49ers Notebook: What’s the plan for Dee Ford? And why chasing Baker Mayfield will be fun… sort of

The upcoming NFL Draft holds special significance for the San Francisco 49ers, with ties to several familiar faces from the team's past. A handful of legacy players hope to make their mark, possibly receiving a life-changing call from 49ers general manager John Lynch. Brenden Rice, son of Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice, is one such player. The former USC wideout is projected to be a fourth-round draft pick and had the opportunity to meet with the 49ers at the NFL Scouting Combine. When asked about the possibility of joining his father's former team, Brenden confidently expressed, "Honestly, I just

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy achieved a remarkable feat in 2023, setting a single-season franchise record with 4,280 passing yards. This accomplishment is noteworthy, considering the illustrious quarterbacks who have graced the organization's history. A significant portion of those yards came from wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who amassed a career-high and team-leading 1,342 receiving yards. Most of his 75 catches originated from passes thrown by Purdy. Amidst significant offseason chatter surrounding the 49ers' star receiver, including several unsubstantiated trade rumors, Aiyuk's future remains uncertain. Former NFL player James Jones, now an analyst, expressed concern for Purdy should Aiyuk's tenure in the Bay Area come to an end. "I

The San Francisco 49ers appear to have found their quarterback. It was a bumpy road on the journey to locate him, too. There was the up-and-down tenure of Jimmy Garoppolo, whose relationship with Head Coach Kyle Shanahan seemed dysfunctional, at times. Then there was the short-lived Trey Lance experiment. Garoppolo and Lance are no longer being with the team, and one major reason is the emergence of Brock Purdy as the team's QB. Purdy finished his second season with a trip to the Super Bowl, after having a Pro Bowl season in which he finished with 4,280 yards and 31 touchdowns. He also led the league in multiple statistics, including passer rating (113.0) and QBR (72.8). Additionally, Purdy finished fourth in NFL MVP voting. But a year ago, no one knew what to

Brandon Aiyuk has been clear about his desire to receive fair compensation from the San Francisco 49ers—or any NFL team, for that matter. "I'm trying to get what I deserve," Aiyuk said last month on a podcast. "I feel like this season, this season playing football, I figured out who I was as a person and a player — what I bring to the table, what I bring to the locker room, what I bring to the organization." General manager John Lynch affirms that the 49ers aim to keep Aiyuk around, enduring he remains with the team for the remainder of his career. However, a recent report states there's