The San Francisco 49ers wrapped up day three of training camp on Monday, moving from Levi's Stadium to the practice facility across the street. The team will run a pair of practices in there before a potential return to the stadium later this week.
The most important thing to take from Monday's practice is that nobody got hurt. Joe Staley got a rest day, but everybody who has been practicing thus far, continued to practice. The second most important thing is that this marked the last practice before pads go on. The team will hold their first padded practice on Tuesday. This is the next stage in the evaluation process, leading up to the preseason opener.
We're back with a recap of the practice recaps. Here are links to the various recaps.
Cam Inman
Matt Barrows
49ers.com (pictures)
Grant Cohn
Chris Biderman
Matt Maiocco
Eric Branch
Trenton Brown getting some work
Staley got the day off, and Trenton Brown and Alex Boone split time at first team left tackle in his place. It sounds like the offensive line struggled for a second straight day, although there were not many specifics. Cam Inman reported Erik Pears has had multiple false starts against Ahmad Brooks the first three days.
That right side of the line is a significant question until we see them in game action. I am a bit skeptical about the group for now, but I am also willing to wait and see what the preseason opener brings against the Houston Texans. I am hoping we see J.J. Watt play at least a series in that game. The opener usually means few if any snaps for the big name players, but his presence would provide a useful test for the 49ers offensive line.
Cornerbacks doing well
Tramaine Brock continues to stand out in the secondary. He had an interception for the second straight practice. The 49ers starting corners right now are Brock and Shareece Wright. Signs are most definitely point up for Brock in this short period.
Dontae Johnson has been getting nickel work while JImmie Ward remains sidelined with his foot injury. Grant Cohn views Johnson as a standout through the first three days of camp, leading the pack for the third cornerback role. Ward's foot injury did not land him on the PUP list, but he has not taken part in team drills thus far. Keith Reaser was the standout in OTAs and minicamp, but Johnson seems a bit more locked into a bigger role for now.
Dockett is back on the field
The big news from an injury perspective was the return of Darnell Dockett. He did not take part in team drills on Saturday or Sunday, but according to Matt Barrows, he was on the field for some work in the team's nickel. Jim Tomsula said Dockett was fine, but the team just wanted him focusing on nickel work. The team did some nickel over the weekend, but Barrows said they did more on Monday than either of those days.
Arik Armstead seems to be off to decent start
The donning of pads will be a big step in evaluating offensive and defensive linemen. In the meantime, Arik Armstead has had some positive comments about his work. He has gotten in some work with the defensive line reserves, and in some one-on-one drills has looked good. He will need to show plenty more, but following the Kentwan Balmer comparisons by some fans, it is nice to hear good news. And yes, some people went right to the Balmer comparisons within moments of the 49ers selecting Armstead.
Vance McDonald with a drop
It has been a fairly quiet camp for McDonald, with little word on him through the first three days. On Monday, reports indicate he had a drop on a seam route. Blake Bell has gotten a lot of praise thus far, and it is going to be interesting to see just how that tight end depth chart shakes out when the first preseason game arrives. My guess is McDonald remains in there with Vernon Davis, but if he is struggling, that could change in a hurry.
Injury report
Nobody got hurt in Monday's practice, so that's a good thing. Aaron Lynch was spotted on a side field working out with a trainer. There is talk he is a bit out of shape right now. He dealt with a hamstring injury in the offseason workout program, which might begin to explain some of that. He is off the NFI list, so we'll see how quickly he is back on the field.
Reggie Bush did not participate in team drills for the third straight day. At this point, it sounds like the team is taking extra care to not push Bush too far in camp. That's not exactly ideal, but if they need to treat him with kid gloves, so be it.