5 Niners to look at in preseason go to to Raiders

LAS VEGAS – The Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium has been, as they are saying within the close by casinos, a cooler to the 49ers’ luck.

Not a lot has gone proper since an additional time win within the 49ers’ Vegas debut on New Yr’s Day 2023.

Most infamously, the 2023 season ended with the 49ers dropping the Tremendous Bowl right here in additional time vogue. That workforce opened the preseason, by the way in which, with a 34-7 loss to the host Raiders, with Trey Lance sacked 4 instances because the 49ers’ beginning quarterback.

The 49ers’ final go to got here in final 12 months’s preseason, when knee accidents took out their two prized free brokers, Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos.

Floyd was a part of this offseason’s personnel purge, Gross-Matos is on the Bodily Unable to Carry out checklist with that lingering knee challenge, and now the 49ers should press their luck but once more on the Raiders’ residence for a Saturday preseason affair.

Coach Kyle Shanahan mentioned after Thursday’s joint apply — on the Raiders’ coaching facility 20 minutes away in Henderson –– he hoped to play some starters on this lone preseason highway recreation. Then once more, out there starters are more and more onerous to return by, no less than defensively.

Rookie defensive sort out C.J. West, who began final Saturday’s preseason-opening loss to Denver, sustained a hyperextended knee Thursday, additional hindering a defensive unit that’s down to a few wholesome starters – cornerback Deommodore Lenoir and linebackers Fred Warner and Dee Winters, presuming the latter is certainly the weak-side winner.

So who to look at after Brock Purdy and some remaining family names make cameos, in the event that they even try this? Listed here are 5 who may use this recreation to spice up their inventory:

1. GUARD CONNOR COLBY

No, you’re not coming to the spectacle of Las Vegas to deal with an inside offensive lineman, proper? Effectively, right here’s the deal: Ben Bartch injured his elbow the opposite day, and the 49ers have given Connor Colby growing reps to problem Nick Zakelj at left guard, the spot previously occupied by Aaron Banks (now on the Packers).

After seventh-round choose Colby acquired some first-team reps Thursday, Shanahan famous he’s not a secret anymore, including: “You by no means have a man come out of faculty who’s going to should run as a lot as we ask him to as o-line. So, that all the time takes plenty of days, generally plenty of years. However I believe he’s improved so much right here in these final couple weeks.”

Colby is a 6-foot-5, 309-pound Iowa product, to which George Kittle mentioned: “It’s the primary time I’ve had an Iowa Hawkeye lineman on my workforce. At the very least I’m actually enthusiastic about that.”

2. LINEBACKER NICK MARTIN

Martin flashed all through final Saturday’s preseason debut, however not in a good way, from missed tackles to lacking crossing-route protection. Look, it was his first day on the job. This will probably be his second, so to talk, and the 49ers would like to see how he adjusts among the many workforce’s deepest place group.

“Nick has been a sponge ever since he’s gotten right here, and he has such a need to proceed to get higher,” mentioned Fred Warner, who advises rookies to deal with one factor every apply to get higher at relatively than too many duties.

“I like having a whole lot of younger guys on the workforce now as a result of they do convey the power,” Warner added. “I like the tenacity, he’s not afraid to thump someone, and I believe he’s solely going to proceed to get higher.”

3. RUNNING BACK COREY KINER

One other undrafted operating again is prospering within the Shanahan system. When Kiner’s 5-foot-9 body barreled via the Raiders’ protection Thursday, he acquired hit onerous by a cornerback, however then effortlessly did a somersault to point out off his athleticism.

Shanahan favored Kiner’s 10-carry, 45-yard debut final Saturday in opposition to the Broncos, saying, “He ran onerous. We’ll hold pushing him to get higher as a runner, however I simply cherished the mentality he ran with.”

Kiner may get one other in depth look, seeing how Christian McCaffrey hasn’t had a preseason carry since 2019, and the 49ers received’t have Isaac Guerendo (shoulder) nor Jordan James (finger). Jeff Wilson Jr. may get a 49ers carry for the primary time since 2022, and different choices within the backfield are Patrick Taylor Jr. and Ke’Shawn Vaughn.

4. TACKLE SPENCER BURFORD

Spencer Burford, notorious for lacking a block in that Tremendous Bowl additional time, has invested a whole lot of sweat fairness into switching from guard to Trent Williams’ understudy at left sort out. It’s not a straightforward transition, as evident by Tyree Wilson’s cross rushes Thursday, however the 49ers want Burford to maximise this preseason to organize for that position.

“It’s onerous since you put in one other sort out, it’s like, `Oh, it’s not Trent Williams,’” Kittle mentioned. “I nonetheless assume Spence is doing an excellent job and these reps are invaluable for him to get higher, so if something does occur, he’ll be able to go.”

With Jaylon Moore leaving in free company for the Chiefs’ beneficiant payday, Andre Dillard figured to rescue the swing-tackle dilemma upon debuting in apply Monday, solely to go on Injured Reserve three days later. Free agent assist? As Shanahan mentioned, “We’re all the time trying outdoors, but when there have been a whole lot of guys outdoors, they wouldn’t be outdoors.”

5. NEW-NAME DEFENSE

I hereby christen the “New Title Protection.” The 49ers primarily are conducting in-game auditions for defensive linemen who may stick round for the Sept. 7 opener as damage replacements.

They’ve signed eight defensive linemen in simply the previous 18 days: Jaylon Allen (No. 76), Bradlee Anae (injured reserve), Bruce Hector (No. 60), Michael Dwumfour (waived), Trevis Gipson (No. 56), Demone Harris (No. 67), William Bradley-King (No. 69), and, upon Friday’s signing, Shakel Brown, who frolicked final 12 months on the 49ers’ apply squad.

Brown is initially listed as No. 60, however that can also be assigned to Hector, so keep tuned for updates; tight finish Ross Dwelley was launched in a corresponding roster transfer.

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