49ers will activate Aldon Smith today

Following the 49ers' practice session on Thursday, quarterback Trey Lance spoke publicly for the first time since June while defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans chatted with reporters about what he's seen so far from his side of the ball -- and from the quarterback his defense has been facing. Lance spoke on a number of topics, including what he thought of his first two days of training camp as the team's starter. Ryans offered his views of Lance, as well as what he's seen from some of the key players in the secondary and on the defensive line. Plus, there was an interesting Twitter quote Thursday from former 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman, who expects to see big things from his former defensive teammates this season. Here's a run-down of all of

Co-hosts Rohan Chakravarthi and Marco Martinez rejoice after the first week of 49ers Training Camp, breaking down everything that Rohan saw and Marco heard, as well as the recent news surrounding Deebo Samuel and his contract extension. The audio for the show is embedded above, while the video is available

In 2021, the San Francisco 49ers had one of the best defenses in the NFL, ranking third in yards allowed per game, fifth in yards per carry, fifth in sacks, and seventh in defensive DVOA, according to Football Outsiders. Linebacker Fred Warner echoed that sentiment last week on the Rich Eisen Show, believing that the 49ers' defense will get better in 2022, based on who they returned to the team and the added fire stemming from their loss in the NFC Championship Game in 2021. "The expectation is to be the best always, to be the No. 1 defense. Last season, I feel like we had a really good year. I don't know what we finished in the rankings for overall defense, but I know we were at the top. I know that, given what we did last year, and who we're bringing

Earlier this morning, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero shared the latest news on Deebo Samuel and his contract extension, stating that while there isn't a finalized deal, both the 49ers and Samuel's camp continue to talk about a long-term deal ahead of Tuesday, when the 49ers' players are due to report to training camp. "There's no deal done yet, but the 49ers continue to talk to Deebo Samuel's agent Tory Dandy about a long-term contract extension that would keep him in San Francisco. The fact that they're even talking is really significant when you go back to where this began in April [with] Deebo Samuel requesting a trade. [He] didn't show up to OTAs throughout the offseason, [but] did show up to minicamp." Pelissero noted that Deebo Samuel likely will not hold out