49ers expect draft picks to sign by the end of the week

There has been a lot of speculation surrounding San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo's NFL future. Will he remain in the Bay Area next season? Will the 49ers look to the draft or free agency to move in a different direction? On Tuesday, head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke with reporters via Zoom from his home and was asked about Garoppolo's future. "I expect Jimmy to be our starter next year," Shanahan said. "I mean, I expect him to come play with us this year (after he recovers from his ankle injury). We have six games left. We are not out of the playoffs yet. I've been on a team that was 3-6 going into a bye week that ended up winning their division. "I think we have guys on this team capable of finishing this the right way. We've got to do

Reporters did not see San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel during today's practice, which is the last of this week before the team boards a plane bound for New Orleans. That means the second-year wideout did not practice at all this week, making his availability for Sunday's game against the Saints very unlikely. Samuel is attempting to return from a hamstring injury suffered during the 49ers' Week 7 win over the New England Patriots. General manager John Lynch had hoped Samuel might be able to get onto the practice field today but noted that his availability for this weekend remained a long shot. "I think the final challenge or opportunity for Deebo to show that he can go is out here on Friday,"

The San Francisco 49ers are currently scheduled to have a lot of their players hit free agency next offseason. A lot. Thirty-four players are scheduled to become either an unrestricted free agent or a restricted free agent, according to Spotrac.com. Seven more are scheduled to become exclusive-rights free agents. One of the team's biggest names scheduled to hit free agency is offensive tackle Trent Williams, who has played just nine games with the team. San Francisco traded for the seven-time Pro Bowl selection in April to replace the retiring Joe Staley. ESPN's Kevin Seifert