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, in April, signed a one-year deal to remain with the San Francisco 49ers. He didn't have an opportunity to sufficiently prove his worth last year, landing on injured reserve after trying to return from a torn Achilles. This time, however, it was because of an ankle injury suffered a year ago during training camp.
In the cornerback's six NFL seasons, he has only once managed to keep off of injured reserve. He had a brief appearance last year during Week 3 against the Pittsburgh Steelers before the 49ers decided to shelve him or the season.
San Francisco initially gambled on Verrett, hoping to get the player from 2015 who earned a Pro Bowl selection. It gambled again this offseason by re-signing him.
"Gamble," by the way, is a word used by head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch.
"We definitely like the player and the person we gambled on,"
Shanahan said last season. "He's done everything he can to get back."
Said Lynch last offseason: "He hasn't been healthy, so there's a lot of risk-reward there, but we wanted to add there, and we took a gamble. We think that's a good flyer."
The two "gambles" may pay off this season, as Verrett is among those competing for the right to start opposite Richard Sherman. The GPS device embedded in his shoulder pads recently clocked a speed of 22.2 mph during training camp, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic. A similar device recorded him hitting a mark of 22.5 mph with the Chargers in 2014.
"I was definitely happy with that,"
Verrett told Barrows on Saturday. "After all the surgeries that I've been through, just being able to get to the 21 and the 22 (mph) mark. And I definitely credit the strength coaching staff for getting me back to those speed marks."
Verrett has been solid in training camp. While Emmanuel Moseley, who started against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV, is considered the frontrunner for the job opposite Sherman, Verrett is garnering a lot of attention from coaches.
"Verrett has a new confidence," defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said this week.
We'll have to wait and see if his training camp outings are enough to unseat Moseley and fend off Ahkello Witherspoon.
"He's way further along this year,"
Sherman said this week. "His feet look incredible. His confidence is rising with every day. He's so sound, and he's so hard on himself, and so tough on himself. But he's been fantastic at the line of scrimmage. That's something that, coming into camp, he wanted to improve on, and something that he's improved drastically on just from last year.
"In his best years, he was incredible at the line of scrimmage. I think he's regaining that form and that confidence, and it's been exciting to see for our team."
The San Francisco 49ers will hold a mandatory minicamp from June 4 through 6, officially concluding the team's offseason program. After that, the Niners will break for over a month and return to the Santa Clara facilities for training camp in late July.
Between that time, starting quarterbacks will often organize throwing sessions with their receivers in an effort to build chemistry ahead of the rigors of training camp. 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has been unable to participate in such sessions over the last two years. The last overall draft pick in 2022, Purdy had yet to make a name for himself during his first offseason. Last year, he was still recovering from offseason surgery on his throwing arm.
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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
