LAS VEGAS – The Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium has been, as they are saying within the close by casinos, a cooler to the 49ers’ luck.
Not a lot has gone proper since an additional time win within the 49ers’ Vegas debut on New Yr’s Day 2023.
Most infamously, the 2023 season ended with the 49ers dropping the Tremendous Bowl right here in additional time trend. That group opened the preseason, by the best way, with a 34-7 loss to the host Raiders, with Trey Lance sacked 4 occasions because the 49ers’ beginning quarterback.
The 49ers’ final go to got here in final yr’s preseason, when knee accidents took out their two prized free brokers, Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos.
Floyd was a part of this offseason’s personnel purge, Gross-Matos is on the Bodily Unable to Carry out checklist with that lingering knee situation, and now the 49ers should press their luck but once more on the Raiders’ dwelling for a Saturday preseason affair.
Coach Kyle Shanahan mentioned after Thursday’s joint observe — on the Raiders’ coaching facility 20 minutes away in Henderson –– he hoped to play some starters on this lone preseason street recreation. Then once more, obtainable starters are more and more laborious to come back by, a minimum of defensively.
Rookie defensive sort out C.J. West, who began final Saturday’s preseason-opening loss to Denver, sustained a hyperextended knee Thursday, additional hindering a defensive unit that’s down to a few wholesome starters – cornerback Deommodore Lenoir and linebackers Fred Warner and Dee Winters, presuming the latter is certainly the weak-side winner.
So who to observe after Brock Purdy and some remaining family names make cameos, in the event that they even try this? Listed here are 5 who may use this recreation to spice up their inventory:
1. GUARD CONNOR COLBY
No, you’re not coming to the spectacle of Las Vegas to deal with an inside offensive lineman, proper? Nicely, right here’s the deal: Ben Bartch injured his elbow the opposite day, and the 49ers have given Connor Colby growing reps to problem Nick Zakelj at left guard, the spot previously occupied by Aaron Banks (now on the Packers).
After seventh-round decide Colby received some first-team reps Thursday, Shanahan famous he’s not a secret anymore, including: “You never have a guy come out of college who is going to have to run as much as we ask him to as o-line. So, that always takes a number of days, sometimes a number of years. But I think he’s improved a lot here in these last couple weeks.”
Colby is a 6-foot-5, 309-pound Iowa product, to which George Kittle mentioned: “It’s the first time I’ve had an Iowa Hawkeye lineman on my team. At least I’m really excited about that.”
2. LINEBACKER NICK MARTIN
Martin flashed all through final Saturday’s preseason debut, however not in an effective way, from missed tackles to lacking crossing-route protection. Look, it was his first day on the job. This shall be his second, so to talk, and the 49ers would like to see how he adjusts among the many group’s deepest place group.
“Nick has been a sponge ever since he’s gotten here, and he has such a want to continue to get better,” mentioned Fred Warner, who advises rookies to deal with one factor every observe to get higher at moderately than too many duties.
“I love having a lot of young guys on the team now because they do bring the energy,” Warner added. “I love the tenacity, he’s not afraid to thump somebody, and I think he’s only going to continue to get better.”
3. RUNNING BACK COREY KINER
One other undrafted operating again is prospering within the Shanahan system. When Kiner’s 5-foot-9 body barreled by way of the Raiders’ protection Thursday, he received hit laborious by a cornerback, however then effortlessly did a somersault to indicate off his athleticism.
Shanahan favored Kiner’s 10-carry, 45-yard debut final Saturday towards the Broncos, saying, “He ran hard. We’ll keep pushing him to get better as a runner, but I just loved the mentality he ran with.”
Kiner may get one other intensive look, seeing how Christian McCaffrey hasn’t had a preseason carry since 2019, and the 49ers gained’t have Isaac Guerendo (shoulder) nor Jordan James (finger). Jeff Wilson Jr. may get a 49ers carry for the primary time since 2022, and different choices within the backfield are Patrick Taylor Jr. and Ke’Shawn Vaughn.
4. TACKLE SPENCER BURFORD
Spencer Burford, notorious for lacking a block in that Tremendous Bowl additional time, has invested loads of sweat fairness into switching from guard to Trent Williams’ understudy at left sort out. It’s not a straightforward transition, as evident by Tyree Wilson’s move rushes Thursday, however the 49ers want Burford to maximise this preseason to organize for that function.
“It’s hard because you put in another tackle, it’s like, `Oh, it’s not Trent Williams,’” Kittle mentioned. “I still think Spence is doing a good job and these reps are invaluable for him to get better, so if anything does happen, he’ll be ready to go.”
With Jaylon Moore leaving in free company for the Chiefs’ beneficiant payday, Andre Dillard figured to rescue the swing-tackle dilemma upon debuting in observe Monday, solely to go on Injured Reserve three days later. Free agent assist? As Shanahan mentioned, “We’re always looking outside, but if there were a lot of guys outside, they wouldn’t be outside.”
5. NEW-NAME DEFENSE
I hereby christen the “New Name Defense.” The 49ers primarily are conducting in-game auditions for defensive linemen who may stick round for the Sept. 7 opener as harm replacements.
They’ve signed eight defensive linemen in simply the previous 18 days: Jaylon Allen (No. 76), Bradlee Anae (injured reserve), Bruce Hector (No. 60), Michael Dwumfour (waived), Trevis Gipson (No. 56), Demone Harris (No. 67), William Bradley-King (No. 69), and, upon Friday’s signing, Shakel Brown, who hung out final yr on the 49ers’ observe squad.
Brown is initially listed as No. 60, however that can also be assigned to Hector, so keep tuned for updates; tight finish Ross Dwelley was launched in a corresponding roster transfer.
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Thursday’s observe resulted in C.J. West (knee) becoming a member of a gradual stream of injured defensive linemen: Nick Bosa (neck soreness), Mykel Williams (knee), Jordan Elliott (again), Kevin Givens (pectoral), Robert Beal Jr. (groin), and, Tarron Jackson (neck; injured reserve).
