Can Tre Lance take over? Safe start? 10 Questions Where the 49ers OTAs Begin

Jimmy Garoppolo It will be out of sight for 49ersOTA practices starting Monday. Will not be forgotten.

Since Garoppolo is still on the list, there is an idea – true or not – that this is not quite Tree Lance‘steam. Or the 49ers aren’t sure about Lance. Or at least they are hedging their bets. Which leads to the first and most important question as the 49ers kick off their OTAs: Can Lance reassure everyone he’s really ready to take over?

It’s like a palace drama in which a young prince prepares to take the throne but first has to navigate other claimants and whisper campaigns designed to undermine him. The best way to do this is to act like a legitimate heir – to show strength and leadership and to indicate that you can take on the job.

So far, Lance has been on the right track.

Before arriving in Santa Clara last month to start the Offseason program, he spent the past two months at 3DQB in Orange County, California, working with quarterback coach Adam Dido.

Despite having little playing time as a starter, Lance has dealt with a number of injuries, including a bent toe (pre-season) and a knee injury (week five). Dedeaux said bad habits would inevitably creep in when the quarterback compensates for injuries—it happens to every passerby—and that Lance’s time in Orange County was primarily spent smoothing out any tough points in his throwing move and making him ready for the 49ers’ offseason program. , which began on April 19.

“It was mostly about making him healthy, strong, and feel good about having a stroke again,” Dido said. “No major tweaks or anything – just kind of going back to it.”

Dido and his group have been working with Kyle Shanahan-trained midfielders since 2016 Matt Ryanthen with hawksHe was a client. former NFL Quarterback John Peck, who played under Shanahan in Washington, is also a 3DQB coach and the group knows exactly what Shanahan is looking for and has trained the 49ers quarterback accordingly.

“We know the offense, we know what he wants,” Dido said. “We use the same drills and the same verbiage. Everything is detailed to (Lance). When he works with us, he works on his own. So there’s no distraction from back players or other systems. It’s specifically Kyle’s 49er offense.”

Dedeaux said Lance was one of the first NFL quarterbacks to arrive when the season ended and that he would return to Orange County to work on more specific adjustments to his movement when the 49ers’ spring session ended in June.

“I can’t speak more about the way he handles him – he’s on his tail and wants to learn, he’s totally adaptable,” Dido said. “He did everything we asked of him.”

The first OTA practice for the 49ers is today. The media will get to watch Tuesday’s session. Here are nine more questions as the sessions begin…

2. Who will be on hand?

Any of those players could arrive this week, but 49 players have gone through the Volunteer Offseason program so far without: Garoppolo, who qualifies from shoulder surgery in March, Debo SamuelAnd Nick BossaAnd Alex MacAnd D’Ford And Trent Williams.

The team, of course, is in the midst of tough contract negotiations with Samuel, whose absence from the OTAs was telegraphed in April. Bossa, who is also a candidate for a new deal, was working in his native South Florida with his older brother Joey, which he likely would have done if he had a long-term contract or not.

The 49ers plan to cut Ford next month. Mack is still considering retirement while Williams, the 12-year-old veteran, simply does not need to train at this point in the off-season. In fact, you might argue that 49 players are better off rating the younger players at the Williams Center. Which leads us to our next question…

3. What would the offensive line look like?

The 49ers have a lot of ship workers who can play the role of guard or intervention. or center or guard. or in case Daniel Brunskill, center, guard or treatment. There will inevitably be some confusion as the holiday season drags on, and coach Chris Foerster has found the fitting all over the place, but there should be one revelation on Tuesday – which the 49ers count as the front-runners in the swing tackle.

Assuming no Williams, the 49 players will have backups on left tackle and right tackle, where Mike McClinchy He continues to recover from a thigh muscle tear last year. (He aims to come back through training camp.)

One of the best candidates is Justin School, who is training again after rupturing his ACL in June. Others include Jaylon MorAnd Colton McKevitzfourth round selection Spencer Burford The selection of the sixth round Nick Zackelj. This group was also discussed in the sentry, which is why the composition of the streak is still cloudy.

4. Who are the centers?

Jake Brindle He turns 30 in September, hasn’t had any real time to play since the 2018 season and could be the starting center for the 49ers for their first week.

“He’s not a household name, but we have great confidence in his ability,” General Manager John Lynch said last month.

With Mac hesitant about retirement, Brendel will likely be the centerpiece of the first team during the OTAs. Who else will get a chance there? Candidates include Brunskill, who is also the incumbent on the Right Guard, Zakelj and the not-so-popular rookie. Donovan West And Jason Poe.

How Brendel handles the position in the spring may determine whether the 49ers bring in a more experienced position in the summer.

5. Who is the initiator of safety?

When OTAs started last year, Jackie Tart He was dealing with a stuck toe problem. When they start on Monday, Tartt will not be on the list and we’ll see how the 49ers plan to replace the long starter.

The main candidates are last year’s 5th round pick, Talanoa HuvangaAnd Tarvarius Morwhose June Achilles rupture wiped out the 2021 season but is back to full strength.

They are different players. Fast and tall, Moore spent one year as a cornerback and wasn’t always the best as a striker. Hufanga is excellent around the line of scrimmage, but has a linebacker-like pace and isn’t known for covering a lot of ground in high school.

Because of their different skills, perhaps the question – who to start? – It is moot. The 49ers could alternate Hufanga and Moore depending on the situation.

Veteran newcomer George Odom And the unformed juniors Leon O’Neill And Tyler Hawkins It also gets into the mix safely.

6. Can Brandon Ayuk erupt in 2022?

At this point a year ago, Samuel was a man on a mission. He was focused on rebounding from the disappointing 2020 season and used a strong off-season performance as a springboard to a regular season.

With Samuel absent at the moment, AYOK becomes the team’s most notable recipient. Like Samuel a year ago, he has positioned himself well as his spring practices begin. He finished 2021 on a high note (averaging 71.3 yards over his last eight games), went off the season in good health, trained with Lance at Orange County, and was coaching at Santa Clara for several months.

When asked about Samuel last year, Garoppolo routinely said he was impressed by the way Samuel took on a leadership role in the parlour, noting several times that Samuel was first in every training. On the contrary, Aiyuk was often the last in these drills, at least early in the season. He has a golden opportunity to take charge in the third year.

7. Who is Nickel Cornpark?

The 49ers have a good list of candidates to replace them Kwan Williams In a nickel corner, but it’s hard to say my favorite first week for the job.

It is possible that the veteran of the group, darkis denardBeing with the first team this week. Other options include Diodoro Lenoir And a pair of beginners: the fifth round selection Samuel Womack unformulated Quantries Night.

8. Dry Greenlaw or dear poet The weakside linebacker?

Greenlaw or the poet? It’s a question we can ask at the end of the season, too.

Both backers are set to become an unrestricted free agent in March, and it’s hard to see the 49ers clinging to both.

Greenlaw, of course, missed most of the 2021 matches due to a thigh injury, which gave the poet a chance to shine at the heart of the weak full-back, who, unlike the strong full-back, plays an important role. When the Poet exploded at the end of the season, Greenlaw returned to his previous role and started every game from Week 18 through the playoffs.

The point here: Anyone who ends up playing more at the weak quarterback can be the most sought-after agent and thus could be the right person.

9. How Javon Kinlaw research?

No, Kinlaw will not be training after he underwent a mid-season ACL operation. But he is said to have qualified well in the team facility, looked thinner when watching from the sideline during a recent local professional day, and it will be interesting to see how he moves on a side court.

Kinlaw is nowhere near Lance’s when it comes to auditing. However, he has yet to deliver on the promise that comes with being a first-round pick, and Team 49ers believe his knee surgery should unleash his potential. It will be under the microscope in 2022.

It will also be interesting to see who lines up in the defensive tackle this spring. last year, DJ Jones He filled the role with great fanfare, but is a member of Denver Broncos right Now. The list of candidates includes Kevin GivensAnd Maurice HearstAnd Keri Haider Jr. And Hassan Ridgway.

10. What does a new set of eyes mean in the RB room?

It was clear Trey Sermon He didn’t exactly pass Bobby Turner’s audition last season.

The longtime running back coach is the picky gatekeeper when it comes to playing time and carrying around. And although Sermon started two games early in the season as a rookie, that was due to the basic state of the running room at the time. When the situation became marginally more stable, the sermon run time disappeared.

Now the engagement has another chance to make a first impression. Turner is recovering from surgery this season, and has been replaced by Anthony Lane. It’s important to note that Lane is a student of Turner – he played for Turner and was on the same Bronck coaching staff as Turner – and would likely view the position in a similar fashion.

However, it will be up to Lynn to determine the order of selection in return for this season, which means a chance for Sermon and the others.

(Photo: Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)