we’ve run out of those games and he’s as ready to go as he can be,” Shanahan said. “There’s going to be times he makes some mistakes and he’s got to learn from them and find a way to still win a game and overcome some of those things as he learns on the run.”
Lance is taking over the starting job from Jimmy Garoppolo, who’s been at the 49ers’ facility but has not been at their games, in their meetings or practicing with the team as general manager John Lynch aims to find a trade for him and his $24.2 million contract, which becomes guaranteed Week 1.
Shanahan also noted that Lance came out of this preseason healthy, unlike last year when he fractured his right pinky in the exhibition finale.
Lance was a middling 7-of-11 for 49 yards in the loss Thursday night in Houston. He spent a good portion of the game scrambling from a pass rush that had squeezed past the 49ers’ inexperienced offensive line, with the only established starter in Trent Williams resting against Houston ahead of the regular season.
Shanahan said he expects the line, which may get Mike McGlinchey back around the start of the season but could still feature two rookie starters, to round into form.
“I do believe that the more they play, the better they’ll get because they’re made of the right stuff and they have the ability to do it, but it does take time in this league,” he said of the offensive line.
INJURY NOTES » Specialteams ace and linebacker Oren Burks is expected to be back from a knee sprain in time for Week 1, Shanahan said, also confirming that Charvarius Ward is expected to return to practice Sunday after missing the last two-plus weeks with a groin strain.
Defensive tackle Akeem Spence (concussion protocol) and linebacker Curtis Robinson (high ankle sprain) were hurt Thursday night. Both are candidates who could be cut Tuesday.