Bizarre Training Camp will not Impact the 49ers
Training camp is going to be bizarre for the San Francisco 49ers and the rest of the league. That much was to be expected considering the COVID-19 pandemic. Teams are going to be treading in uncharted waters this year and it starts with training camp.
Practically the first two weeks of when camp commences is going to be used for testing players for coronavirus and self-isolation precautions. It isn't until the 20th day of training camp that teams will be allowed to put the pads on and really get to work.
Pads generally would be put on the third or fourth day of training camp, so this could cause major issues for plenty of teams across the NFL.
Just think of teams that have new head coaches or have added a ton of new players to the roster. Training camp is the first step to getting acclimated for these newcomers. It is ever more crucial since OTAs were cancelled.
This bizarre training camp is going to delay plenty of teams from reaching their ideal state, but will not impact the 49ers.
Remember how much of a priority it was for the 49ers to retain as much of the roster as they could? That goal of theirs looks wiser and wiser by the minute because they do not have to get over a learning curve like some teams do.
Sure, the lack of practice reps is going to hurt their rookies and any potential new wrinkles on both sides of the ball that coaches want to implement.
But the reality is the 49ers are in a phenomenal position.
Even with the lack of preseason games, this team should be roaring to go once the regular season starts. And should they have some rust because they didn't get an optimal training camp, they start the season against average-to-below-average opponents.
There is no doubt in my mind that the Cardinals, Jets, and Giants will have their own kinks to workout. These teams are no better practice dummies for the 49ers to get their groove going and setting the tone for the 2020 season.
So the 49ers will be unbothered by all of these changes.
The only real part that will be a bummer for them is that they cannot carry 90 players into training camp to find a diamond in the rough. They also will likely favor their limited roster spots towards veterans instead of some rookies or undrafted free agents.
For instance, the Niners could let go of cornerback DeMarkus Acy in favor of Jason Verrett because he has familiarity and is a veteran. That is one possibility that could play out should the 49ers feel the need to cut players from that position.
Either way, San Francisco will still be a major player in the league to vie for the Super Bowl. Opposing teams will be pressed to figure it out fast, especially if they have to go head to head with the red and gold.
