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Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn jumped on a conference call with Bay Area media to discuss his upcoming matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.
Quinn seemed especially impressed with the 49ers running backs and
Carlos Hyde in particular. Cam Inman of
Bay Area News Group asked about the 49ers' differences between the first half and the second half and why the team is struggling later in games. Quinn responded, "That's a funky one because I think something that happens to them -- there's not like a -- how do you measure it? Why does it happen? What's the scores of the game?
"What I can say is that coming out, they look really, really well established in terms of how to run the ball. I was impressed in the past by Hyde. It looks like he's running better this year than in the past. Would you guys agree with that?"
Inman and Matt Maiocco of
CSN Bay Area agreed with Maiocco pointing out that Hyde has been healthier this season. Quinn asked, "Is that what it is? Because just playing against him, I've watched him and I thought he was tough and fast and then this year, between him and
[DuJuan] Harris and
Shaun [Draughn], I thought, 'The running backs look terrific.' I was going to tell [running backs coach Tom] Rathman after the game, not beforehand so don't let it out."
"As far as the second half, I don't have a good reason behind that," Quinn continued. "I'm not exactly familiar with all of the numbers that would go into that."
Quinn was then asked about
QB Colin Kaepernick. Inman asked, "Has anything changed in terms of how you would prepare to face him other than tell the guys on the edge not to let him get around?"
"That would be good advice and we definitely said that one pretty early," Quinn answered. "I know his yards per carry are ridiculously high. Is that the highest it's been somebody had told me?" The two reporters confirmed that.
"He looks faster but leaner," Quinn continued. "Of course, I haven't seen him in person, but the quick gain and the boost, those are the things that he throws so well because he can rip those. Whether it's the keepers that come outside and the quick gains, I always felt that part was good. Even during Jim's [Harbaugh] time, the gun runs and his ability to read it at the line of scrimmage, I thought was really good.
"And then I always thought he was a tough competitor. A guy, you'd hit him, and he'd just battle back. I don't know if it feels different to me in terms of a style of how he is playing in terms of his makeup. Does that make sense? He looks similar other than leaner and faster."
The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of wide receiver Trent Taylor to a one-year deal, reuniting with the team's former fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was the first to report that the 49ers were discussing a potential reunion with Taylor. The receiver was part of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's first draft class in 2017 and spent his first four NFL seasons with the team.
The #49ers are talking with free-agent slot receiver/return man
The San Francisco 49ers are hosting several draft prospects this week as the deadline for pre-draft visits draws near. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the team will host former Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley on Wednesday.
Corley is expected to be a Day 2 pick. San Francisco owns two selections on Day 2—the No. 63 overall pick in the second round and the No. 94 overall pick in the third round. Currently, the receiver is visiting with the Seattle Seahawks.
Western Kentucky @WKUFootball receiver Malachi Worley
Ian Rapoport didn't offer much of an update on the ongoing contract negotiations between the San Francisco 49ers and their standout wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk. However, the NFL insider emphasized one thing: The team is not entertaining trade discussions at this juncture.
Reacting to Aiyuk's decision to unfollow the 49ers on Instagram, Rapoport couldn't help but chuckle at the latest development. This practice has become commonplace among players who are unhappy with their contract situations. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel similarly took this action in 2022 before requesting to be traded just before the draft.
Things have yet to escalate that far with Aiyuk, but Rapoport sees his
Analyst Dane Brugler recently revealed his seven-round mock draft for The Athletic, forecasting all 257 selections in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft, set to kick off next week.
"Piecing together a mock like this is time consuming, but I enjoy the exercise, because it allows me to focus on each team's needs, organizational trends and prospect-team pairings that make sense based on '30' visits, league buzz and overall interest," Brugler wrote.
Most expect the 49ers to address the trenches early in the draft, and Brugler has the team doing that. It's just not on the offensive side of the football. In fact, Brugler doesn't have San Francisco
