Happy Thursday, folks. Not a whole lot went on yesterday, just another day of practice and media interviews. The team got a pair of major defensive pieces back from injury in FS Jimmie Ward and DT DeForest Buckner today, just in time to shed some light on the recent media buzz surrounding both positions. With Ward out, small school UDFA Lorenzo Jerome has performed well, and the Bay Area sports media has been opening up to the possibility of a battle at the spot. Buckner returns at a time when the team is actively seeking veteran help (worked out Tyson Jackson, signed Sen’Derrick Marks), prompting the media to consider if these moves portend a possible trade on the horizon.
In other news, a few major updates have occurred in the Colin Kaepernick saga. The NAACP has made public their intentions to seek a meeting with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, regarding the future of the embattled QB’s career. I don’t know if there’s precedence for this kind of thing, but I can say with confidence that at the very least, it’s uncommon enough to take notice enough. Beyond that, about a thousand pro-Kaepernick protesters went to the NFL HQ in Manhattan to raise awareness.
(Insert snarky paragraph here that riles everyone up)
On to the good stuff -
49ers approaching 3rd preseason week like regular season | Wagoner, ESPN
The chip on Lorenzo Jerome’s shoulder | Barrows, Sac Bee
49ers sign DT Sen’Derrick Marks | Barrows, Sac Bee
Practice notes; Buckner & Ward return from injury | Barrows, Sac Bee
FS Jimmie Ward activated from PUP list | Crowley, KNBR
Shanahan on the ups and downs of Carlos Hyde’s preseason | Maiocco, CSN Bay Area
Pro-Kaepernick protesters descend on NFL HQ | Associated Press
NAACP seeks meeting with Goodell regarding Kaepernick’s future | Associated Press
Why 49ers should start QB CJ Beathard | Krueger, Mercury
What’s going to happen at Safety? | Inman, Mercury
49ers nowhere near mastering Shanahan’s run game | Branch, SF Gate
Injury updates before 3rd preseason game | Biderman, Ninerswire
[TRANSCRIPT] Shanahan’s Wednesday media address | Biderman, Ninerswire
[SLIDESHOW] 10 roster battles to watch this week | Biderman, Ninerswire
49ers pass blocking much improved, according to PFF | Martin, 49ers.com