49ers Inactives: O-line coach tests positive for COVID-19, slim pickings again at nickel

It's very clear that San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman expects to be with another team in 2021. He'll hit free agency in a month, and the three-time first-team All-Pro will begin his hunt for one last contract before calling it a career. "I only want to play two more (seasons)," Sherman told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith last week. "I want to get on a competitive team. I think I still have a lot to give to the game. I think I still have a lot that I want to accomplish, and I think I can go out there and help a defense come together like it should, and reach their potential, reach the heights that the defenses that I've played on have

NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah had the San Francisco 49ers selecting former Florida tight end Kyle Pitts in his first mock draft, released last month. In his latest mock draft for NFL.com, the draft analyst has John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan bolstering their offensive line, adding former Northwestern offensive tackle Rashawn Slater. Offensive tackle Trent Williams is scheduled to become a free agent next month and will require a hefty annual salary to stay with San Francisco. He's worth it, though.

The Athletic's NFL writers conducted a first-round mock draft, with Matt Barrows selecting for the San Francisco 49ers. General manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan own the No. 12 overall pick, and could go in several directions. Some wonder if the team might even make a move to add a rookie quarterback. This mock draft, like many others, has the top four quarterback prospects long gone before the 49ers' first selection. Not that Barrows would have gone in that direction anyway. Cornerback Patrick Surtain II of Alabama heads to the Dallas Cowboys at No. 10. The New York Giants select tight end Kyle Pitts of Florida at

Last year, Kyle Shanahan watched as Patrick Mahomes rallied his team late in the Super Bowl to dash the San Francisco 49ers' hopes of a sixth championship. With Deshaun Watson wanting out of Houston and interested teams contemplating what it might take to acquire the quarterback, should he force a trade, the coach has to look back at 2017 with at least a little regret. The 49ers could have had Watson — or Mahomes for that matter — and perhaps never would have had to wonder "what if?" The 49ers passed on both quarterbacks because the plan was to acquire Kirk Cousins during the rebuilding process. So Shanahan and general manager John Lynch used their first-ever draft pick as a duo on defensive lineman Solomon Thomas. It's been assumed that Shanahan is