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The San Francisco 49ers return to practice on Wednesday, which means we’ll find out who will return. Also, Eagles head coach Doug Pederson will speak to the media around 10:00 a.m. PT, so we’ll share any newsworthy items he has.
2. Garoppolo throws a prettier ball than Mullens. Garoppolo doesn’t process information as quickly as Mullens, but Garoppolo makes up for slight lag time with his lightning quick release and the zip on his throws. Even if he’s a bit late with his read, he still can fit passes into tight areas. And when he throws passes over the middle, they often are gorgeous. Mullens is effective, but doesn’t have a gorgeous release or make gorgeous throws.
3. Garoppolo has more improvisational skills than Mullens. Garoppolo likes when the play breaks down and he can buy time by scrambling. He likes to throw off his back foot or when his feet aren’t set. He’s a playground quarterback. Whereas Nick Mullens gets rid of the ball as quickly as possible and doesn’t look to hold it and make plays outside the structure of the offense.
Woman charged in attempted kidnapping of Joe Montana grandchild
A 39-year-old woman was charged Tuesday in what authorities say was an attempted kidnapping of the 9-month-old granddaughter of Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana from his Southern California home.
Sodsai Predpring Dalzell of Los Angeles pleaded not guilty in LA County court to felony counts of attempted kidnapping of a child under 14 and burglary.
“Miss Dalzell is extremely apologetic and is very well concerned about the well-being of the family,” Dalzell’s attorney Ayinde Jones said outside of court. “She understands the harm that this has caused the family, friends and also fans of the Montana family. So our heart goes out to them.”
49ers mailbag: Is Jeff Wilson the new Tevin Coleman? Is Dante Pettis trade bait?
Huey P. asks via Twitter: At this point, should we expect Dante Pettis to be traded or released once Deebo Samuel and Richie James return off of injured reserve?
Huey makes a good point. Once the IR guys are back, the 49ers will have seven receivers on a team that likes to have a maximum of five in uniform on game days: Brandon Aiyuk, Kendrick Bourne, James, Pettis, Samuel, Mohamed Sanu and Trent Taylor. They have three more, River Cracraft, Jauan Jennings and Kevin White, on the practice squad.
Pettis is serving as the team’s punt returner, although James and Taylor also can handle that role. He has no catches — and one target — through three games.
The question is whether the 49ers ever get to a saturation point with their receivers. Samuel (foot) is expected to return to practice Wednesday. James (hamstring) can return to practice next week. But the 49ers don’t have to bring him back then. They also could suffer more injuries at the position in the coming weeks. At the rate things are going, that doesn’t seem farfetched.
San Francisco 49ers’ Levi’s Stadium to serve as voting center
The San Francisco 49ers announced Tuesday that they’re partnering with California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters, the More Than a Vote organization and Levi’s to make Levi’s Stadium a voting center for the Nov. 3 election.
“Our partnership with Levi’s Stadium and the 49ers is another touchdown for democracy this year,” Padilla said in a statement. “The addition of voting venues that allow for social distancing are critical during the COVID-19 pandemic. We continue to be inspired by sports venues opening their doors for new and safe voting options this year and hope it inspires other teams to follow suit as the clock runs down on the November General Election.”
Current QB: Nick Mullens. Backup: C.J. Beathard. Injured: Jimmy Garoppolo.
The QB controversy whispers are circling after Nick Mullens led the 49ers to a 36-9 win over the New York Giants in Week 3. My initial thought when watching Mullens in his first start this year was: Man, he looks good out there. Comparing Mullens’ cap figure this year ($750,000, per Over The Cap) to Garoppolo’s ($26.6 million), I understand the impulse among outside observers to wonder if the Niners could save a little — OK, a lot — of money by finding a way to succeed without Garoppolo. But after watching more tape, I realize Mullens is what he is — a good backup quarterback who will play well when you need him (and who, for what it’s worth, is not signed beyond 2020). Garoppolo, who was out in Week 3 with an ankle injury, has the experience; he’s proven he can lead the offense and that the moment isn’t too big. When Jimmy G is healthy, he’s the guy. No questions asked.
49ers overreactions: Does Shanahan prefer Mullens as his QB?
The inability to rush the passer without Bosa and how that might cost games against top quarterbacks on the schedule.
Overreaction? No.
In a short period of time, Nick Bosa proved to be one of the best in the NFL at his position. The 49ers will be unable to replace what he gave the team at such an important, game-changing position.
Not only does the loss of Bosa crush the 49ers’ defense, there is no indication that edge rusher Dee Ford will be healthy enough any time soon to help compensate for the loss to the team’s pass rush.
Kerry Hyder has proved to be a fine player through the first three weeks of the season. The 49ers last week added Ziggy Ansah and Dion Jordan. Those players have talent but not the consistency that Bosa provided as a rookie. And the 49ers are expecting a midseason return for Ronald Blair.