SANTA CLARA — The 49ers quietly wrapped up their fourth training camp Thursday without fans in attendance.
The practice session was shorter, with several veterans sitting out on rest days, including wide receiver Deebo Samuel and defensive linemen Charvarius Ward and Demodore Lenoir. Linebacker Fred Warner also missed practice with what he called a “minor foot irritation,” as did wide receivers Ricky Pearsall and Danny Gray, both of whom are dealing with shoulder injuries.
The training began with individual drills as usual, followed by a series of one-on-one duels between the offensive and defensive lines on one end of the field, and the tight ends and running backs facing the cornerbacks and safeties on the other end.
The team moved into 11-on-11 action with a running session followed by third-down drills. After a special teams period, the group moved to the end of the field for several red zone and ball-moving sequences.
Here are the top takeaways from Day 13 of 49ers training camp:
Floyd is gaining speed.
veteran defensive lineman Leonard Floyd He has emerged as one of the quickest players in one-on-one situations. Many defensive linemen, no matter how experienced, often go through an adjustment period when they first start working with defensive line coach Kris Kocurek — but Floyd appears to have started to make significant progress.
The team’s starting defensive quartet appeared to be in the mix for team practice, with Nick Bosa, Javon Hargrave and Malik Collins joining Floyd. The group appeared to be building chemistry, with the four taking turns to step into the backfield, including a nine-year veteran who was seen harassing 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy on several occasions.
Warner announces his presence
Warner didn’t take the field, but his loud voice was audible during the second half of practice. The midfielder stood near the weight room, about 50 yards from the action, shouting out the moves the offense appeared to be preparing for, as well as encouraging comments to his teammates as they made the moves.
Warner has been keeping tabs on fellow center Dee Winters, who has had a productive camp so far, and George Odom, who could start alongside Jair Brown at safety in Week 1, depending on Talanoa Hufanga’s health. Who returns from an ACL injury?.
“I’m really confident in GO,” Warner said earlier in the week. “I’m excited and happy for him because this is the opportunity he’s wanted for a long time and he’s come through in a big way. He’s had a great camp and been around the ball a lot.”
Beginners have their chance.
With several veterans missing for Saturday’s preseason opener, several newcomers and younger players will have a chance to show their progress. On defense, Renardo Green, Malik Mustafa and Jalen Mahoney have played a fair amount of games, and that will continue as the team continues to play safe with its players.
Brown spent a lot of time with all of them, giving a progress report after training on Thursday.
“Those guys are great,” Brown said. “Mustafa was great. He’s a strong, quick, physical kid who understands football. Jaylen is the same. He understands football and he’s a great ball handler, just like me. He can play from goal line to goal line.”
The start of the match, something worth watching.
The special teams unit was on the field for the full period, practicing what it plans to do Saturday when it has live replicas of the new kickoff procedures.
There were several returning lineups, including Trent Taylor, Kyle Juszczyk, Jordan Mason, Ronnie Bell and Ty Martin. On Wednesday, Deebo Samuel was also in the mix, practicing his return skills.
“It’s been interesting,” Taylor said after training. “I don’t think anyone really knows what to expect. It’s a big experience for everyone now, learning what to do and how to train. It’s still a work in progress.”
No news, no news
There has been no movement by the team or Brandon Aiyuk in the stalled contract negotiations or trade talks that have kept the star receiver off the field. The 26-year-old continues to show up at the facility, but has yet to be seen on the field for practice.
There were also no updates on Trent Williams, who has been away from the facility while still racking up a significant amount of fines. The star midfielder’s total fines for the 13 days he missed now total $650,000.
The team will travel to Nashville on Friday to prepare for its Saturday game against the Tennessee Titans, which kicks off at 4 p.m. PT.
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