Justin Smith has left the building; No Bruce in sight

San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa has already earned the coveted NFL Defensive Player of the Year award, three years after being named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. According to new 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, the talented pass rusher has his eyes set on more significant achievements. Wilks believes Bosa is among the few who are completely dedicated to their craft and trying to get better every day, comparing the 49ers defender to players like Luke Kuechly and Brian Urlacher. "And all those guys that I just mentioned, along with Bosa, is about really trying to create a legacy," Wilks said on Wednesday. "And that was probably one of the things that I did talk about, beyond just him as a person. It's just What are we building

Veteran kicker Zane Gonzalez missed a field goal from 43 yards out during Wednesday's practice. Rookie kicker Jake Moody made all four of his attempts, including a 53-yarder. #49ers kicker updateJake Moody made FG attempts from 33, 38, 43 and 53, while Zane Gonzalez missed from 43 and made kicks from 33, 38 and 48 yards.— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) May 31,

Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus went through all 32 NFL teams and picked a reason for optimism for each heading into the 2023 season. For example, last season's five-win Denver Broncos got a new Super Bowl-winning head coach in Sean Payton. Kenny Pickett could be ready for a second-year leap with the Pittsburgh Steelers (Hopefully, not in Week 1, though). What's the reason for optimism for the San Francisco 49ers? Sikkema admits that picking just one reason is challenging, so he went with the team's elite roster. San Francisco has stockpiled talented playmakers at almost every level. "Yes, their quarterback situation is still up in the air," wrote Sikkema. "But

NFL Media personality Adam Rank recently published his "State of the 2023 San Francisco 49ers" feature for NFL.com, an annual look at the state of the franchise and projections for the upcoming season. Among those predictions are the team's most valuable player and breakout star. Christian McCaffrey is the most obvious choice for MVP, and he's the guy Rank selected. The star running back was traded in late October to the 49ers and still contributed 1,210 total yards and 10 total touchdowns with his new team, totaling an impressive 1,880 yards and 13 touchdowns on the season. Rank can't wait to see what McCaffrey does for an encore