Good Morning Faithful,
Here are the top 49ers headlines for Monday, June 28.
New and Notable
Joe Staley Says Garoppolo, Lance QB Competition Will 'Breed Success'
Last week, Joe Staley was making his media rounds after being inducted into the Senior Bowl Hall of Fame and stopped by as a guest on "NFL Total Access" to discuss his latest honor and give updates on his retirement.
As expected, the former left tackle was also asked about the state of the current San Francisco 49ers roster, specifically, the alluring competition under center between Jimmy Garoppolo and rookie quarterback Trey Lance.
"He's been a winner when he's been with the San Francisco 49ers," Staley said of Garoppolo. "He hasn't been available in a lot of games and I think that's what the Niners did with drafting Trey Lance. It's a little bit of an insurance policy. But Jimmy is going to give every opportunity to win that starting job for training camp." Read More >>>
Watch Staley's full interview below. 👇
NFL.com Evaluates Key Storyline Being Overlooked for SF
In his "State of the Franchise" series, NFL.com writer Adam Rank is looking at all 32 clubs to provide a comprehensive overview of each team heading into the 2021 season. In addition to players to watch, potential breakout stars and key matchups for the upcoming season, Rank narrowed in on one storyline people are overlooking. Here's what he had to say:
One Storyline People are Overlooking: How much George Kittle matters to the running game
"I know we are amazed by what Kittle does in the passing game. But he's huge for the running game (and he really does take pride in blocking, which not every pass-catching tight end can say). When Kittle was on the field in 2019, the 49ers faced lighter boxes more often and were a more effective rushing team. The Niners averaged 5.0 yards per carry with 20 rushing touchdowns when George was on the field. They averaged 3.5 yards per carry and scored three touchdowns without him. Those figures come courtesy of Next Gen Stats."
Quick Hits
According to Pro Football Focus, Arik Armstead's 88.3 run defense grade is fourth-best among edge defenders over the last two seasons.
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Wednesday kicked off the first annual Tight End University (TEU) held in Nashville, Tenn. San Francisco tight end George Kittle teamed up with Kansas City Chiefs Travis Kelce and former Carolina Panthers Greg Olsen to help unite tight ends from around the league in a three-day affair.
The summit is set to focus on technique, film study, on-field drills, rehab and recovery. While making his media rounds this week, Kittle said the objective of TEU is to elevate the skill of the position beyond the practice field and to learn successful traits from each of the playmakers in attendance. Read More >>>
