The San Francisco 49ers wrapped up their fourth day of practice, and unfortunately injuries were a notable part of it. LaMichael James was the most notable, but they dealt with a few minor injuries on the day. Tramaine Brock left the field with a sore ankle, and offensive lineman Fou Fonoti left with a left leg injury of unknown severity. Chris Culliver was not a full participant in practice, but it sounds like it might have been more of a rest day. Culliver was a full participant the last three days, and given that he is still only a year removed from a torn ACL, it makes sense to mix in some rest.
Steve Busichio was on hand for practice, and will have a recap for you in the morning with some of his first-hand observations. For now, here's a compilation of some of the themes that emerged from Day 4 of training camp. Also, check out Antoine Bethea's mic'd up interception on his birthday.
Backup corners get work
During his mid-day press conference, Jim Harbaugh mentioned that Brock and Culliver were both practicing at a higher level than the rest of the secondary. The limited days for the two of them opened the door for more first and second team reps further down the depth chart. It sounds like Dontae Johnson was the real standout of this group. He's a big guy, and as 49ers.com pointed out it would be something else to see him working against Anquan Boldin. If anybody is going to teach a young cornerback about getting physical, it's Boldin.
Jimmie Ward's versatility
Jimmie Ward continues to get a mix of work in the secondary. He has gotten a mix of first and second team nickel work, but he has also been getting some work as a second team safety. He played both positions in college, and at some point, he could very well end up as a starting safety next to Eric Reid. I think it will be a couple years before that happens, but if the 49ers think he can serve as a solid backup safety, that could clear some roster space.
Running Backs
It should surprise nobody that Carlos Hyde and Jewel Hampton got all the running back work in team drills. Frank Gore might get a little bit of work in with team drills, but it would not surprise me if the 49ers all but encased him in bubble wrap the rest of July and August.
Some social media
Defensive backs hitting the bag