The San Francisco 49ers were back at practice on Sunday, following a Saturday off-day. The news early on Twitter was about Chris Culliver getting booted from the field, but there was plenty more to take away from Sunday's practice.
Aaron Lynch can do some things
The 49ers welcomed Aaron Lynch to the field for more than just individual work, and it sounds like the rookie shined. It is only one practice, but it is certainly a solid way to get things going. According to reports, he got the best of Vance McDonald in a pass rushing drill, and he broke up a pas attempt to Jewel Hampton on a 30-yard wheel route. Lynch has apparently put on 20 pounds this offseason, so keeping up with a running back is certainly a nice thing.
It remains to be seen how much of Lynch we'll see this Thursday in Baltimore. He will have time to get in three more practice sessions, so hopefully that's enough to convince Vic Fangio to put him out there. Even if it is in the fourth quarter, every minute of playing time will be huge for Lynch.
Picks left and right
There were four interceptions by the defense, with Demarcus Dobbs leading the way with a pick on a zone blitz call. Dobbs dropped back during the red zone drill and made the pick. D.J. Campbell, Jimmie Ward, and Perrish Cox all grabbed interceptions as well. It can sometimes be difficult to fully assess whether the offense or defense is performing well or struggling. We hear about four interceptions, but the reports also indicate plenty of touchdown passes being thrown. It's a little bit of everything.
Nose tackle update
Mike Purcell handled first team nose tackle snaps, and Quinton Dial got second team work. Tony Jerod-Eddie also got work. Vic Fangio said Jerod-Eddie will need to get re-honed on nose tackle work. The 49ers did not plan on needing him, so it's just a matter of getting up to speed to get some work there. Purcell is getting first team work, but that likely is impacted by the fact that Dial and Jerod-Eddie are getting caught up on the position. The 49ers have two more practices and a "mock game" between now and their preseason opener. It will be interesting to see just what the nose tackle depth chart looks like on Thursday.
Practice Reports
Chris Biderman
Cam Inman
Matt Barrows
Matt Maiocco
Grant Cohn
49ers.com