Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
Defensive lineman Solomon Thomas always seemed like a square peg that the San Francisco 49ers were trying to fit into a round hole. The round hole, of course, being an outside pass rusher along the defensive line. The square holes are along the interior. That's where Thomas flourished in college.
Perhaps not the best idiomatic expression to use, but it gets the point across. It was often frustrating for fans to see Thomas moved around the defensive line as if the 49ers didn't really know what to do with the defender. Head coach Kyle Shanahan indicated on Thursday during a
KNBR interview that wasn't the case. The 49ers simply lacked productive outside pass rushers and needed to be creative to generate pressure along the edges.
While defensive tackle DeForest Buckner racked up a career-high 12 sacks last season, no other player had six or more. Thomas had one.
Shanahan now hopes added depth on the edges will allow Thomas to play where he is, and always has been, more of a natural fit.
"I'm real excited about Solly," Shanahan said on the "Murph and Mac" show. "It's been a tough situation these last two years for him. First of all, we didn't have the amount of edge rushers we wanted, and Solly's got the ability to play any of the four positions (along the defensive line).
"But his strength is rushing inside on third down. That's also Buckner's (strength). That's also (Arik) Armstead's. And so you've got to think of guys to put on the outside, so Solly didn't get as many opportunities that fit his number one skillset. So I do think we'll be able to use him more in the right spots, now that we've got some other guys to do that job."
Of course, the 49ers are down a few defensive ends with the team's first preseason game right around the corner. Rookie
Nick Bosa will
miss at least the entire preseason with an ankle injury. Dee Ford is missing time as he
deals with knee tendinitis. San Francisco has been without
Arik Armstead (calf) and Ronald Blair (groin).
Still, once healthy, the 49ers defensive line is deeper than it has been in years. That will only help Thomas flourish at his natural position.
Also contributing to a down sophomore NFL season for Thomas was the loss of his sister early last year. It impacted him and his play throughout most of the season.
"Everyone knows that he was struggling," Shanahan said. "Just to watch how different he is this year, and to watch just how he talks to you and carries a conversation, and just to see it in his face, you can tell how much that bothered him and affected him.
"I feel (he's) a guy who's got a clear mind, who has a lot of confidence right now. I love the style in how we're coaching him. He's just going and reacting, and using really what his true skills are."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Shanahan below.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy threw for a franchise-record 4,280 yards last season, leading the team to the Super Bowl and earning his first Pro Bowl selection. He held onto the football 39 times on the ground, rushing for 144 yards and scoring twice. This marked a significant improvement over his rookie 2022 campaign when he had 22 carries for 13 yards and a score.
Purdy further displayed his athleticism during the 49ers' playoff game against the Detroit Lions last season, helping engineer a comeback victory while rushing for 48 yards on five carries.
On Tuesday morning, Purdy joined the "Pat McAfee Show," acknowledging that he believes he can contribute more rushing yards if called upon. However, that decision rests with head coach Kyle Shanahan,
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
