General manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan drew some criticism during last year's draft when the San Francisco 49ers selected defensive lineman Kentavius Street in the fourth round. That was because the previous general manager would frustrate the fanbase by taking chances on players coming off ACL injuries, knowing they were unlikely to contribute during their rookie NFL seasons.
That was the case with Street, who suffered an ACL injury, not during his final collegiate season, but during the pre-draft process.
"It was much talked about," Lynch said during his Friday-morning
KNBR interview on the "Murph and Mac" show. "I've heard there was a little history of drafting ACL guys before we got here. I heard a little bit about it that weekend."
Regardless of the outside chatter, Lynch and the 49ers felt they found value with the selection.
As expected, Street did not contribute last year and spent his rookie season on injured reserve. He looked set to make his NFL debut this year, but a setback forced him to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his knee, which, once again, landed the defender on injured reserve.
With several key contributors ailing or out for the remainder of the season, Street appears set to finally make that NFL debut he has dreamed of for so long.
"You try to find value in the draft, and he's a guy we really liked, everybody, as we looked at him," Lynch continued. "We drafted him, and last year, he came back, but had some complications with his knee and went to IR. And then this year, couldn't quite make it, but how nice is it to have a guy like that kind of ready?
"We're going through the practice week, and he's been practicing well. It looks like as we put D.J. (Jones on injured reserve), Kentavius will have an opportunity, and we're excited for that. I know he's excited for that.
"A really good football player. Can play outside and inside, adds some versatility. I think we'll primarily play him on the inside, but good, strong football player, and we're looking forward -- hasn't played football in a while, so there will be a little adjustment, but he's been practicing here the last couple of weeks, looking really good."
Lynch added that the 49ers would place D.J. Jones on injured reserve on Friday, and Street will likely take his roster spot.
"I feel completely back to normal now," Street told reporters on Thursday. "Like, even coming back and practicing (during) training camp, OTAs, it still felt a little bit limiting. But right now is probably the best I've felt since prior to the injury."
Street added that he is ready to do whatever the 49ers coaches ask of him, whether that means playing on the interior of the defensive line, along the edge, cornerback, wide receiver, left tackle, whatever.
"I'd protect [Jimmy Garoppolo]," Street jokingly added.
You can listen to the entire conversation with Lynch below.
Brock Purdy started throwing this week, and it sounds like the San Francisco 49ers are pleased with their second-year quarterback's progress. While Purdy isn't doing anything overly taxing, it is the first time he is throwing a football—albeit reportedly a lighter-weighted one.
Purdy underwent surgery on March 10 to repair the tear of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow, an injury suffered against the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game. His recovery is expected to last into late August or early September—barring any setbacks.
"There are certain markers that you hit," general manager John Lynch said Wednesday morning on SiriusXM NFL Radio. "He was 12 weeks out, and that meant it was time to throw. He did so and
Over the offseason, there has been significant talk surrounding the San Francisco 49ers and their quarterbacks, especially after the team signed Sam Darnold in free agency, providing them three capable options with starting experience in the former Carolina Panther, Brock Purdy, and Trey Lance.
Purdy is evidently the leader in the clubhouse, as stated by general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan several times this offseason, but many have pointed out his flaws, such as the inability to make throws downfield, as a reason why one of the other quarterbacks could win over the starting job with a strong performance in organized team activities(OTAs) and training camp.
What do the 49ers believe about Purdy's downfield ability?
General manager
During an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio, San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch once again called Brock Purdy the "leader in the clubhouse" when it comes to the team's starting quarterback job. Purdy earned that with his superb play last season as a rookie, helping guide the 49ers to eight consecutive wins before an NFC Championship Game loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Purdy suffered a UCL tear in that game and will miss most or all of this offseason. That opens the door for Trey Lance or Sam Darnold to impress coaches and potentially climb the depth chart. Lance opened last season as the 49ers' starter but suffered a season-ending ankle injury during Week 2.
The 49ers haven't lost faith in their former No. 3 overall draft pick. They still see a lot
NFL Media's Cynthia Frelund took on her annual offseason task of identifying the league's most underappreciated player for each team. The San Francisco 49ers certainly have their share of play-making superstars, from names like Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle on offense to Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, and Talanoa Hufanga on defense.
So how do you determine a team's "underappreciated" contributor?
"First, I calculate and then rank each player's season-long contribution metric by team (win share)," Frelund explains. "To sum it up without getting overly technical, the contribution metric (or win share) measures each
