Good morning everyone. The preseason got underway proper yesterday, which I didn't see at all because I haven't yet convinced myself that preseason football is actually an exciting prospect. It's not. It never was and never will be. But I guess it does mean that football that IS exciting isn't that far off now.
The San Francisco 49ers, of course, will be the last team to play their preseason game as they play on Sunday. By then, maybe I'll have fooled myself into being excited to watch, though I honestly have NO IDEA what to expect of this team both in the preseason and then the regular season. I don't know what Chip Kelly plans to do with starters going forward and I don't have any idea how the team is going to look.
And that's probably at least a little exciting. With Jim Tomsula, we knew everything was going to be terrible. With Kelly, things might be slightly better than that. Let's get on to your links.
You scratch my back .. 49ers, Texans strike partnership with joint practice (Barrows)
Chip Kelly's up-tempo offense helping 49ers defense in training camp (Biderman)
49ers practice 10: Kaepernick sits out hour-long practice (Maiocco)
49ers DC: Versatile, play-making rookie DT Blair standing out (CSN Bay Area)
49ers want to compete, not combat Texans in joint practice (Biderman)
Amazing Arik: Staley raves about 49ers DT (Branch)
Competing for spot, 49ers' Acker cross-training in secondary (Maiocco)
Armstead is Coming On in a Rush in His Second Season (NBC Bay Area)
49ers TCD10: Kaepernick rests arm during short session (Barrows)
Cosell: As defenses studied, Kaepernick didn't advance mentally (CSN Bay Area)
Notebook: Jim O'Neil Evaluates 49ers Rookie DL Ronald Blair (49ers)