Just three days before players report for the 2016 season, the 49ers still have not made their training camp schedule public knowledge.
What we do know is that the first practice is this Sunday, July 31. Aug. 14 will mark the preseason opener at Levi’s Stadium against the Houston Texans and on Sept. 12, the Los Angeles Rams will travel north for the first game of the season, on Monday Night Football.
There’s a lot to sort out between now and Week 1, especially on offense. Playing time at quarterback, backup running back, second receiver and tight end is completely undecided.
Let the games begin.
Quarterback: Blaine Gabbert vs. Colin Kaepernick
One of the sadder and most underwhelming NFL quarterback competitions in recent memory will dominate the headlines coming out of Santa Clara. In what might ultimately become a battle for who is less incompetent, Gabbert enters late July with a slight edge over Kaepernick. The 26-year-old has long been a favorite of GM Trent Baalke, showed poise in the pocket last season with 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions, and despite his limited potential, Gabbert seems to have finally shed the bust label he rightly earned in Jacksonville. He’s not a playmaker, but he can limit mistakes. That could be the crux of this competition.
While many have already completely written off Kaepernick, we’ve argued Chip Kelly is likely going to put in the time to try and revive the fallen quarterback. Kaepernick needs a complete mental makeover on how he plays the position. That’ll likely take longer than a three week training camp, but Kelly has turned trash into treasure before with both Nick Foles and Mark Sanchez. But then again, that was with LeSean McCoy and other weapons in the fold.
Second wide receiver: Quinton Patton, Eric Rogers, DeAndre Smelter, Dres Anderson, Jerome Simpson
Kelly’s spread-the-field offensive system, and who will thrive in it, makes receiver the most wide open position battle of camp. If everyone is truly given a clean slate, there’s no telling who could end up playing alongside Torrey Smith and Bruce Ellington in the slot.
The 49ers are not married to Patton starting on the outside, but he clearly has the leg up after catching 30 passes for 394 yards in four starts. The 6-foot-3 Rogers looks every bit the part and was the first player Kelly signed to the roster. If there is one major breakthrough to be had during training camp, it would be Rogers’ emergence to help an offense in frantic search for weapons. Smelter, a fourth round pick from a season ago, has yet to play an NFL snap after spending the entire 2015 season rehabbing his ACL tear. Anderson is the son of Rams legendary receiver Flipper, was signed as an undrafted rookie a year ago, but never even appeared in a preseason game before puzzlingly being placed on injured reserve. Then there’s the 30-year-old Simpson, who caught just five passes for 54 yards and one touchdown last year. This isn’t exactly a murderers row of talent.
If the 49ers finish below .500 this season, Baalke’s handling of the wide receiver position will come into question immediately. The 49ers signed zero free agents to the unit and did not select Aaron Burbirdge until the sixth round, a receiver who will likely spend his first year on the practice squad. There’s just simply not enough experience within this unit to suggest it will thrive with Gabbert or Kaepernick.
Backup running back: Shaun Draughn, DuJuan Harris, Mike Davis, Kendall Gaskins, Kelvin Taylor
Kelly has already said the 49ers are going to pound the rock with Carlos Hyde and Baalke doubled-down on that strategy by selecting guard Joshua Garnett in the first round. So why does this position matter? Just look at Philadelphia’s statistics from last season. Darren Sproles, DeMarco Murray and Ryan Matthews combined to haul in 109 receptions for 856 yards. Whether it’s Gabbert or Kaepernick, the Niners will need a safety valve underneath. A check-down option is a must.
Draughn is the veteran of the group has already proven to be capable of this task, having caught 25 passes for for 175 yards in just six games last season. Harris has bounced around the league like a pinball — the 49ers mark his eighth different team since 2011 — but he did average 5.2 yards per carry last season when pressed into action. Meanwhile, Davis, a Baalke draft pick, averaged just 1.7 yards per carry and could be in danger of missing the roster if he doesn’t have a strong camp. Gaskins is a 238-pound bowling ball, something none of the other running backs offer. And then there’s Taylor, son of Jaguars legend Fred, who is a very likely candidate for the practice squad, unless he knocks Kelly’s socks off during the preseason.
Tight ends: Vance McDonald, Garrett Celek, Bruce Miller, Blake Bell, Je’Ronn Hamm, Busta Anderson
Will the 49ers use a tight end by committee approach or could one of these names emerge as a much-needed breakout player for the 49ers offense? On paper, there isn’t a Zach Ertz on this roster, a tight end Kelly turned into a mini-superstar in Philadelphia. But this is why you hire Chip Kelly: for him to elevate average players into difference makers.
McDonald is the incumbent, and while not a flashy player, he churned out a productive 2015 campaign (30 catches, 326 yards, three touchdowns). Mostly a blocker in his three previous seasons behind Vernon Davis, Celek himself caught three touchdowns in 2015 and earned a contract extension. Miller is the intriguing name to watch. Because Kelly doesn’t use fullbacks in his system, the soon-to-be 29-year-old is making the switch to tight end. In five seasons, Miller has 76 receptions for 734 yards and has increased his yards per catch in each of those seasons. A former quarterback in college, Bell has the more raw athleticism of the group. At 6-foot-3, 236 pounds, Hamm is built more like a strong receiver and will have to prove he can play special teams if he wants to crack the roster. Coming off an injury redshirt in his first season with the 49ers, Anderson is a complete wild card.