Shanahan's son chauffeuring around Kittle, Juszczyk in Cabo
Everyone is taking a much-needed break from the rigors of the 2020 season. That includes the Shanahans, Kittles, and Juszczyks. All three families, and possibly others, are in Cabo San Lucas right now. Kyle Juszczyk's wife, Kristin, shared a photo via an Instagram story of Kyle Shanahan's son, Carter, chauffeuring around the fullback and tight end George Kittle on the golf course, and looking like he is having an amazing time doing so.
@limajuliettango on Twitter screen-captured the photo from Instagram.
George Kittle and Kyle Juszczyk are letting Kyle Shanahan's son, Carter, chauffeur them around the golf course in Cabo.
— Lydia (@limajuliettango) January 20, 2021
They're obviously the fun uncles. #49ers | #TheKidsTightEnd pic.twitter.com/t70Eec7WiA
Maybe Carter is a Shanahan-designated agent trying to convince Juszczyk, an impending free agent, to resume his football career with the 49ers.
Falcons let go of OL coach Chris Morgan
The Atlanta Falcons let go of offensive line coach Chris Morgan. He had been with the team since 2015 and spent those first two seasons working with then-offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. The two previously worked together in Washington. Those with experience running Shanahan's scheme are in high-demand across the NFL.
Falcons coach Arthur Smith let OL coach Chris Morgan go today, I'm told. Morgan was initially brought to Atlanta by Kyle Shanahan—so he's an interesting name with that scheme popping up everywhere.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) January 20, 2021
The 49ers recently lost offensive line coach John Benton to the New York Jets and reportedly replaced him with assistant offensive line coach Chris Foerster.
Three 49ers earn Pro Football Focus recognition
Three 49ers players earned recognition from analytics site Pro Football Focus. Trent Williams was named the best overall tackle after finishing the 2020 season with an overall grade of 91.9.
"Williams has been one of the best tackles in football for nearly his entire career, so it shouldn't come as a surprise to see him top this list. There were some concerns about how he would bounce back after missed time in 2018 and an entire missed 2019 season due to injury, but it didn't look like Williams missed a beat. He was the highest-graded run-blocker in the NFL this season at the tackle position (91.8) and allowed just 19 pressures on 535 pass-blocking snaps. Bringing him in for only a fifth- and third-round pick was good work by the 49ers' front office."
Fred Warner was recognized as the best overall linebacker after finishing the season with an overall grade of 88.6.
"Warner's instincts and feel in zone coverage paired with his athleticism make him a strong candidate for best coverage linebacker in the NFL. That's exactly what he was this season, per PFF grade, as his 91.1 coverage grade led all linebackers. Not only did he grade higher than any other player at the position this season, but it's also clear that he's among the leaders in the 49ers' locker room after being named the winner of the Len Eshmont Award and the Bill Walsh Award for the 2020 season in San Francisco — awards voted on by the players and coaches, respectively."
Finally, Jason Verrett was named the biggest surprise of the 2020 season, which he finished with an overall grade of 77.6.
"Alex Smith's dramatic return from injury in Washington makes him the favorite to take home the Comeback Player of the Year award, but Verrett is a very deserving candidate after dealing with a number of significant injuries year after year. After earning an 88.4 overall grade in 2015, Verrett played just 327 defensive snaps in the four subsequent seasons. The fact he could come back this season and play like an upper-tier cornerback again with a 77.6 PFF grade and a 76.3 passer rating allowed is one of the most impressive stories of the season."
Williams and Verrett are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents while Warner is preparing to enter the final year of his rookie deal.
