Over the last week of practices, people have asked how player X or player Y is performing. We've had some information on various players, but obviously not everybody. With that in mind, I wanted to pass along a helpful link for some Week 1 updates.
Scout.com 49ers beat writer Chris Biderman put together a stock report from the first week of practice. It's way too early to make conclusions, but players impressing and struggling at this point provide a little bit of context as we move forward, particularly heading into next week's preseason opener against the Baltimore Ravens.
One name that people have frequently asked about is wide receiver Quinton Patton. He had a touchdown catch yesterday, but otherwise we have not heard a lot about him. Biderman has Patton listed as a stock up guy.
Patton doesn't have a broken hand (or foot) this time around which is allowing him to show signs of promise as a long-term option for a receiving corps that isn't the youngest out there.
I asked for some clarification on this, and he said he had him with stock up both because he is healthy in camp, and also because he has impressed. Michael Crabtree, Anquan Boldin, and Stevie Johnson were all listed stock up as well, so for now, this is a good sign as the offense gets ready for the 2014 season.
Bruce Ellington was listed as stock down, but that was primarily due to his ankle injury keeping him sidelined early in camp. Colin Kaepernick has provided praise for him, so that will matter as much as anything heading into the preseason and regular season. Ellington will get his chances on offense, and if Kap is looking his way, it could be enough to justify some offensive playing time once the season begins.
Chris was high on some of the defensive reserves, including Quinton Dial, Tank Carradine, and Lawrence Okoye. In his discussion of Okoye, he made a good point that has become more and more frequently mentioned. Okoye might still have a lot to learn about playing defensive line, but if he shows athletic flashes, could a re-building team decide to snag him off waivers? It is possible we are overrating the athletic phenom as far as football is concerned, but with 31 other teams out there looking for anything to help them, it only takes one liking Okoye to lose him.
Jonathan Martin is an interesting one. As Biderman pointed out, and from what we've seen in other practice reports, Martin has had his struggles. And as folks mentioned in the Alex Boone thread (as well as others), if he continues to struggle, it gives Alex Boone a little bit more leverage against the 49ers. Boone plays guard, but he showed he is very capable as a tackle when needed. And considering Jonathan Martin has absolutely nothing guaranteed in his contract, he has a lot to prove.
You can read through Chris's entire stock watch over at Scout.com.