The San Francisco 49ers brought in tight end Khalil Dinkins for a tryout, per the transaction wire. This comes 48 hours after three tight ends, Brayden Willis, Josiah Deguara, and Hayden Rucci, played 33 to 37 snaps in the preseason opener.
George Kittle remains on the active/PUP, while the team still has Luke Farrell and Jake Tonges.
A couple of wide receivers return to practice
Wide receivers Mike Evans (quad) and Jacob Cowing (hip flexor) returned to practice and participated in 11-on-11s. I wonder if we’ll see Evans participate in joint practices this upcoming week, or if the plan is to keep him on ice until the games mean something.
It’s a big couple of weeks for Cowing. His return is a good sign, but he needs to prove he can stay healthy for the rest of the preseason. The team waiving Junior Bergen should have hinted that Cowing was close to returning, given that he’s a returner.
A changing of the guard?
There was a change of the guard with the starters, according to the reporters on hand. Connor Colby and Carver Willis rotated at left guard with the starters. Robert Jones was at right guard with the second team, while Austen Pleasants remained at left guard with the third team.
Apparently, Willis took the most reps with the starters at left guard during the move-the-ball drills. That should read like Willis is higher on the depth chart than Colby.
This was likely the plan all along — or at least based on the past week and a half of practice. Jones gets the first crack at it with the starters in the first preseason game, while Willis and Colby are up next.
After Thursday’s game, Kyle Shanahan said this about Jones: “We felt he fit into our scheme and was a guy that we were able to get that we think can compete for that starting job, and if not, he can have some good depth for us.”
That almost sounds like they want Willis or Colby to be the guy for the job. In the same breath, this shouldn’t be viewed as a demotion for Jones, who played in his first live game since 2024 fewer than 48 hours ago. The team has to manage Jones’ inevitable soreness.
After practice, Trent Williams said it’s a three-man race and “may the best man win.” He believes Willis has a “high ceiling and a lot of potential.”
One rookie who impressed Trent Williams
Williams was asked who impressed him on Thursday night, and he mentioned the 49ers rookie, with obvious bias involved:
“Boomer sooner. You know it. G-baby, man. Obviously, Oklahoma guy. I’m always gonna be a little biased. I think the world is going to see what he has to offer. Very explosive. Short-area quickness. Really powerful. Put you in the mind of D.J. Jones a little bit, what he had when he was here. He definitely impressed.”
Williams highlighted how Halton loves football, saying he appreciates Halton’s enthusiasm in the locker room or whenever he wins a rep in practice.
Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris said he was pleased with how Halton executed, specifically on the sack that was negated.