2025 Training Camp and Preseaosn Thread

[CrimsonCrew]

Apparently they are telling Jauan Jennings that he may be put on IR if he doesn't back down on this contract stuff. Jennings has quite a few incentives built into his current deal, so that could be rather detrimental for him. Doing so would potentially create some bad blood between he and the team, but I side with the team on this one. Jennings is 1 year deep into a 2 year contract. This guy is a WR3 (granted a very good, and quite clutch one) but you can't have guys like that demanding to get their contracts redone.

In any event, WR is obviously looking pretty dire at the moment and will continue to be until at least week 4 when Robinson is eligible to return. The 9ers are obviously going to be hunting the final cutdown wire to find some WR help. Its going to be interesting to see who might become available, you'd hope someone who is familiar with the system hits the wire. That way that guy might be able to come in and provide some meaningful snaps in week 1.

I get the holdouts from the perspectives of guys who are underpaid, but despite the injuries, the Niners are better able to absorb a fall-off at WR than most teams because they have an elite receiving TE and RB. And FB, for that matter. Jennings is underpaid this year, but was overpaid last year, so I see why the team is not willing to budge much. They also can't realistically afford to pay him the money he wants in an extension. I'd be curious about the negotiations. Have the Niners proposed giving him a bit of a bump just this season? That seems reasonable given that he has outperformed his contract. They did a similar thing with Mostert a few years ago. But I just don't see them extending him at the going rate.

Jennings is really running some risks himself. A ton of his salary this year is tied up in per-game bonuses, which I'm assuming he would miss out on if he's on IR. Additionally, he runs the risk of lowering his FA value if he doesn't perform this year like he did last year. Probably some of that damage has already been done based on his lack of play in the preseason. If it's not truly injury-related, he's doing himself a huge disservice. Purdy is going to be looking for Kittle, Pearsall, and McCaffrey in the pass game before him, even if he returns today. If he played well this year, topped 1,000 yards, he was staring at a huge payday next year. That could very well be in jeopardy now, though maybe he gets paid based on last year.

Anyway, we'll have some answers within the next few hours.

[CrimsonCrew]

We waived/injured Mordecai and Bradley. Does anyone understand the benefit to the waived/injured designation better than I do? There must be a reason we use it on guys who don't have season-ending injuries, but I don't know what it is. As far as I can tell, it means that we can't bring that guy back during the season. Why do that with players who have a minor injury that we might want on the PS at some point? Kiner, too, for that matter. Why not just cut him, put him on the PS, and then we could call him up in like Week 8 if we need RB depth? Does the injured tag make it less likely other teams will cut them?

From what I gather, a team uses that distinction because if that player clears waivers then they revert to the team's IR list. In which case they are still "on the team" persay, therefore you can still have them in the building, etc.

I'm not sure what the cutoff is but I believe there is an NFL service time caveat that determines eligibility to use the clause. Which could explain why its usually young players where this happens.

So it allows teams to potentially get a longer look at guys, without them counting against the rosters.

Yeah, I think you can't release an injured player without some sort of injury designation or injury settlement. So if you want to add another body, you have to waive/injured a younger player. It just sucks for the team and the player. Kiner could have played later in the season, or at least practiced at some point on the PS. Instead, he can sit in at meetings, and probably use the facility to work out, but can't practice. Same for the QBs. I wonder how many guys rebound from that start to their careers to actually make it.

[CrimsonCrew]

I suspect we are going to get off to a much worse start than many expect, like I mean people calling for Kyle’s head bad in the first 4-6 games, but after that IF no more major injuries in those games, I think we start to roll.

We'll see. Our schedule is markedly easier down the stretch, and our defense may take some time to get going, so I wouldn't be shocked with some early struggles. That said, we haven't seen Kittle, McCaffrey, Trent, Warner, Bosa or Demo play at all in the preseason. You're talking five guys who are top-5 at the position just not seeing the field at all. As a result, we've seen our second-stringers facing other teams' first-stringers, and third-stringers facing second-stringers. I think there's a good chance this 53-man roster is a lot stronger than the 90-man has looked.

I'm not saying this team is a legit SB contender to open the season. We need a lot to go right, and three of the impact guys I listed above are older with extensive injury histories. But I'm pretty excited by what we've seen from some of the young defensive players. Just substituting Saleh for Sorensen will make a big difference in how we close out games. A lot will probably come down to the first three divisions games. If we can go 1-2 or 2-1 in those, we should be just fine. If we go 0-3, we're in some trouble. Though we play the Giants, Panthers, Browns, Titans, and Colts in our last nine games (plus the three division opponents and the Bears). If healthy, it wouldn't be a shock to see this team end the season on an 8-1 or 7-2 run.

[CrimsonCrew]

Maiocco tweeted that Demarcus Robinson's suspension is not formal yet, so Niners may have to carry him on their 53. I will be PISSED if we have to carry him on the initial 53 and he's later suspended for the first three games. Particularly if we cut a player who is snatched by another team.

[GS Warriors 1]

Dallis Flowers, Terique Owens, and Jeff Wilson cut.

Several reports that they want Owens on the PS.

[CrimsonCrew]

I am SHOCKED that we cut Flowers, unless we did the vet handshake thing and he goes to the PS. He had a great preseason, was looking like the very clear #3 outside CB and possibly the primary KR. If we keep Luter over him, I'm going to have some real questions.

[CrimsonCrew]

Sebastian Valdez waived. That's something of a surprise, too. I thought he did enough to stick. Sure hope he doesn't get poached and we can keep him on the PS. Presumably he lost a spot to Evan Anderson. Anderson played pretty well last year, but his profile is similar to West's. Valdez looked like more of a true three-technique.

[CrimsonCrew]

Russell Gage cut, presumably with a handshake to go to PS and because Robinson's suspension hasn't formally gone through yet. He may be our #2 receiver right now...

[CrimsonCrew]

Actually, looks like the Robinson suspension was formally announced moments ago.

Looks like Drew Moss may make it.

[CrimsonCrew]

Curtis Robinson and Chazz Suratt both cut. Figured they might have been competing for one spot, and I would expect at least one of them to go to the PS, though Stone Blanton also a candidate for that. Looks like we'll have five LBs with Warner, Winters, Gifford, Martin, and Bethune. Bethune did some serious work to earn that roster spot. Hopefully he does a better job on STs this year.

[CrimsonCrew]

Curtis Robinson and Chazz Suratt both cut. Figured they might have been competing for one spot, and I would expect at least one of them to go to the PS, though Stone Blanton also a candidate for that. Looks like we'll have five LBs with Warner, Winters, Gifford, Martin, and Bethune. Bethune did some serious work to earn that roster spot. Hopefully he does a better job on STs this year.

[GS Warriors 1]

Hennessy, Moss, Beal, Lucas made the initial roster.

[CrimsonCrew]

We cut our only punter. That's odd.

[GS Warriors 1]

Morstead cut, but appears to be an agreement that he'll be added after team puts Cowing on IR (hamstring, may miss a few weeks).

[CrimsonCrew]

Hennessy, Moss, Beal, Lucas made the initial roster.

I get wanting depth at center, but keeping Hennessy and Zakelj (I'm assuming at this point) over a guy like Valdez seems like a mistake. Granted both starting OGs are dealing with injuries.

[CrimsonCrew]

Morstead cut, but appears to be an agreement that he'll be added after team puts Cowing on IR (hamstring, may miss a few weeks).

That makes more sense.

[CrimsonCrew]

Actually, seeing now that they cut Zakelj. Interesting they kept Hennessy over him, though both struggled a lot in the preseason, Zakelj with run-blocking in particular.

[GS Warriors 1]

10 OL, 11 DL, wow. Pleasants made it, too.

[GS Warriors 1]

Bergen was the only draft pick to be waived.

[CrimsonCrew]

Seeing the roster as it stands, the Flowers and Valdez are the two that I really question. I would have taken Flowers over Luter at this point, and it wasn't particularly close. I just don't think Luter has it, and I thought Flowers played pretty well in the preseason in addition to playing well as a return man. He may not be subject to the waiver wire.

Valdez was a really interesting guy at a major position of uncertainty. I don't trust Jordan Elliott as a long-term answer at three-technique, though obviously we weren't going to cut him. But we just don't have another three-technique. I expect to see a lot of Gross-Matos (apparently healthy?) and Williams on the inside.

In terms of guys we kept that I question beyond Luter, I think we could have just let Tonges go to the PS. Same with Austen Pleasants. I know OT is super thin, on the Niners and across the league, so I guess I kind of get it. But I don't think Pleasants has any longterm prospects.

Additionally, we're crazy thin at WR. Five guys. Cowing is expected to go to IR. Watkins is hurt. Moore is not really a receiver. Pearsall is literally our only WR right now, pending some outcome with Jennings. Bizarre, though I don't think they cut anyone who they are likely to lose. And good chance they go shopping on the waiver wire.