Kawakami: ‘How was Bosa?’ And other key 49ers questions on a major camp day (paywall)
“I think it is a new challenge that we’re going through,” Warner said after practice. “A lot of new faces out there on the defensive side. But man, I think we’re ready for it. It now stresses how important every single day is in creating the championship defense that we want to create. I can’t stress enough that you can’t let a day slip by.”
This was the most important day yet this camp. And it was the best one yet for second-round pick Alfred Collins, who looked much more dynamic in pass-rush drills than he had the first few weeks. It was another good one for fourth-round pick CJ West, who pushes blockers backwards every single snap.
Their raised status as a duo was made semi-official by their reps with the first-team defense as Thursday’s session went on. West and Collins might not start the season as the first-team defensive tackles, but they’re on their way there. Mostly, they’re simply not wasting days — some practices have been better than others, but the most important thing talented rookies can do is show the coaches and veterans that they’ll be out there doing solid things every day.”
49ers preseason depth chart: Breaking down each position ahead of matchup vs. Broncos (paywall)
“One of the many things the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive coaches will be looking for in the preseason opener against the Denver Broncos Saturday night is “ball production.”
“It’s No. 1,” linebackers coach Johnny Holland said. “Interceptions, caused fumbles, fumble recoveries, tipped balls. We try to make that a conscious deal here — we have to get the ball.”
The 49ers have a scoreboard for players that’s updated every day after practice. Holland said rookie linebackers Nick Martin and Stone Blanton are atop the list, as they have quickly picked up veteran Fred Warner’s penchant for always punching at the football.
“The ball is worth millions,” Holland said. “I always tell the guys if you want to get paid, go get the ball.”
Broncos’ D.J. Jones reveals tips he gave to comparable 49ers rookie CJ West
“I gave him [West] some tips,” Jones told NBC Sports Bay Area. “I told him to listen to Kocurek. That’s what I did. Anything he critiqued me on, I tried to take to the field, take it to the practice field, take it to the game. He’ll be all right, as long as he listens to Kocurek.”
West recently said Jones is a player of similar style after whom he can pattern his game.
“I watched a lot of tape of him back when I was in college as well,” West. “When you’re a college player, you kind of look to see who you fit as, who you look like in the NFL, what kind of role you may play. And watching games, I was like, ‘Wow, I look a lot like that guy.’ We have the same frame, the same height, arm length and different things. We kind of have the same play style.”
Jones said he is always willing to help the younger players in the league after earning that respect throughout his career after entering the NFL as a sixth-round pick in 2017.
“It’s a blessing because it means that I took everything that was critiqued upon me and I used it,” Jones said.”
For Russell Gage, 49ers preseason could mean catching a career-reviving break (paywall)
Nearly two years ago, during a joint training-camp practice with the Jets, Gage caught a pass during a 7-on-7 period, accelerated upfield and suffered a non-contact injury that can threaten careers. He fell to the ground with a ruptured patella tendon, a band of tissue that connects the kneecap to the shinbone…..Gage has spent the past 103 weeks fighting. He said acquaintances assumed he was an ex-NFL player during his lengthy rehab, and he concedes that he struggled with similar thoughts. The injury weakened his quadriceps and hamstring on his right leg, and he was still dealing with post-workout soreness and a lack of route-running explosiveness months after the one-year anniversary of his surgery.
The progress was slow. And he felt his career clock rapidly ticking. Even if he made a full recovery, could he be the same player if he was closing in on 30?
“From a mental standpoint, those thoughts creep in your head,” Gage said. “It’s like, ‘Man, I’m only getting older. The NFL — most guys don’t stay long anyways. Will I ever be the same? Will I ever be able to get back to how I move? Get the separation I’m able to get?’ Yeah, all those thoughts were in my head. It’s the hardest thing I’ve gone through……I’m very excited to get on the field and feel good — feel good about myself and my body,” Gage said. “And then there’s another side: ‘Well, OK, I haven’t been on the field in a while. I haven’t been tackled in two years.’ But I think it’s a good anxiousness that I’m feeling.”
Who’s on the spot? Five 49ers to watch in preseason opener vs. Broncos (paywall)
“Stout’s ability to cover from the slot corner position has set him apart. Naturally, how he fares at Levi’s Stadium will be closely monitored, especially considering one of his biggest question marks remains his ability to tackle in and around the box considering his 5-foot-9, 181-pound stature.
“You could probably say he has the inside track in a very long race,” Saleh said. “We still have three preseason games. He’s still got to show that he can do what he’s been doing against different competition. Still got to show that he can tackle.”
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