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, Brianna McDonald, and I'm joined by forty nine Ers team reporter Lindsay Polaris. In today's episode, we are welcoming the faithful to week two of OTAs. This week, the forty nine Ers OTA sessions take place on May thirtieth and thirty first, then June second, and the team will have an open practice today the thirty first for
the media to watch and report on. Lindsey, as you take the practice field today, what are some things that you're going to be keeping your eye on.
Yeap Bray, I think the thing everyone has circled on their calendar that may tentatively happen today is the quarter Rock Party is likely going to be starting his throwing program. That was news that came out of last week's open OTA practice.
Again, everyone pretty vague about it, but head coach.
Kyle Shanahan said he's expected to start throwing sometime this week. In terms of open practices, the only one we can observe would be today. So my best guess is that we will see brock Purty finally switch out the tawel that he's been training with and opt for.
That football, which is all very exciting news.
I know that in the off season that three month post surgery benchmark was one that head coach Kyle Shanahan, general manager John Lynch, and brock Purty himself we're all pointing towards as that big date when he could finally pick up a football and start practicing those throwing motions.
He actually had his surgery on.
March tenth, so if we're counting down by dates, he is a little bit ahead of schedule. But again, during those press conferences last week, all three were pretty hesitant to say that brock Purty is ahead of schedule. We heard Kyle Shanahan say that he's on schedule, and then brock Purty again also pretty vague, but he said he's going by what doctors and physical therapists are telling him and that they've been great throughout his entire recovery process.
Yeah, so should we see Brock out on the field making passes today? Like you said, he'd be on track with his rehab schedule, and that the team and head coach Kas Shanahan are anticipating for him to be ready to go by week one of the regular season. Here's what Brock Purdy had to say about his recovery timeline.
Yeah, I'm not necessarily sure, like in terms of, you know, the timeline and are we on schedule. We've just been taking it, you know, from what the physical therapists, surgeon, what they've said, what it looks like with guys that they've worked on, like, hey, this is like the next step, and we've just been following the play in and really it's just how your arm feels on a day to day basis and a week to week basis, and you go from there and you make decisions from there. So
that's just where we're at. I feel good, arm is feeling good. So to say I'm going to be ready by this time or this time, I just you know, we're not trying to label any kind of timeline like that for sure, though, Like that's a that's a goal, right to you want to be ready for you know, the season, and if that's the case, great, But like I said, we're just staying it one day at a time.
So as San Francisco's off season program began, Brock's been more so behind the scenes while recovering and learning in team meetings. How excited do you think he is to pick up a football again and participate alongside his teammates.
You know, I think it's one of the things that we've heard from Rock Party throughout this entire rehab process that one of the biggest challenges for him was to find that patience in himself because he wants to be out there with the team, and he's told us himself in press conferences and we've heard it from the head coach as well. He's as involved as he is physically
capable of being at this point. So he's in meetings, he's watching film, he's you know, doing everything he can with the towel drills.
So I think he's chomping at the bit brat you know.
I know that he is one of the most studious players that the forty nine ers have. That's been something that they've been really proud of with Brock Purty. But at some point you want to stop, you know, just studying and actually get out to the practice field, I would imagine. So my guess is that he's pretty excited, But you know, Brock Purtty. He is cool, calm and collected always. That is one of the things that's kind of become his signature. So even when he talks about it,
it's with tempered expectations. But my guess is, you know he's pretty excited.
To be out there.
Yeah, definitely. Well, while we're talking offense, we saw last week that seventh round draft pick Ronnie Bell really shined on the field and he was active with the team's wide receiver group. Who else from the rookie class are you going to keep your eye on in today's practice?
Yeah, so I think my eyes are actually on the secondary. So we saw a really nice flash from cornerback Darrell Luder Junior. He had a nice pass breakup last week. I'm curious to see what he builds on this week. And then I think we're all really excited to see what safety day or Brown brings to the table. He was one of two gold helmet prospects for the forty nine ers, so a consensus draft pick for the front
office in the coaching staff. So I think everybody's just eager to see what he can do out on the field, how he's adjusting and acclimating to these pro level practices. Obviously, no contact allowed yet in these OTAs, so everything is a little bit watered down, but you want to see flashes from your rookies. And then I think also everybody's continually going to have eyes on kicker Jake Moody.
We don't get to see a ton of special teams practices.
During the workouts, but I'm curious to see some more kicks. He's been doing really great from what we've been able to observe during those open periods.
So just a few guys to keep an eye on today.
Yeah, two players that defensive coordinator is Steve Wilkes trying to light on when it comes to the defense is d lineman Drake Jackson and Javon Kinlaw. He said that they've really been committed to the team's off season program and they've been putting that work in. Wilk said they're looking great, although these OTA practices are non contact. What did you take away from seeing the defensive line last week?
I think, if nothing else, just the energy, the enthusiasm. It's all there, and like you mentioned, with offensive line as much as defensive line OTAs in this whole off season programing. Before we get to training camp probably hinders these two groups the most because without contact, you can't really practice.
What is the heart of each of these positions.
Right, But you always see coach Chris Kasiak and coach Tap out there. They're screaming, they're yelling, they're excited, and I feel like the players really feed off of that competitive energy.
You see it from them.
And head coach Kyle Shanahan said last week in his presser as well that he was very, very satisfied not just with participation level, but also enthusiasm, willingness to be there, and the fact that pretty much everyone is at to OTAs and again this is all a voluntary portion of the off season programming. I think that's a really good sign. And you mentioned Drake Jackson pretty much consense. His takeaway is that over this offseason he's put on a little
bit of muscle weight. That's something that head coach Kyle Shanahan and coach Wilbs both mentioned was a good thing. And as far as Javon Kinlaw, basically everybody's seen him in the building just continually working this offseason. So again, a lot of enthusiasm for those two guys on the defensive line.
The long told story in the NFL is that once a player reaches their second year of playing in the league, that they shake off all that rookie dust and they just make a huge jump in that sophomore year. Who are you looking for to make that big progress for the twenty twenty three season, Yeah, Ry, I think you've.
Got a lot of players to choose from.
I think we saw a pretty immediate impact from offensive line and Spencer Burford. He was splitting time with Daniel Brunskill last season, so I'm really curious to see his development and.
What's going to happen at that right guard position.
So it could be a breakup with another veteran that was brought in, it might go all the way to Spencer Burford. I think everything is up in the air, so we'll see what happens there. I'm also curious to see a Sam Wollmack, who I think made also a pretty big slash his first year on special teams.
I think he.
Had a couple of very very timely plays on special teams that caught a lot.
Of people's attention.
I'm curious to see his competition for that open nickelback position in the secondary.
I think it could go either way. There, so somebody to look at.
But yeah, a lot of rookie players from last season going to be making a jump in here too.
We'll see what happens.
Finally, we have some exciting news for forty nine Ers fans. Former linebacker Patrick Willis was inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame alongside San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey, NBA legend Gary Payton Senior, former undefeated professional boxer Andre Ward, and FIFA Women's World Cup champion and two time Olympic
gold medalist Julie Fondi. As you've seen the pictures of Patrick at the Hall of Fame induction and how happy he was to be honored, how big of a moment is this for Patrick's legacy and really for the faithful as he's been a fan favorite over the years.
I think you said it right there, Brie.
I don't know anybody that is not a Patrick Billis fan if they are a forty nine Er fan. One of the most beloved players in recent history, and again he was part of this amazing linebacker duo with Navarro Bowman in the twenty ten So I think just an amazing accomplishment for him, he got that first nomination for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
All of this is just credit where credit is due.
He had an amazing eight year NFL career, was a Niner for a life, beloved by everyone in the Bay Area. So congratulations to him, and I do think plenty more.
To come for him.
All right, well that'll do it for today. Be sure to look out for all of the forty nine ers offseason content on forty nine ers dot com. Thank you so much Lindsay for joining me in this off season update. Don't forget to follow first and tent on Spotify and Apple podcasts. Be sure to turn on the notifications so you're in the note when we post any breaking news updates. And thank you faithful for tuning in.
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