49ers training camp notes day 9: running game starts to fall into place

The 49ers had a glorified scrum on Saturday inside Levi’s Stadium. The team announced that there were over 19,000 fans on site. After training, Trent Williams told media that one of his benchmarks is playing in front of fans.

Williams remains one of the best interviews on the team.

Arik Armstead (groin), Dee Ford, Javon Kinlaw, Nick Bosa and Samson Ebukam (lower body pain) did not participate in the team exercises. If the goal was to help the offense move the ball, the 49ers failed. Although he missed the first line of the team, this group of positions was the strongest on the pitch.

Practice started off swiftly as the players fueled the energy of the crowd. Mark Fields blocked River Cracraft on the line of scrimmage in a 1v1, which led to a slight brawl between the two. Cracraft threw the ball at Fields, and Kyle Shanahan wasn’t very happy about it as he walked into the receiver’s face saying, “We’re not doing that. Do not do that.

Difficult day to judge the QBs

You’ll see members of the media quoting completion percentages during training camp, and most of the numbers are different. Mine will probably be different from most, as I don’t give quarterbacks credit for completion after they are fired (twice on some occasions in one piece), and the piece takes six seconds.

I had Jimmy Garoppolo 15-24 with a touchdown. Garoppolo was good in the pocket again and mostly headed to the right places with the ball. However, there are still some hiccups that lead to broken passes or questionable reading here and there.

Five of Jimmy’s shots were interrupted or challenged by the defense. He also had a play against Kevin White where he threw him behind him, forcing White off his feet and ultimately being hit. There was no one around him. Jimmie Ward had an interception opportunity on another double cover pitch but was unable to bring the pass back.

After making three strikeouts in the first period of the ball’s movement, Garoppolo responded kindly by keeping his eyes down on the pitch and hitting the receivers in the middle of the pitch. The player was crowned with George Kittle embarrassing poor Demmodore Lenoir at the line of scrimmage and took a fade for a score.

Kittle is a mismatch, and the 49ers should benefit from his size and athleticism near the goal line this year. Jimmy threw the pass on time and Kittle did the rest.

I thought Garoppolo’s best play came on his tenth attempt where he didn’t have anyone open, bought some time with his legs, and found Kittle after scrambling. He has done a good job of keeping the coins alive the past few days.

These are back-to-back workouts where Garoppolo dominated Lance for those keeping track.

Trey Lance

The difference between the first team offensive line and the second team is like comparing a brand new 80 inch flat screen to those old fashioned TVs where you had to change channels on the TV itself.

It looks like Shanahan wants to give Lance reps with the first team because he hasn’t seen him play out of his pocket. Saturday was perhaps the worst that OL have experienced during the camp.

I had Lance 8-14 with an interception. In Lance’s defense, his throw to Elijah Mitchell ricocheted from his hands off his helmet and onto Marcell Harris’s lap.

Lance’s best pitch was probably his first, where he deliberately pitched behind Brandon Aiyuk instead of leading him into safety for a big shot.

His worst throw was his next attempt when Lance was locked onto Aiyuk going through a deep turn, but did not recognize the safety coming from above. Jared Mayden should have chosen the pass.

Lance didn’t really do his blockers a favor as he sometimes held the ball and performed a double clutch. Were there open receivers? Questionable. He can’t afford to take bags, which he felt he would have been responsible for a few.

When Lance is on, it’s pretty. He throws with good anticipation and timing and has the strength of his arms to throw effortlessly to the end. The hope is that with more reps there will be more consistency for the rookie.

Lance failed to score during the second period of ball movement, where he ran for a first down but was unable to muster another after running the ball in 3rd and 6. The overreactions to a triple option call on third try would have been hilarious if it was a game.

The thriving racing game

While the second team’s offensive line was shaky at best and the first team had their moments, creating running lanes was no problem. On Saturday, perhaps for the first time in camp, the 49ers’ rushing offense constantly moved the ball and looked like an attack from Kyle Shanahan.

Elijah Mitchell had some nice wins. While he had a costly fall that led to a turnaround, Mitchell runs with a low center of gravity that helps him break tackles. Additionally, Mitchell’s speed is a plus.

Trey Sermon’s vision continues to impress, as does his poise. He had the longest gain during the ball travel period, where Sermon slashed for a potential gain of over 20 yards. He slips and always seems to find a hole for positive gain.

It was the best offensive game, in my opinion. The blocking seems synchronized, and Raheem Mostert’s early cut and easy speed do the rest:

For as much attention as there has been on quarterbacks, both should benefit from a top-five racing game that will make life easier for all quarterbacks.

Changes to the depth map?

Jonas Griffith received reps with first-team defense at linebacker. It’s a first. Coaches need to see the same things as us. Griffith finds ways to be around the ball. He made a few plays near the line of scrimmage.

Daniel Brunskill is locked in RG1 at this point. He trained there every day except one day when Tom Compton played with the starters.

Recruit report

The offensive line is one of the toughest jobs for rookies to move into in the NFL, and it has been for Aaron Banks. He continues to work with the second team. Banks looks significantly smaller than his time at Notre Dame. He’s far from a “bust,” but Banks has work to do if he is to put the depth picture together.

Ambry Thomas had his best day in training when you factor in individual and team drills. Demmodore Lenior? The opposite. He struggled on Saturday, which is expected from time to time for rookie cornerbacks.

Jauan Jennings is not a rookie, but we didn’t get to see him last season. He looks faster than when Jennings trained sparingly at the start and end of last season. Maybe he’s in better shape. Jennings is used everywhere, from screenshots to a deep target.

Player of the day – CB Jason Verrett

Kittle’s touchdown was impressive, but I have to go with Verrett. He cut a route and dove to break a pass against Aiyuk. Verrett also broke a slanted road at 3rd and goal against Deebo Samuel. Verrett’s closing speed is impressive, and it’s good to see him play with confidence.

Defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans said this about Verrett:

“Yes, JV did a great job being consistent. This is something I always point out to guys. Mainly every is like every reunion I have with the defensive group, I highlight JV and just show its consistency and just show youngsters what it’s like to be a real pro and JV is that example for the guys in our room. And he brings it every day. He competes every day and his work ethic is simply unmatched. So just happy to have him, happy to have him in a really good place where he doesn’t care about the injury history or anything like that. He plays with confidence, he plays fast, he plays physically and that’s exactly what I like to see.

Emmanuel Moseley said Verrett had “the most beautiful feet ever”. The veteran cornerback makes Aiyuk and Samuel better players in every rep.

Disappointment of the day

I had high hopes for Tony Jefferson. But after a week I’m not sure the old Pro Bowler can run anymore. He has been the victim of big games time and time again. Jennings found himself behind Jefferson on a deep post road that should have been a touchdown on Saturday.

These plays happen every day, unfortunately. It’s still early days and Jefferson can turn the tide, but he hasn’t done anything yet to earn a spot in a team that has a lot of depth, even though Jaquiski Tartt is out for the first six weeks as defensive back.