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Golden Nuggets: Jordan Matthews has added weight and is looking to make it as a TE

Your daily San Francisco 49ers links for Thursday, July 15, 2021

San Francisco 49ers v Kansas City Chiefs Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images

This Richard Sherman story is sad, and it isn’t going away any time soon. Later today, I hope to write about the problems we have in this country surrounding mental health. No, that doesn’t absolve potentially drunk driving for anyone.

As more details surface, we’ll have more info. Sherman is scheduled to have a hearing Thursday morning. This will not be the last time we discuss this today.

Richard Sherman’s wife’s 911 call is disturbing, in more ways than one

Audio of the 911 call made by Richard Sherman‘s wife has been released, and it’s disturbing — both because it suggests Sherman is going through a serious struggle with mental health and alcohol abuse, and because it revealed that the 911 dispatcher showed an appalling lack of sensitivity to what Sherman’s wife was going through.

“I need officers to my house now. My husband is drunk and belligerent and threatened to kill himself,” the caller, who identified herself as Ashley Sherman, said at the beginning of the call, which was obtained by KIRO in Seattle.

Immediately, the 911 dispatcher told Ashley Sherman to stop talking, then asked her for the address and whether there were any weapons.

Ashley Sherman tried to answer and the dispatcher admonished her, “You didn’t let me finish. You need to stop interrupting.”

Ex-49ers WR Jordan Matthews working out with George Kittle as he converts to TE

ESPN’s Turron Davenport reported last month that, at the time, Matthews had added 30 pounds during the transition to tight end. HUB listed Matthews at 235 on its roster of attendees.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapport reports that Matthews has actually added over 15 pounds and was among the many attendees at Tight End University in Nashville, Tennessee. The gathering of NFL tight ends was organized by George Kittle of the 49ers, Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs, and former NFL tight end Greg Olsen.

Rapoport adds that Matthews continues to work out in Nashville with a group of tight ends that includes Kittle and Robert Tonyan of the Green Bay Packers.

How Trey Lance Can Tip the Balance of Power in the NFC West

I repeatedly watch one specific clip from the past lately. It is the clip from the 2012 Divisional Round game against the Packers when Colin Kaepernick ran circles around the hapless Green Bay defense. It’s pure ecstasy. He did it with such ease. Winning is always a great satisfaction, but when you do it in style and demoralize the opposition, that’s even better.

The past four years, the 49ers did not have a quarterback who could do what Kaepernick did. In 2020, Josh Allen dominated the Monday Night Football game and left the 49ers clueless. I was scratching my head, thinking whether the 49ers would have a quarterback of the same caliber. And now they do. Assuming Shanahan made the correct decision, we can expect the fireworks.

4 positions where the 49ers should improve in 2021

Injuries left the 49ers extremely thin at defensive end last year. Nick Bosa and Dee Ford were both injured, which forced the club to dip further into their depth chart and beyond than they wanted to. Kerry Hyder Jr. led the team in sacks after getting thrust into a starting role. He was good, but not an elite pass rusher. The pickings were slim after that with Dion Jordan, Jordan Willis and Alex Barrett getting run on the outside. A healthy Bosa alone will give this spot a much-needed lift. Ford’s return would be immense as well, with newly-signed Samson Ebukam also expected to contribute significant snaps.