The 49ers had their final full practice leading up to their preseason opener tomorrow, and it ended a bit feisty for wide receiver Kyle Williams. According to practice reports, Williams got in a scuffle involving a headbutt with cornerback Deante Purvis. 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh quickly dressed down Williams and sent him to the sideline for the final twenty minutes. After practice, the two spoke and resolved the matter.
Coach Harbaugh indicated at the beginning of camp that while competition is encouraged, fights would not be tolerated. He tossed wide receiver Brian Tyms from an earlier practice, and there have been no other significant scuffles. Under past coaches, fighting wasn't encouraged, but it seemed like it was not quite as frowned upon as we see with Coach Harbaugh. While there is some value in getting amped up in practice, I tend to agree with the notion that it is not productive. As he said, if you've got guys punching each other in the helmet, "why would we want that?"
While this does not "help" Kyle Williams' case of making the roster, I disagree with those that think this will be some kind of final nail in his coffin (and yes, some have suggested that). While I think Kyle Williams is "strong bubble" entering tomorrow's game, he will be in the spotlight as much as anybody else. He is listed as the primary backup punt returner, which would seem to mean he will be returning some punts after Ted Ginn Jr. It will be interesting to hear what kind of response he gets from the fans when he does come on the field for that first return.
The 49ers will run through a 90 minute mock game today at 1pm as they get ready for tomorrow's game. The mock game will be closed to the media with player availability scheduled for 2:30pm after the game. Jim Harbaugh, Alex Smith and David Akers will be in the media tent on the live stream.