John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
For the first time in his NFL career, San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman
Arik Armstead does not have to learn a new system. He is grateful for the continuity carried over from last year when he first started working with head coach Kyle Shanahan and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.
"I've had three new coaches in my first three years," Armstead said on Wednesday. "It definitely feels good to be in the same system and not have to relearn a whole new scheme. You get more comfortable in it the second year."
The 49ers picked up Armstead's $9 million fifth-year option, which will keep him with the team through the 2019 season.
"It feels good to be wanted," he said. "I think everybody wants to be wanted. I think they have faith in me, in my ability moving forward, and it feels good to be wanted in this organization. I've loved being here since I got here a couple of years ago. I'm from Northern California so being wanted by this team is great. I think we're building something special here and I want to be a part of it."
How did Armstead find out that his fifth-year option was picked up by the 49ers? While general manager John Lynch discussed the possibility with him during last season, the defensive lineman wasn't privy to any insider information when the move was made.
"I just saw it on the internet like everybody else," Armstead said.
Injuries have plagued Armstead's NFL career. He is coming off a shortened 2017 season that saw him break his hand during a Week 6 matchup against the Washington Redskins. The 49ers placed Armstead on injured reserve on October 17, 2017. His 2016 campaign also ended on injured reserve. Armstead played in just eight games with four starts before a nagging shoulder injury and surgery finished his season.
"I've been hurt two years in a row," Armstead said. "Definitely have a lot to prove and looking forward to having a healthy season. I know what I'm capable of when I'm on the field."
Armstead notices the online criticism regarding his injuries. He even
defended himself via Twitter last season when fans questioned his toughness because they wanted to see him play with a cast. It was later revealed that a cast was not an option for Armstead due to the severity of the injury. Even Saleh defended his player.
"If he could have played with a club, he would have played with a club," Saleh said in October. "If he can play with one hand, he'll play with one hand. It's just unfortunate, the injury he had, the location of where it was."
"Of course there's critics and fans want players to be out there and not be hurt, but part of football is being injured," Armstead said on Wednesday. "I can't control that. All I can control is if I do get hurt, trying to rehab, and get back healthy, and play to the best of my ability. Those people don't really understand what's going on so you look at it and you brush it off.
"Just trying to keep that confidence in myself. I have a strong support system, and people who love me and think highly of me. That's all that matters."
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
