Good Morning Faithful,
Here are your top storylines for Wednesday, August 12.
New and Notable
Kyle Juszczyk Sees Advantages for 49ers in Modified Offseason
Due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, 49ers players and coaches worked from their homes across the country for a virtual offseason in place of in-person OTAs. Despite the change to the normal schedule of events, Kyle Juszczyk thinks the 49ers are in a position to overcome the apparent challenges of the 2020 season. "Obviously, there are not too many positives or advantages to having a world pandemic," Juszczyk said. "But if you're going to do it in any offseason, I think the best way to do it is right after you just played into February. We were able to stay together, get that extra month of work and that time that we're building with each other on the field. But then, we get a little bit of extra time that we're off our feet, that we're away from it. We can still do our virtual meetings and work on things mentally. But you have some time to recover from what was a longer season." Read More >>>
Jimmie Ward Sees Lessons from 49ers Super Bowl Loss
In a video conference with media yesterday, Jimmie Ward discussed his approach to the 49ers 2020 season. Every player is getting over the 49ers Super Bowl LIV loss in a different way, but for Ward, he's re-watched the match and is taking the road back day-by-day. "I hear a lot of people right now, my teammates, they say they want to get back to that spot and win it," Ward said. "Obviously, that's what everybody in the NFL, every team, wants to do — get to the Super Bowl and win it. But my approach is more just to take it one day at a time, one game at a time. I've been in that position, so I've seen what it takes. But I can't look past this first game. I can't look past tomorrow in practice."
The 49ers re-signed Ward to a three-year deal in March, securing the defensive back for the foreseeable future. Throughout his six-year career, Ward has appeared in 64 games, tallying 267 tackles, 28 passes defensed, 3.0 sacks and two interceptions. He also started three postseason contests, adding 17 tackles and one forced fumble. Read More >>>
Mike McGlinchey Believes Versatility is 'Absolutely Huge' in Unprecedented NFL Season
With the potential for last-minute roster shakeups each week due to the ongoing coronavirus, Mike McGlinchey sees the 49ers current personnel along the offensive line as a group created for the problem. "Versatility is going to be absolutely huge," McGlinchey said. "It's going to make or break guys having jobs and make or break situations to fill our roster because we can get in any situation at any point this year. We're not just looking out for injury, we're looking for something that we can't really defend ourselves from at times." Read More >>>
Quick Hits
ESPN ranked each NFL teams' continuity from 1-32 with the 49ers coming in at No. 4. Integral to San Francisco's ranking is the lack of turnover on the team's coaching staff. Besides Kyle Shanahan, who received a five-year contract extension this offseason, all four of the 49ers coordinators are returning in 2020.
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Each week, 49ers PREP presented by U.S. Bank are bringing together people from across the football landscape to talk about their experiences. This week's guest is former 49ers defensive lineman, Ian Williams.
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NFL Network's Brian Baldinger took an inside look at the career of Patrick Willis. In the latest episode of Baldy's Breakdowns, Baldinger reviewed plays from the linebacker's storied eight-year career in San Francisco.
Did You Know
According to Pro Football Focus, Jimmy Garoppolo gained 1,667 yards on play-action passes last year, second in the NFL.
