Davis vies for starting role

A lot of newer young players will need to step up to the plate in order to fill the void left in the once potent 49ers' secondary after former starting cornerback Jason Verrett went down for the season with a torn ACL. Even prior to the heart-breaking loss in arguably the most important defensive unit this season, the secondary depth, especially the cornerback, was a red flag. Behind Verrett was an injured Emmanuel Moseley and two unproven rookie cornerbacks, who had size and skill concerns as they were taken after the first two rounds, not a great place to invest in a premium position. Fifth-round rookie Deommodore Lenoir however, has been a very pleasant surprise for San Fransisco, at least through preseason and Week 1 of the NFL season. Lenoir allowed a 0.0 passer rating

Pass rusher Dee Ford is among the players the San Francisco 49ers have been careful with this offseason. The veteran defender is entering his third season with the team. However, his time with the Niners has been riddled with injuries. Ford missed all but one game last season due to a back injury. Some even wondered whether or not the pass rusher would step onto a football field again. Ford, 30, has reportedly looked good during his limited training-camp reps and the coaching staff expects him to continue harassing opposing quarterbacks again in 2021. Ford isn't expecting to be an every-down player, though. "Like any injury, we're going to start with a pitch count, a standard for any injury," Ford told reporters after today's practice. "My role is to do what they

The start of the 2021 NFL season is just days away, and everyone is making last-minute efforts to predict the outcome. That includes ESPN, which ran its annual Football Power Index (FPI) simulation of the entire 285-game schedule 20,000 times to project what will happen. ESPN used the simulations to predict the win total for each team and give a good idea of who might win Super Bowl 56 at SoFi Stadium in February. What happens in the NFC West, according to the simulation? The San Francisco 49ers start strong with a 4-1 record, tied for the best among the NFC. The Rams also start 4-1 while the Arizona

The San Francisco 49ers released their practice and media schedule for this week, and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will speak with reporters on Wednesday. Why is that noteworthy? It should eliminate any doubt about the team's Week 1 starter. Not that there has been much doubt leading into this week. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has always indicated that the 49ers plan to start Garoppolo this season, giving the No. 3 overall pick, Trey Lance, time to sit behind the veteran and continue learning the offense. Besides, Lance is still recovering from the chipped finger bone he suffered during the team's preseason finale against the Las Vegas Raiders. A team's starting