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Former San Francisco 49ers quarterbacks coach Rich Scangarello went against his old team for the first time. Although, it was only a joint practice. Still, the new Denver Broncos offensive coordinator was impressed with the energy of the 49ers defense during Friday's practice. He sounded less impressed with his offense.
"I thought it was very choppy, and I thought it felt like they got after us up front a little bit," Scangarello told reporters after the practice.
The 49ers defense was loud on Friday, and several in attendance felt the unit outperformed its counterparts, at least in intensity.
Scangarello was asked what his message to the offense was after the practice.
"My message is we've got to meet their intensity," he responded. "Obviously, part of it is, I think, they're playing a different style than they've played in the past, and they're doing a good job of it, and it's different for us. You're not game-planning necessarily for the practice, so we have to adapt and adjust."
One coach who was excited about the defense's intensity was 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who was proud of the tone his unit set during practice.
"You know what, I'm pumped for our guys because they came out with the intent to continue with the message that we've been delivering with, that relentless pursuit, being violent, but obviously being clean," Saleh said. "They came out here today, and they didn't skip a beat being on the road. Felt good, felt their energy out there, so it was good. It was a good day."
Broncos quarterback Joe Flacco also noticed the intensity of the 49ers defense.
"I think they brought a lot of energy, so I think it was good for our team to kind of go up against that," Flacco told reporters. "I think we could definitely do a better job than we did today, but that's what this is all about. It's about getting some good work against some high-intensity guys, and some different looks that we haven't seen in a while, and things like that."
Flacco noted that defenses are often the most intense, even in games. It's up to the offense to play well, set the pace, and calm the defense down.
"I think we've just got to learn how to do that a little bit," Flacco added.
Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner was a standout on the 49ers defense last season after racking up a career-high 12 sacks and earning his first Pro Bowl selection. The 25-year old fourth-year player was also one of the standouts from Friday's joint practice.
"He's probably one of the best three or four interior players in this league," Scangarello said of Buckner. "He's always going to be tough to block, and if you're not planning around him, he's going to cause problems."
The 49ers and Broncos have one more joint practice scheduled for Saturday morning at 9:15 a.m. MT (8:15 a.m. PT). The two teams will play a preseason game against each other at Mile High Stadium on Monday night.
If the San Francisco 49ers decide to trade wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, it's likely to occur within the next four days—before or during Day 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft. Despite some unconfirmed rumors, there has been no concrete indication that a trade is imminent. Previously, the 49ers had expressed a desire to retain Aiyuk for the foreseeable future.
Aiyuk's agent, Ryan Williams, has swiftly refuted rumors, including one alleging that the receiver had requested a trade, claiming that the Pittsburgh Steelers were "aggressively pursuing" the receiver.
While no official trade request
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
