Hello, and welcome to the forty nine Ers First and ten Podcast, ten minutes of the most up to date forty nine Ers news first thing in the morning. I'm your host Brian McDonald, and I'm with forty nine Ers team reporter Lindsay Plares, and together we're going to break down the forty nine Ers initial fifty three man roster for the twenty twenty four season, introducing you to your twenty twenty four guys and getting into the nitty gritty, going position by position.
Lindsey, how you feeling pretty good?
Wanted to start and preface this with this is the roster as we had the list Tuesday afternoon. By later today this could look a lot different, and likely will because there's usually corresponding roster moves, practice, squad announcements, all that coming.
So keep that in mind as we're going through this list.
Yes, stay tuned to forty nine ers dot com. We have all the information dropping immediately there. But let's dive into it.
Let's go into quarterbacks, our quarterbacks for this year, your QB one Brock Party. Also Joshua Dobbs and Brandon Allen tell us about the decision to keep three on the roster this year.
This is a decision the forty nine Ers have gone with now for three straight years, and given that the NFL has implemented the emergency quarterback role as of twenty twenty three, not surprising at all. And also I wouldn't put too much stock into the order in which we're saying these names behind Brock Purty, Neither Josh Dobbs or Brandon Allen have officially been named. San Francis goes backup QB. That decision is going to come from head coach Kyle Shanahan,
and we have not heard about it yet. One thing to note, Josh Dobbs is a newcomer to this group. He has done a fair amount of jumping around the NFL. This is I believe, his fourth system in about a year's time. But he's really shown his athletic ability and his ability to pick up this very complicated offensive scheme
in the opportunities that he saw in the preseason. For Brandon Allen, this is his second year with the forty nine ers and he's looking a lot more comfortable under center and in the system, and that's what we've heard from him throughout preseason and the training camp.
Yeah, with that QB two spot still undefined. What have you seen from Josh Doabbs and Brandon Allen in the preseason?
You know, I think both are very capable quarterbacks and also Shanahan did a really good job of splitting up the opportunities. Evenly, we saw a back and forth between Brandon Allen and Josh Doobbs over the course of the preseason, So more to come there. I'm assuming as we draw closer to the regular season, we're going to have that decision of who the forty nine ers backup QB is coming very soon, yeap.
Very soon. Now staying in the offense, but moving on to our running backs and our one true full back hole. You check, they've got Christian McCaffrey, Jordan Mason, Patrick Taylor Junior, and Isaac Garndo. I want to highlight Christian McCaffrey heading into twenty twenty four. He's coming off his Offensive Player of the Year season. What are your expectations for him this year?
I mean, I think you just want him to copy paste right, one of the most successful seasons in Christian McCaffrey's you know, NFL career, and I think he was the NFL's rushing yards leader, triple Crown winner, like you mentioned, Offensive Player of the Year. I mean, I don't think this is a stretch. Christian McCaffrey is the gold standard of running backs and you just want to see more of that. You know, over the course of training camp at the preseason, he was dealing with a calf strain.
I think my understanding is if there was a regular season game today, he would dress for it and play play in it. But I think the forty nine ers want to be conservative and take care of you know, they're all pro running back. So we did see him beginning to rejoin practice and do some rehab on the sidelines. He hasn't practiced in a while, but that's always a sign that he's trending in the right direction. So faithful, I really wouldn't worry too much about him.
Let's shine some light on the newcomers. The rookie Isaac Grendo and then the fourth year pro Patrick Taylor junior.
How do you think they made this squad?
Yeah, so I think the decision on both those guys not very surprising either. We saw in a roster move earlier on Tuesday that Elijah Mitchell, who was a rushing yards leader in twenty twenty one, was placed on season ending IR that made room for Patrick Taylor Junior and Isaac Grendo. And Isaac Grendo is a rookie, a fourth round pick that really had limited opportunities in the preseason
because of a hamstring injury. He got one preseason outing and that was in that finale against the Raiders, and he shined both in the ground game and also special teams. I want to call attention to that ninety three yard dynamic kickoff return. He owns a little piece of NFL history, so definitely well deserving to that entire group.
Yeah, that was a special play by a special player.
Now, faithful, you're twenty twenty four wide receivers Deebo Samuel Senior, Ronnie Bell, Brandon Ayuk, Ricky Pearsal, Juwan Jennings, Chris Conley, and Jacob Cowing. The first round pick Ricky Piersaal making the fifty three man roster. We didn't get to see him much in the preseason. But what should we expect.
With him rejoining in the twenty twenty four season.
Yeah, you know, I think the expectation with any of San Francisco's draft picks, especially a first round draft pick, one that they haven't had in a while, is that he's going to be an immediate contributor on this team. I know that there's definitely a desire on Ricky Piersaal.
To make those contributions.
He's been dealing with kind of a lingering shoulder injury, so we'll see how the forty nine Ers begin to really ease him back into practice. He made his return on Monday. He was in a blue non contact jersey. So again, I think it's going to be a slow progression for him of just getting him back up to speed and full go as he still is working on that shoulder.
And looking at this list of receivers, who does stand out to you this year?
I mean who doesn't?
Right?
I think you know we're going to continue to see more really good things out of Juwan Jennings. I think he's continued to build. He had that contract extension in the off season. You know, a really great showing in Super Bowl fifty eight. Chris Conley has been a really reliable practice squad player for the forty nine ers that hit the elevation limit in twenty twenty three because he was such a team player that they had to, you know, activate him as injuries came about, and he's had a
great camp. Jacob Cowing another fourth round pick for the forty nine ers that has been very successful in the preseason. He also only had two preseason outings because of also a hamstring injury, and the forty nine ers are looking to him as a possible option at the punt returner position. So really there's multiple ways that you could see Jacob Cowing.
Contributing in twenty twenty four.
All Right, moving on to ours tight ends, lindsay only two this year, George Kittle and Jake Tongjas. Tell me about that decision to keep only two. I want to know your immediate reaction when you saw two on the list this year.
I wasn't expecting to only see two names on the list.
Last year there were four.
This room looks completely different outside of George Kittle. Right, he's your anchor, your veteran, your team captain. He's coming off a thousand plus yard season, had six touchdowns in twenty twenty three. Basically you want him to copy and paste his season as well. But a huge congratulations to Jake Toanjis.
He's a guy that spent.
Last year twenty twenty three on the practice squad, and for all of our Bay Area people, this is somebody that you can easily root for. He is a cal alum and also grew up in Los Gatos, so he's a local player.
So huge, huge congratulations.
All right, Next is the forty nine ers O line. Faithful, You've got John Feliciano, Nick Zekel, Jake Brundle, Aaron Banks, Colton mckivitz, Spencer Burford, Jalen Moore, and Dominic Pooney.
Walk us through the lineup here.
If Week ones game, Monday Night Football was tomorrow, what would that starting line look like?
Yeah, so I think injuries definitely played a role in the group. On the offensive line, we had Aaron Banks, who is typically the forty nine ers starting left guard. He suffered a broken pinky during training camp. So yeah, if if the season were to start today, with all the information I've got, we would start with left tackle Jalen Moore. Then we would have Nick Zikel at left guard, Jake Brendle at center, then at right guard, Dominic Pooney, and then at right tackle.
We would also have Colton mckibbitts.
That's the starting lineup we saw in the third preseason game. Again, I am not Kyle Shanahan. That lineup could look totally different based on information that I don't know, but if we're going off of the lineup that we saw against the Raiders, it would be those five.
And how good was Dominic Pooney during the preseason? Tell us just how amazing he was during those first three preseason games.
Yeah, he was a preseason standout for sure. I think one of the biggest contributors from that twenty twenty four draft class. Started at right guard in all three games, did not give up a single sack. So again, huge congratulations to a rookie that's definitely making a name for himself early.
Yeah, this is a special day for a lot of the rookies and newcombers to the team this year. But moving on to defense, we'll start upfront at the D line. We've got Robert Bield, Junior, Leonard Floyd, Kevin Given, sam Okayanu, Jordan Elliott, You, Tor Gross Matos, Nick Bosa, Javon Hargrave, and Malik Collins. Now free agency was a big time for the D line during the forty nine ers off season. Tell me just how much the Niners invested upfront in that D line.
You know, I think D line is where the forty nine ers focused their efforts for that very first wave of free agency. We saw them at Leonard Floyd, Malik Collins, Jordan Elliott, you, Tor Gross Matos.
This was a really big point.
Of emphasis for the forty nine ers who were looking to up their run defense in this coming season. I think there's high expectations for Leonard Floyd as being the bookend for Nick Bosa, and he has just a great history of being available. This guy has not missed a regular season game in about six seasons.
Leave The streak is one hundred and eight games.
So if you're looking somebody that's going to be ready to contribute, it's Leonard Floyd, proven better and I think he's averaging just under ten sacks a season for the last four years.
Oh wow.
Okay, So we've got the most change to this group I think from twenty twenty three into twenty twenty four, and probably the longest list.
Out of all the position groups.
So how important is it to keep that D line fresh throughout the season?
Yeah?
You know, I think that is a really important part of how the forty nine ers play their D line. They like to rotate players in and out to make sure that everyone's fresh, not just throughout the season, but in game. So you're very much going to see your starting lineup get refresh mid game, make sure everyone stays, you know, in good health for the duration of that football game. So you're gonna see all nine of these players contribute all right.
Now, moving on to our linebackers, We've got Curtis Robinson, Demitrius Flannigan, Fouls Tatum Bethune, d Winters, Fred Warner, and Devondre Campbell's senior Fred Warner headlines this group.
Tell me about his.
Leadership and now how he's guided this group throughout training camp.
In the preseason. Now looking forward to twenty twenty four.
Yeah, so Fred Warner is someone that we actually didn't see suit up a ton in the preseason, but like you mentioned, he is very much the leader of the linebacker group and also.
I would say quarterback of the defense. Right he is the one giving pregame speeches. He gets everyone fired up.
And you've heard a number of these players that are in this linebacker group that Fred Warner, Drake Greenlaw as well are the gold standard for linebackers, right. They want to model their play, their physicality after someone like Fred Warner, who is a unanimous All Pro linebacker, one of only three players in the NFL that.
Earned that unanimous title.
So again, just someone that is a great person to lead the room and really embraces that role.
Yeah, and with the linebackers, we've got a mix of veterans. We got the leader, Fred Warner, some rookies in here, and then also some free agent additions. So what do those newcomers bring to this group, like Devondre Campbell, senior like Tatum Bethune.
Yeah, I think they just bring fresh energy. Devondre Campbell is a veteran, he was an All Pro in twenty twenty one. He comes over to the Bay from the Green Bay Packers. He brings a lot of experience with him. I also wanted to highlight Curtis Robinson, who has been a really reliable practice squad player for the forty nine ers in the past. He makes his debut to the
fifty three man roster. Tatum Bethune really big contributor in the preseason, a seventh round pick for the forty nine ers and he's making this roster and from what I was looking at the defensive stats, he actually led the forty nine ers in preseason tackles. So another huge congratulations to another member of that twenty twenty four draft class.
Yeah, something about those forty nine ers late round pick. Yeah, always making waves all right. Now, moving on to the cornerbacks, We've got Charvarius Ward, Ambry Thomas, Isaac Yadam Derell Luder, Junior Ronaldo Green, and our d defensive.
Bag deometer Leonor.
Now with Nick Sorenson coming in and leading the whole defense, he's got a special eye on the cornerbacks and defensive backs. What do you think his goal is with this group heading into twenty twenty four?
You know, I think one of the things that this group in general, because Nick Sorenson, former passing game coordinator, defensive passing game coordinator for the forty nine ers, I think all of these players are super familiar with him. Part of the reason that he was selected as the new defensive coordinator is because of that familiarity and also the ability to tie the back end of the defense
to the defensive front. He brings a wealth of knowledge with him, but I think he just wants this defensive back group, this cornerbacks group, to get after the ball.
He wants takeaways.
That's something that we have seen him and several other coaches on the defensive side of the ball preach, and the forty nine ers are very good at it.
So, yeah, you think that's been in Ronaldo Green's ear throughout training camp in the preseason and maybe why he made this.
Absolutely, I think for all of these cornerbacks, we've seen them pick up those preseason turnovers and then also those interceptions during training camp practices. So definitely a good energy with this group and we've seen it all throughout camp.
Amazing.
Now it's staying in the defensive backfield, but moving on to the safeties, we've got JayR. Brown, Tealanno Hufunga, George Odom and Malick Mustafa. Any of the latest updates on Talaho Hufunga and what his injury status has been like.
Yeah, So Talao Hufunga is working back from an ACL injury he suffered in Week eleven of the twenty twenty three season. He's definitely trending in the right direction. The latest update we got is that he's been medically cleared to take the next steps in the process. The forty nine Ers are definitely being conservative and smart with him.
He's been allowed to.
Be eased into practices, but hasn't made that return just yet, so we'll hear more from head coach Kyle Shanahan what the plan is for him. Either way, we've seen Jay R. Brown really step up in his his absence. He's a second year player that is definitely looking to take on a.
Bigger role in twenty twenty four.
Now, what are some storylines that jump out to you when you look at this list of safeties?
Oh, Man, I don't know.
I mean, you've got a physical tackler and Malik Mustafa. We've seen that energy from him all of preseason, all of training camp. I think George Odom is somebody definitely to watch out for. He has really made a name for himself on the forty nine Ers as a special teams ace, but he's also been working in tandem with JayR. Brown all preseason, all of training camp with that starting defense, So he's a player to keep an eye out on all right.
Finally, last, but not least, our specialists You've got your punter Mitch Wishnowski, your kicker Jake Moody, and your long snappers Haber Pepper, mister reliables of the forty nine ers. Tell us about Moody and entering his sophomore season.
Yeah, you know, I think Jake Moody you're going to just continue to see him become more comfortable in his role.
This is really just specialist trio back together.
Really no surprises here, just wanting more of what Jake Moody gave us in his rookie season. He made sixty of sixty one extra point attempts and twenty one of twenty five field goal attempts in the twenty twenty three regular season. Mitch Weshnowski reliable, Tabor Pepper super reliable. So we are just looking for more good things from our specialist trio.
All right, We've got three quarterbacks, five running backs, seven wide receivers, two tight ends, eight offensive linemen, nine defensive linemen, six linebackers, six cornerbacks for safeties, three specialists. That makes fifty three men on the initial fifty three man roster. Faithful, thank you so much for tuning in today, Lindsey. Thanks for joining me and breaking down this roster. But subscribe to First and ten for more forty nine ers updates and state teams. Yeah.