What are the 49ers going to do at defensive tackle now that Javon Hargrave is likely finished for the season? What about at wide receiver? And why the heck did Christian McCaffrey fly to Germany over the weekend?
You had many questions following the 49ers’ second straight loss. Below are the answers.
Thanks for all the terrific queries, which have been gently edited for clarity (usually adding last names).
While I like this rookie class, I feel like the 49ers should have addressed the interior D-line in the draft. Are there any free agents they could potentially sign? — Mike D.
Well, the team could bring back Nick Williams, who spent part of training camp with the 49ers. Other names available include longtime rival Al Woods and Tyson Alualu. Both, however, are 37 years old.
It seems like the 49ers first will try to fill the role in-house. They think Kalia Davis (knee) could return from injured reserve in a few weeks. Until then, the easiest solution would be to bump up veteran T.Y. McGill from the practice squad. He’s appeared in 11 games and logged 232 defensive snaps for the 49ers over the past two seasons.
T.Y. McGill would be a familiar option for the 49ers to bolster defensive tackle depth. (Rob Schumacher / USA Today)
They also could start using defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos more at defensive tackle. That, however, would mean fewer snaps for him on the edge, and they might need him even more there. Starting defensive end Leonard Floyd, 32, played only 50 percent of the snaps on Sunday and the 49ers don’t seem eager to give him a heavy workload, especially early in the season.
Maybe the 49ers will permanently elevate Sam Okuayinonu, who recorded the first full sack of his career on Sunday. He’s a defensive end but has some background at defensive tackle. He certainly could help fill the void at end if Gross-Matos starts playing more on the inside. The 49ers already have used two standard elevations on Okuayinonu and have just one more left.
Do the Niners wait for the bye week to make a trade for (former 49ers defensive tackle) D.J. Jones or do they try to get him in the door after the Thursday game in Seattle so they have a “mini-bye” for him to reintegrate? — Jason A.
Well done, Jason. The 49ers love Jones — defensive line coach Kris Kocurek mentioned him 600 times (slight exaggeration) this spring — and he’s in the final year of his contract, perhaps making the Denver Broncos more motivated to ship him off.
The caveat: If the 49ers deal for Jones, will they have enough trade ammo left for the running back and defensive end they also may need?
Any idea what Ndamukong Suh and Aaron Donald are up to nowadays? If so, please pass that on to Kyle Shanahan. — Chris A.
Suh was bandied about as a possibility when the 49ers had injuries at defensive tackle late last year and nothing happened. Donald? His Rams Alumni gatherings would be really awkward if he joined the 49ers.
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Why has special teams been consistently bad for the 49ers in the Shanahan era? — Pacey A.
To me, it’s about philosophy. Shanahan isn’t seeking big plays on special teams as much as he wants to avoid giving up big plays. He said as much on Monday when asked about the 49ers’ special teams woes.
“The biggest thing is to not be one of the reasons that you lose,” he said.
That’s a fine philosophy when your offense is a juggernaut and your defense is powerful. But that’s not where the 49ers are right now because of all their injuries and slow-starting performers.
Last year, for example, they averaged 33 points in their first five games. This year, they’re averaging 24. Last year, they allowed an NFC-best 17.5 points per game. This year it’s 23 and they’re allowing a miserable 6.1 yards per play.
As it stands now, the 49ers are a middle-of-the-pack team on offense and defense. And a team in that situation needs special teams to contribute.
More than that, special teams has been one of the reasons — a big reason — the 49ers have dropped their last two games.
Other teams know that the 49ers don’t emphasize it and take advantage. They realize they can be the aggressor, which the Rams did on Sunday.
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Any chance the 49ers will change special teams coordinator midseason given how bad our performance in that phase has been? — Iain D.
Sure, there’s a chance. Shanahan twice mentioned coaching on Monday when discussing the 49ers’ special teams lapses. Interestingly, special teams coordinator Brian Schneider abruptly left his job in 2021 when he was the Jacksonville Jaguars’ special teams coordinator. Who replaced him?
Nick Sorensen.
It feels like getting beat deep is a thing, but is it more that the defense isn’t getting pressure, secondary is just slow or scheme? — Sean M.
I hate to cop out with an “all of the above answer” but that’s what it is. Shoddy safety play was to blame for the big play in Minnesota. Cornerback Charvarius Ward got beaten one one-on-one on a backbreaker in Los Angeles. Linebacker De’Vondre Campbell had trouble in deep coverage, too. It’s been something different every time.
The 49ers have given up eight pass plays of 20 or more yards through three games, putting them on pace for the same number they gave up last season, 45. But they’ve also given up two 40-plus-yard pass plays. They allowed just five of those last season, the fourth fewest in the NFL.
Walker was needed during Talanoa Hufanga’s absence. Team now has its full allotment of four safeties: Hufanga, Ji’Ayir Brown, Malik Mustapha and George Odum.
SF now has one open space on psquad and soon will have two on 53-man roster. https://t.co/1hvtu9wyaO
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) September 24, 2024
Is Dre Greenlaw the missing piece? The defense hasn’t played well since he was injured, including the snaps he missed in the Super Bowl. Maybe he is what gives the defense the energy and focus they need to get this year turned around. — Michael F.
I agree. Not only is Greenlaw a better — and far faster — option than what the 49ers have right now, but he’s absolutely going to provide an emotional boost and an extra shot of feistiness when he’s back on the field. When will that be? The 49ers continue to say “midseason.”
(Anecdote: I wanted to interview Greenlaw in the locker room last week regarding Fred Warner’s penchant for punching footballs from offensive players. I had to wait a couple of minutes because Greenlaw was in a three-point jump-shooting contest … which he won. Conclusion: His Achilles seems pretty functional to me.)
Is there a legitimate concern that Christian McCaffrey’s injuries are season-ending or even possibly career-altering? — Ryan J.
He was recently in Germany getting treatment on an issue that hasn’t gone away like his doctors thought it would. So, yes, there’s clearly concern about his availability this season. And if he ultimately decides to have surgery — very much a last-resort option — he’d likely be finished for the season.
But it’s only been 10 days since McCaffrey went on IR. The best and most common treatment for Achilles tendonitis is getting rest, something at which the ever-active McCaffrey does not excel.
“By putting him on IR, it’s at least four weeks,” Shanahan said earlier this month. “It’ll give him some time to rest and protect him from himself.”
Which is to say, it seems like it’s too early to say whether the rest or the cutting-edge treatments (see below) he’s seeking are having an effect.
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Is there no one in the U.S. that can handle Achilles tendonitis? — Phil K.
According to my orthopedic doctor source, Dan Solomon, McCaffrey could be going to Germany to have his stem cells cultured, something he couldn’t do here due to FDA restrictions. Doctors there can extract stem cells, perhaps from bone marrow, and weeks later there are three to five times as many cells to inject into the Achilles tendon.
It’s all designed to stimulate healing in that tendon, which gets low blood flow and does not repair quickly on its own.
How in hell is that man not on a private jet? — Tom B.
Exactly. Isn’t he married to a supermodel?
“Babe, it’s me. Mind if I take the pj to Düsseldorf for the weekend?”
Watching Nick Bosa, he has been very pedestrian compared to players of his ilk like T.J, Watt and Maxx Crosby. What gives? He is constantly just doing the same outside rush with a spin move, no counters, no bull rush, no attacking the inside. — Rah G.
Sacks, QB hits, total QB pressures:
• Bosa: 2, 3, 12
• Crosby: 3, 2, 11
• Watt: 3, 5, 8
Is Bosa off to a burning hot start? No. But he’s not lagging, either.
Should the 49ers look at starting Curtis Robinson over De’Vondre Campbell? He had a really strong camp and preseason. — Bill H.
At the very least, Robinson should push Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, the team’s No. 3 linebacker to start the season. Robinson was healthier and more effective than Flannigan-Fowles in the summer yet has had a special teams-only role through three games.
I think fans want to know: What’s the worst that could happen as far as giving rookie Jacob Cowing more playing time on offense, in Shanahan’s mind? — Tre F.
He could drop a pass at a key mome… oh, I see what you’re driving at.
John Lynch said on KNBR: “We have a very deep football team. We expect guys to step up when their numbers are called.” Then they proceeded to have arguably the worst loss of the Shanahan-Lynch era. Did they overvalue the depth of their roster before the season? — Allan B.
He also signaled on Friday that Cowing would get some opportunities on offense in Los Angeles. Cowing got none. I thought that was a rare and interesting disconnect between the 49ers’ front office and coaching staff.
Any Ricky Pearsall updates? Is he practicing yet or just doing side work? — George M.
As far as I can tell, the 49ers will start working him back into practice at the earliest permissible time, which is following Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots. That doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll play the following week against the Arizona Cardinals, his hometown team, but he doesn’t have any physical impediments. He’s been running routes on a side field as if everything is normal.
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There has got to be a better option out there than Ronnie Bell while we wait for Pearsall to come off NFI. Do you anticipate a roster move and bringing in some vet receivers for a tryout this week? — Angel A.
I don’t anticipate a roster move, at least a dramatic one. After all, both Deebo Samuel and Pearsall could be back early next month. Until then, the 49ers’ move likely would involve getting Cowing more involved or bumping Terrace Marshall or Trent Taylor from the practice squad.
Do you sense any irritation within the locker room and staff with Brandon Aiyuk? — Matthew S.
No, not yet. Obviously, there was frustration that he didn’t resolve his contract dispute sooner. But when the deal was finally sealed on Aug. 29 there was a realization that it would take several weeks for Aiyuk to reach his 2023 level.
Of course, we are now officially in the “several weeks” part of the season. He’s been conspicuously quiet through three games. If there’s a fourth and a fifth, it will be impossible to ignore or explain away.
Is it time to go in the corner and cry? — Chris G.
Ask me again after the Patriots game.
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(Top photo: David Gonzales / Imagn Images)
