The San Francisco 49ers wrapped up another day of practice on Sunday, and it was followed by some intriguing player media sessions. Left tackle Joe Staley made the most intriguing comment of the afternoon in discussing the team's defense. Staley said Eric Mangini's defense has blitzed more this training camp than in the last six combined.
The 49ers offensive line was a bit maligned over the first four or five practice sessions. We've heard some more positive reports the last couple days, but it is still something of a concern. It remains to be seen how this line will come together over the next month, but Staley's comments do add some interesting context. Opposing defenses will vary in how much they blitz, but getting a large number of blitzes in practice seems rather valuable for a mostly new offensive line.
The 49ers open their preseason next weekend against the Houston Texans. I would not be surprised if J.J. Watt sat out the game, although I suppose we could see him get in a series of snaps. I am hoping we see him at least once, but even if he sits, we can start to get a better handle on the 49ers offensive line in six days. We'll see if the Mangini blitzing gets them better prepared.