The 49ers' Top 5 Storylines Heading into Training Camp
Here are the top-five 49ers storylines heading into training camp, which starts at the end of July.
5. The nickel position.
Were the 49ers smart to let K'Waun Williams sign a two-year deal with the Denver Broncos? They currently don't have a replacement for him. They have Deommodore Lenoir, who gave up a 125 quarterback rating last season, and Samuel Womack, a rookie. Can Womack show enough to win the job in training camp? The 49ers need him to.
4. The safety position.
Were the 49ers smart to let Jaquiski Tartt sign a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles and anoint Talanoa Hufanga the replacement after just three career starts? If Hufanga falls flat, do the 49ers have a replacement for him, one that's as good as Tartt? They didn't draft one this year.
3. Who participates in camp?
Certain players don't need to participate much. If the 49ers say Trent Williams will take a few days off, who cares? He's big, he's older and he's great. The same with Nick Bosa, although he's young. He's so elite and so dedicated, if he needs time off in August, who cares? But there are others I wonder about, such as George Kittle. If he doesn't practice much (he didn't practice at all in OTAs and minicamp), does that mean he's already injured a bit, or does it mean they're so afraid of him getting hurt because he has shown himself to be vulnerable? If it's because he's vulnerable, they've got to worry, because he's extremely important to that team. Also, Deebo Samuel. Will the 49ers extend his contract befor camp starts? And if not, will he practice?
2. Offensive line.
This is the biggest weakness on the team. The 49ers have a great left tackle and four question marks on their offensive line. Can they answer any of those questions during camp or will they constantly have to reshuffle the line to find something that works? Because if the offensive line doesn't work, the quarterback (whoever he is) will struggle and potentially get injured. The 49ers have had injuries at quarterback every season since Kyle Shanahan became the head coach except 2019.
1. Quarterbacks, quarterbacks, quarterbacks.
Will Jimmy Garoppolo be there for training camp? I don't have a clue and neither do you. Next question: If he is there for training camp, how does Kyle Shanahan divvy up the reps? Is it a 50-50 split, or will Shanahan make the statement that Trey Lance is the starter and Garoppolo is the backup? That's a very important question. Shanahan has to make a strong statement in support of Lance as the starter. And if he makes that statement, what will Garoppolo do? Will he leave or sulk? And how will the locker room respond? Will players take sides?
Stay tuned.
