News 49ers Team Notes

Report: 49ers release veteran wideout with the intention of re-signing him to the practice squad

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ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted that the San Francisco 49ers are releasing wide receiver Russell Gage from the active roster. Per Schefter, the plan is to re-sign Gage to the practice squad and elevate him for Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks. Of course, the caveat would be if Gage doesn’t sign elsewhere.

Aaron Wilson tweeted that the 49ers are promoting Marquez Valdes-Scantling to the 53-man roster from the practice squad. So, the two are effectively swapping spots.

Why? It could be contract-related. There are times when a player’s contract becomes fully guaranteed if he’s on the active roster. At the same time, Valdes-Scantling’s contract is around the veteran minimum since the Seattle Seahawks guaranteed his deal. So, perhaps this is a procedural move to help the 49ers save anywhere between $700,000 and $1 million.

If Gage doesn’t sign somewhere else, Brock Purdy will be throwing to both players this Sunday. So, while it impacts the 49ers financially, both receivers should be on the active roster come Sunday.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...ntion-of-re-signing-him-to-the-practice-squad
 
49ers 2026 Comp pick tracker: San Francisco is set to gain a few valuable picks

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As we head into Week 1 and put the offseason in the rearview mirror, we can turn the page from hearing about how much talent the San Francisco 49ers lost this season. Ultimately, the players who left in free agency were either expendable, replaced by rookies, or had players waiting in the wings to replace them.

One starter the 49ers must replace, Aaron Banks, suffered a back injury that hampered him for much of this past training camp with the Green Bay Packers. While Banks is no longer on the injury report, when is the last time you met somebody who used to have a bad back? Those injuries linger and can pop up again at any moment.

San Francisco replaced Banks with a much cheaper version in Ben Bartch. He’s no stranger to the injury list, either. However, Bartch’s play last year made Banks expendable. It’s also a position the 49ers believe they can get by without investing heavily in, as evidenced by Bartch’s $1.17 million contract and his backup being an undrafted free agent rookie.

Charvaris Ward is an All-Pro talent. The 49ers elected to move forward with Deommodore Lenoir, but Renardo Green, a second-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, has the closest skill set on the roster to Ward. Green has the potential to flourish under Robert Saleh if he can stay healthy. There haven’t been many cornerbacks the 49ers have rostered who could turn and run with DK Metcalf. Ward and Green might be the only ones.

Lastly, Talanoa Hufanga. He’s starting in Denver. Hufanga was a goner as soon as the Niners drafted Malik Mustapha. Hufanga’s recurring injuries and lack of playmaking made it difficult to bring him back. Mustapha, beginning the season on the PUP list, isn’t ideal, but he’s on a rookie contract. When he was on the field last year, he was arguably one of the top three players for the Niners’ defense. The combination of Mustapha, Ji’Ayir Brown, and now Marques Sigle should more than make up for what Hufanga brought to the table.

Can we count Dre Greenlaw, even though he didn’t play last season? Dee Winters looked poised to break out last year, but the coaching staff went with a veteran. This season, it’ll be all Winters. If we’re doing bold predictions, mine will be that Winters is an upgrade from Greenlaw.

Comp pick update​


And that brings us to where the 49ers stand in the compensatory market for next year’s 2026 NFL Draft. The 49ers had notable losses up and down the roster as they tried to shift from a veteran-heavy team and inject some youth into the roster. That led to releasing Leonard Floyd, Javon Hargrave, and Maliek Collins, among others, in exchange for a rookie class full of defensive linemen.

Trading for a veteran like Bryce Huff won’t impact the Niners’ comp pick formula. Huff figures to make an instant impact on a team that has been desperate to ensure Nick Bosa has help opposite him at all times.

Per Over the Cap, the 49ers are expected to receive three comp picks in the 2026 NFL Draft:
Aaron Banks – 4th
Charvarius Ward – 4th
Talanoa Hufanga 5th

San Francisco would have received two additional fifth-round picks for Jaylon Moore and Greenlaw. However, signing backup quarterback Mac Jones and tight end Luke Farrell canceled those contracts out. The seventh-rounder the team would have netted from Josh Dobbs was nixed by signing Demarcus Robinson. I don’t think the team will be unhappy about that if Robinson performs as I expect this season.

Mustapha and Isaac Guerendo were fourth-round picks, as was Jacob Cowing. The 49ers have hit on their fifth-rounders at an alarming rate. So, while they may not be receiving third-round comp picks anymore, the Niners stand to benefit next draft, or at least put themselves in a position to add useful talent.

It also gives John Lynch and the front office ammo to move up on the first or second day of the draft.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...francisco-is-set-to-gain-a-few-valuable-picks
 
Report: Jauan Jennings turns down a multi-year deal from the 49ers to bet on himself

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Deadlines spur action. Earlier on Wednesday, San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said that he was expecting Jauan Jennings to play this Sunday. At the time, Shanahan said there hadn’t been any resolution as far as Jennings receiving a new deal. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, that is no longer the case.

Schefter tweeted that the 49ers and Jennings reached an agreement on a deal that will add $3 million of play-time incentives to Jennings’ original contract. Jauan was initially set to earn $7.5 million. Now, he has a chance to earn up to $10.5 million.

Interestingly enough, there were no years added to Jennings’ contract. Per Schefter, Jennings declined a multi-year offer from the 49ers. He plans to bet on himself and earn a bigger contract, perhaps elsewhere, next offseason.

Shanahan said the team wanted to keep Jennings and Colton McKivitz in the building for the long term. He also acknowledged that he didn’t think the team would be able to do it. That sounds like the 49ers had a number in mind, but it wasn’t to the liking of Jennings.

We will provide an update once Jennings’ contract details are available, so we can see what those specifics are as far as escalators go. Judging by the 49ers’ wide receiver room heading into Week 1, Jennings should have plenty of opportunities to rack up early-season statistics.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...ti-year-deal-from-the-49ers-to-bet-on-himself
 
49ers defense vs. Seahawks offense preview: A pair of new coordinators looking to right the wrongs of 2024

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Every game is a big game, but divisional games matter more. They just do. The magnitude of the San Francisco 49ers-Seattle Seahawks rivalry took a bit of a nosedive last year. Thankfully, much has changed for both teams since the previous meeting.

The year is 2092, and as much as football will evolve by then, it’ll still come down to stopping the run and running the ball. Christian McCaffrey’s absence was felt on many levels, but his red zone efficiency and nose for the end zone propelled the Niners’ 2023 offense to unseen levels. They were one of the most prolific offenses of the century. When you take an MVP-caliber player away, your rushing attack is going to call off a cliff. Shocking, I know.

Stopping the run has been an issue for San Francisco since DeMeco Ryans left. You can point to injuries and personnel, but the attitude hasn’t been there. We are about to find out how quickly Robert Saleh injects attitude and violence into his unit. Let’s start on that side of the ball as we preview Week 1 between the 49ers and the Seahawks.

Getting new Grubb on the plate​


Seattle fell for a collegiate offensive coordinator who had an NFL quarterback and three NFL receivers. Oh, and NFL offensive linemen. That same coordinator is back in the college ranks after a one-year stint in the league. If you’re not a college football fan, the coordinator we’re referring to had all offseason to come up with a game plan against an unranked opponent coming off a 2-win season.

How did he fare? After scoring a touchdown on the first drive, Alabama didn’t score again until the fourth quarter. Moreover, they had zero identity in the running game. That was a glaring issue for the Seahawks last season.

Out with Ryan Grubb, in with old friend, Klint Kubiak. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan believes we’ll see an offense that we’re used to watching every Sunday:

“I think there’s some similarities. It’s always different how you adjust to your players, but I know they’re going to be a balanced team that wants to put Sam in some good situations and give that ball to their good running backs. Then it usually comes down to third down, so it’s real similar to us. There’s window dressing that’s different, but the way that they want a game to go, I think it’s going to be very similar to how we want it to go.”

Some may chalk it up to “It’s just the preseason,” but it’s almost as if Kubiak was trolling Grubb’s 2024 offense the way Seattle was on the opposite end of the spectrum when it came to running the ball. Last year, the Seahawks threw the ball at the fourth-highest rate in the NFL. And it’s not as if they were a 3-12 team always playing catch-up. Not even close! They were a 10-win team.

Geno Smith lined up in the shotgun over 76 percent of the time, while Seattle only used play-action on 19 percent of its dropbacks. It would be difficult to find a worse split than that. It would also be challenging to come up with five offensive linemen in the NFL who would look good under those circumstances.

When the quarterback lives in shotgun, the pass rushers know where they’re going to be. You’re begging to be pressured. Coincidentally, among qualifying quarterbacks, Geno was pressured more than any other QB.

Run the damn ball!​


Seattle’s preseason rushing stats would make any offensive line coach drool. In Week 1, they ran the ball 32 times for 170 yards. There were a pair of 20+ yard gains, but the theme was death by a thousand cuts. That wasn’t an outlier. In fact, in Week 2 against the Kansas City Chiefs — and they did this against the Chiefs’ starters — it got better.

The Seahawks ran the ball 48 times, as if they weren’t allowed to throw, for 268 yards. Again, this wasn’t Jalen Milroe running for 60 yards like he did at Alabama. Nope. The Seahawks were doing whatever they wanted, mainly relying on the same zone concepts the 49ers run.

Seattle ran the ball only 24 times in the final preseason game for 130 yards. They didn’t play any starters from the looks of it. Why? Based on reading the reports from joint practice, they took it to Green Bay during the week.

Kubiak and the Seahawks aren’t re-inventing the wheel. They’re getting under center, relying on their athletic offensive lineman to create running lanes so their backs can maximize yardage after pinballing off tackles and gaining a couple of yards after contact. Sound familiar? It should.

Kubiak aligned his quarterbacks under center at the fourth-highest rate last year at 41.7 percent with the New Orleans Saints. Conversely, Brian Grubb used the eighth-lowest at 21.8 percent. Sam Darnold will feel at home. When he was with the Minnesota Vikings, they were under center at the second-highest rate at 48 percent.

Not only will Seattle be doing away with shotgun formations, but Saleh and the 49ers can expect to see plenty of two-back sets. The Saints used two or more players in the backfield (excluding the QB) on a league-high 23.8 percent of snaps. Seattle was at 6.1 percent, which is the ninth-lowest.

Kubiak isn’t trolling. This is who he is as a play caller.

Shifting back to Saleh​


National pundits are certain the 49ers will take a step back after losing Leonard Floyd, Javon Hargrave, and Maliek Collins along the defensive line. Even at Hargrave’s peak, neither of those three felt like the kind of players who resembled the type that made the Niners defense dominant during the Saleh/Ryans days.

Rolling with the youth movement doesn’t come without risk. Shanahan said the kids up front may present a challenge this season. But the style and structure should already be an improvement from the trio listed above.

The transition from finesse pass rushers to “good luck moving that guy” should make a world of difference, not just in the running game, but when it comes to tackling. First, a look at the difference in the average starting defensive line heading into Week 1 last year compared to this season:

’24 avg: 6’2″ 3/4 & 279 pounds, 32″ arms
’25 avg: 6’4″ 3/4 & 290 pounds, 33.5″ arms

The likelihood of smaller defenders falling off tackles is higher, which in turn leads to more yards after contact. There were several issues with Nick Sorensen’s defense last year. If we can pinpoint it to three, one of those was the missed tackles.

The 49ers’ defense missed a tackle on 13.8 percent of their tackling opportunities, per Next Gen Stats. That was the ninth-highest rate in the NFL and the highest rate on the team since Fred Warner’s rookie year. Those Seattle games were rough. San Francisco missed 23 tackles in both meetings against the Seahawks last year.

The 49ers were unusually static defensively last season, even for a coordinator who has never called plays. That led to outlier results. Nick Bosa, a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate, lined up over the right tackle on 70 percent of his snaps in nine of the 14 games he played in, including both matchups against Seattle.

Think about that. You have one of the best players in the league, and instead of creating mismatches or trying to open up a clean runway for him, Sorensen was like, “Nah, right here is good.”

Fred Warner is a Hall of Fame blitzer. He had the fewest pass rush attempts last season, despite playing more snaps than in some other seasons where the numbers were close. If the argument is that Sorensen didn’t trust [redacted], then I get it. Perhaps consider finding another player to put your best players in a position to succeed?

Speaking of rushing the passer with your best players, the 49ers recorded the third-lowest blitz rate on early downs and the fourth-lowest blitz rate on third downs. When they did blitz, they sucked. The Niners generated pressure 4.3 percent more often when they blitzed, compared to when they sent four or fewer rushers. The percentage difference created the second-lowest increase in the NFL. Shanahan had no choice but to part ways with Sorensen, regardless of the injuries and the personnel issues.

Meanwhile, the mad man of a coordinator Saleh did not hold back on third downs in the preseason:

It's 3rd & 6 in the 1st quarter of Week 1 in the preseason and Robert Saleh has all 11 defenders within 7 yards of the line of scrimmage pic.twitter.com/oyculadCD9

— Kyle Posey (@KP_Show) August 11, 2025

We’ll also see a seismic shift in the type of coverage the Niners run. The 49ers ran zone 71.4 percent of the time last year, but had a 2-high shell only 19 percent of the time. That tells me Sorensen was living in Cover 3 — just asking to get beaten on elementary passing concepts.

Watching Saleh evolve over the years has been a joy. Saleh-led defenses ranked top three by highest Cover 4 usage rate in each season from 2019 to 2023. In 2020, Saleh’s last year with the Niners, the 49ers led the NFL in quarters usage with a 31.7 rate. That’s who he is, and it allows the defensive backs to be multiple and defend routes in a way they couldn’t from a structural standpoint in Cover 3.

Welcome back, Bob.

The Jimmys and the Joes​


Kubiak could have the best play call possible, but if Nick Bosa runs through Abe Lucas’s face, we’ll never find out. Saleh may have dialed up his favorite blitz, but if 73-year-old Cooper Kupp takes rookie Upton Stout to task, the Seahawks stay on the field, and it was all for naught.

It’s a player’s league. It’s about the Jimmys and the Joes.

Seattle invested in athletes up front, and their plan looked to be coming to fruition in the preseason. They are as young as the Niners up front.

A scheme change will almost assuredly benefit Lucas and leave tackle Charles Cross. Rookie Grey Zabel was mocked to the 49ers in the top 15. He was a draft community favorite. Seattle’s center also went to North Dakota State a year earlier. There should be some cohesion between the two. Right guard Anthony Bradford is 332 pounds. It’s safe to say he’s the least athletic. I think we can also assume he is a people mover.

It’ll be a quality test for the likes of Bryce Huff, who is not known as a run defender, and the rookies. Mykel Williams was drafted to be a star. But it’s Week 1. Like Zabel, there will be inevitable struggles. It’s a nice luxury for the 49ers to counter Bradford with a mammoth of a man in Alfred Collins. Players like him and C.J. West were brought in to pull the 49ers out of the dumps when it comes to defensive rushing statistics.

Fred Warner and Dee Winters will man the middle. Another shocking stat about the 49ers’ defense last year was their inability to stop passes over the middle. Warner’s completion percentage allowed was ten percentage points higher than he allowed in any previous season. Again, outlier season.

Winters is excellent in coverage. He’s aware, and not only should he allow Warner to blitz, but he also has a knack for getting into throwing lanes or taking away the pass before it’s thrown. Speaking of outliers, Warner and Winters will face a 274-pound fullback. I wouldn’t worry about them confusing Sam Darnold. But it’s not every day you have to take on a fullback that’s bigger than Nick Bosa.

Can Darnold play mistake-free football? Will Saleh’s coverage bait him into a mistake? How will Kubiak use Jaxon Smith-Njigba? He seems poised for a breakout season. JSN led the league in receiving yards out of the slot last year. But that’s also been where Kupp has made his living.

It’ll be a wait-and-see for the Seahawks’ passing offense. Kupp thrives off motion, but Kubiak-led offenses have been under 20 percent motion when it comes to their receivers. So we’d be guessing when it comes to their passing game. Just as we would when it comes to Deommodore Lenoir, Upton Stout, and Renardo Green, and how they’ll be deployed.

Running backs Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet run hard and force miss tackles, but they like to bounce runs when they don’t have to. That could play into the hands of the speedy Winters. Both backs may pop a run or two, but if the Niners can force them to be efficient on a down-to-down basis, Saleh has to like his odds.

The game plan feels pretty straightforward for Saleh. Stop the run. Confuse Darnold on obvious passing downs—no cheap penalties. Limit missed tackles. Field goals won’t beat you. Explosive plays will.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/san-fr...rdinators-looking-to-right-the-wrongs-of-2024
 
Cowboys vs. Eagles Thursday Night thread: Will Vic Fangio flex his muscles in the season opener?

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Week 1 is officially here, and that means the Super Bowl champion is featured in the season opener. Tonight, we’ll see the Dallas Cowboys travel east to take on the Philadelphia Eagles.

A week ago, the Cowboys traded their best player and one of the best defenders in the league, Micah Parsons. Dallas received draft compensation and defensive tackle Kenny Clark. The prevailing thought was that the Cowboys would struggle to get any stops against an Eagles offense that features Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Jalen Hurts. New defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus will have his hands full.

On the other side of the ball, Vic Fangio isn’t walking into an easy out himself. Dak Prescott gets a new toy in George Pickens. CeeDee Lamb remains one of the most dangerous weapons in the league. But can Prescott be successful without a running game? That hasn’t been the case yet. Now, the Cowboys turn to Javonte Williams, a Denver Broncos castoff. Williams is known more as a receiving threat.

What are your predictions? I’ll go Eagles 28, Cowboys 20.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/game-d...-fangio-flex-his-muscles-in-the-season-opener
 
Golden Nuggets: Here we go again

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Robert Saleh, Brock Purdy, Klay Kubiak preview 49ers-Seahawks Week 1 matchup
“San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak, and quarterback Brock Purdy addressed reporters following Thursday’s practice as the team prepares for its Week 1 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. Here’s everything they said.“

Kawakami: ‘You’ve gotta reload’: How Nick Bosa got with the 49ers’ new plan (paywall)
““Just that it can’t revolve around one player being in or out,” Bosa said. “We have to play with the intensity that has made us who we are over the years.”

Do you think there was a slippage of intensity last year?

“Yeah, yeah, I do. I think when you’re losing games and you’re losing confidence and you’re starting to play in meaningless — not meaningless, but in terms of playoff-contention, meaningless — things do slip, details slip,” Bosa said. “I think every person is guilty of losing a little bit of that focus and intensity.”

Where youth-infused 49ers finish in Matt Maiocco’s 2025 NFL season predictions
““I think it’s possible,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said on Wednesday. “There are a number of challenges. We’re going to play a lot of young guys as this year goes. We’re going to start out doing that.”

The 49ers finished in last place in the NFC West a year ago with a 6-11 record. Even with so many young players, they still have enough top players to make another run.“

Brock Purdy was the NFL’s darling as Mr. Irrelevant. Who will he be as a $265 million man? (paywall)
““When I was a rookie, I came in and I knew nothing but the quarterback (package of plays),” Purdy said from outside the locker room after practice last week. “It didn’t matter who was out on the field with me — I was just going through my progressions and ripping it. I was a machine.

“So this offseason, I was getting back to that standard of being hard on myself, being disciplined, and obviously not trying to do too much.”….. Purdy has become one of those leaders. Williams said he gets a kick whenever the quarterback yells at receivers.

“They’re not used to quarterbacks getting back to the third read, and maybe they’re not where they are supposed to be,” Williams said. “And this is early on. Mr. Irrelevant, no status off the jump. He had one of the most uphill battles that anybody can have, and he strided up that hill like it was flat ground.”

Purdy had an instant connection with Shanahan, who takes pride in the plays he draws up and wants them carried out.

“I came in and was just going through reads … and he saw that I was playing like a machine, and he loved that,” Purdy said. “He can call a pass play on first, second and third down multiple times and trust that I was gonna make the right decisions over and over again.”

Will the 49ers’ renovated, rookie-riddled roster return to NFL elite? (paywall)
““There are all sorts of holes in the roster that need to be filled by either traded or young players that we haven’t seen before,” Young said. “The fans are going to be wearing certain jerseys right now. (George) Kittle, (Christian) McCaffrey, Brock, Warner. That’s fine. But if this team is going to transition super fast and threaten to go the distance, you’re going to be wearing jerseys by Thanksgiving of guys who you don’t even know the names of right now.

“If there are four or five of them, then we’re transitioning pretty quick. And you better watch out. But if not, and a couple guys get hurt, especially Trent, that’s an entirely different narrative.”

49ers’ Colton McKivitz makes rare admission as he enters contract year (paywall)
“Where many pro athletes in that circumstance might say they’re not focused on money because that can be a distraction, McKivitz is different. He speaks with candor rather than in cliches.

During his first five NFL seasons, the 2020 fifth-round pick has admitted he initially lacked the urgency and work ethic that a later-round pick needs to survive. And he has openly discussed his wavering confidence and on-field failures.

But things are now looking up, and his authenticity hasn’t changed. McKivitz was on-brand Wednesday when he was asked about his thoughts entering his contract year.“

With 49ers rookie Jordan Watkins back in practice, which WRs will play Sunday? (paywall)
“Defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos (knee) was also back at practice after missing Wednesday.

A high ankle sprain had sidelined Watkins, a fourth-round draft pick, leaving his Week 1 availability in limbo. Head coach Kyle Shanahan may still opt to list Watkins as inactive for Sunday’s season opener against the Seahawks in Seattle; someone has to be. The 49ers had their entire 53-man roster and 17-man practice squad participating in some capacity during the portion of the session open to the media, meaning some tough decisions will need to be made in the coming days.“

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/golden-nuggets/149814/golden-nuggets-here-we-go-again
 
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