2) Trent Brown: Really liking this kid. Kinda worried that he could at some point get too comfortable and get himself out of shape again, but the good news on that front is that I can't see this offensive system or training staff letting that happen. Monster of a man with quick feet. Might be one of those late round gems we've been hearing so much about. More on that later.
3) Andrew Tiller: I really had no idea what to expect from him last year when he came in. To me, he was "just a guy". This preseason though when I've looked at several but runs I've seen him right in the middle of them pushing his guy out of the hole. This guy was a free agent player who'd bounced around the league and the Niners signed him as a practice squad player. To be fair, there have been a few times I've seen him NOT hit his guy as well or flat miss the assignment, but all in all I think he's played very well next to Brown. Those two seem to be playing very well together...and that leads me to...
4) Anthony Davis: I really want to see what Anthony has at RG. Whats nice though is that (and I can't believe I'm saying this) BOTH of the guys he's competing with (Brown/Tiller) are good players. Its not a case of if you have 2 QBs you really have none (which actually might be the case at QB). Its three solid players with 2 positions available. I never would have though that to be the case last year while suffering through Pears/Devey. I think in the long run Davis might win this battle and Tiller will be a top backup, but there aren't only starters here now. There are also quality backups.
Also on Davis...I never had a problem with him leaving the team. It was a personal decision that I never had a problem with. I was dissappointed to see him go especially as late as he did so, but I didn't take issue with it. I did take issue with his comments via Twitter in the offseason. I actually tweeted him after one of them to tell him he'd lost a fan in me (not that I'd expect him to care in even the slightest amount. That was more for me than for him).
In the past few days though I've been really impressed. First by his attitude, second by his willingness to volunteer to make the move to RG and third by his ability to see that making that move served the TEAMS interest and not just his own. He recognized the potential in Brown and realized that stubbornly fighting to remain a RT wasn't what the team needed. It need its best players on the field at the same time. I dunno how this plays out yet, but I applaud him.
5) Carlos Hyde: PLEASE stay healthy. Thats not a comment BTW of the fumblitis of the guys behind him as I think thats more an abberation than anything else and I've really liked Mike Davis this preseason (reminds me a bit of Garrison Hearst). Its because if Hyde can stay healthy that dude is a monster. He's got everything but pure blazing top end speed. He could put up HUGE numbers in this offense and become a big star in this league.
6) Tank Carradine: Is that some life I'm seeing' from Tank? Is that the pass rusher I've been expecting to see ever since the day he was drafted? I kinda still think he's playing out of position as what he needs to do is play DE in a 4-3, but OLB seem to fit him much better than DE in a 3-4. Could he be a guy to really provide some rush this year? Pass rush is one of the biggest weaknesses of this team right now and SOMEONE stepping up from the OLB position would be HUGE.
7) Ronald Blair: That dude is a player. How the hell did he last till the 5th round? That guy is going to see some playing time and he'll be a force in this league. I don't know how they'll end up using him with Armstead and Buckner as your starters at DE, but they have to find ways to get him on the field.
8) Vance McDonald: What? Is that another draft pick from a few years ago really starting to turn it around? Hyper Athletic, big and strong. His issue has always been concentration and his hands, but the dude has always had the measurable. Preseason isn't the regular season, but it really seems he might be poised to have a big year right when the Niners could use it most. Funny....It seems I'm finding a number of drafted guys here lately that are making their mark.
9) Trent Baalke: I know there are so many here who hate the guy and want to see him axed, but look around right now who has been playing well this preseason and in Training Camp. Trent Brown. Carlos Hyde. Tank Carradine. Ronald Blair. Vance McDonald. Arik Armstead. DeForest Buckner. Jimmie Ward. Eric Reid. Mike Davis (fumbles aside). Jaquiski Tartt. Aaron Lynch (more last few seasons than preseason).
These guys are all draft picks. Those are all guys playing well. There are several high picks there but there are a few mid to late rounders as well.
There are several more who look promising like Joshua Garnett or Rashard Robinson. QB is obviously a huge hole, but the talent on this roster is nowhere near as bad as the media and public at large would have you believe. In fact there are young players with talent all over the roster and Trent Baalke deserves some credit for that. The 49ers may not be great this year as the QB spot is still a big question mark and they have a rough schedule, but through two preseason games (and you always have to be careful how seriously you take them) the talent on this roster is pretty damn good in a few spots. O-Line, D-Line, DB (Safety in particular), and RB really stand out.
This may not fit the narrative so many want to push, but I think people need to give some credit where its due.
10) Week 3: This next one is always the preseason game we look the most forward to as its the one the starters play the longest, but it has added importance with Kap hopefully making his 2016 debut. Here's hoping for health and quite honestly lets hope for Kap to show he's the guy for the future. Not counting on it by any stretch, but a guy can hope. :)
[ Edited by Marvin49 on Aug 22, 2016 at 10:08 AM ]