We get to watch the San Francisco 49ers play football. Maybe not the starters, but there will be enough battles that play out during preseason that’ll be worth the watch.
Who are you looking forward to watching? Who should play extended snaps?
Onto today’s links.
Top five things to watch for in the 49ers’ preseason opener vs. Titans (paywall)
“The decision between a third stack linebacker, a fifth defensive back at nickel or a fifth on-the-ball lineman seemed to lead Morris to that newly named fever backer position. The idea is to have a player capable of handling the responsibilities for three different positions, all in one. Nick Martin and Jaden Dugger, a raw rookie who played safety, linebacker and stand-up edge in college, have gotten familiar with the role. Morris has even thrown Romello Height, a dynamic rookie speed rusher, into the fever backer conversation. It would make sense for all three, none of whom are established starters, to play Thursday.
The position boils down to the 11th man providing versatility, which makes things more difficult for an offense trying to read the defense before the snap.
“Obviously, you know what traditional backers look like,” Morris said. “Stand-up guys that can move around. Those fever backers are kind of those guys that bring you subtle changes, subtle different things. … They can play star (nickel) for you. They can play outside edge and play sort of a big nickel. They can get at the line of scrimmage.”
Morris was asked whether fever backer is a staple or more situational in his defense; he said it depends. The preseason may offer a sense of how much.”
49ers’ Brock Purdy carved up the Titans, but offensive line concerns are growing (paywall)
“Niners defensive coordinator Raheem Morris came up with the nickname early in training camp when talking about the quarterback’s touch, though Purdy is not the biggest fan of it. Why?
“Our quarterbacks coach, Mick Lombardi, doesn’t like the word ‘layer.’ He thinks everything should be driven,” Purdy said with a smile. “It’s cool that Raheem notices that, so I guess it’s a part of my game. But obviously, I like to think I can make any throw in the field, not just that one.”
49ers roster moves: RB Zamir White among 3 signed; 3 players waived
“Throughout his four-year NFL career with the Raiders (2022-25), Zamir White has appeared in 45 games (nine starts) and registered 198 carries for 736 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, along with 25 receptions for 152 yards through the air. In 2025, White appeared in six games and totaled 12 carries for 32 yards and added four receptions for 24 yards.”
What 49ers rookie Kaelon Black has learned watching Christian McCaffrey practice
“The way that he runs his routes, how efficient he is,” Black said. “When I watch him at practice, he has no wasted movement.
“I asked him, ‘What do you do to limit your wasted movement?’ And he said, ’It’s all about timing and just being yourself.’”
Rookie Kaelon Black outlines why 49ers’ offensive system is perfect fit for him
“It really maximizes what a running back can truly do. A lot of times running backs aren’t asked to catch the ball a lot out of the backfield. But here, it’s the complete opposite. You’re going to go out there and run different routes and you’re almost going to feel like a receiver first sometimes.”
Kawakami: Brock Purdy and the 3 WRs who are saving the first part of 49ers camp (paywall)
“I didn’t think it was feasible that Deebo could run the ball more than once or twice a game; I thought his wide back days were over.
And yet … Deebo has lined up at RB at times from the moment he returned to the 49ers and he was by far their most dangerous RB on Tuesday. He also caught a couple of passes as a WR and generally was a major problem for the Titans throughout.”
49ers add a running back ahead of the preseason opener; waive Junior Bergen
“Bergen might be a surprise, as some reporters who were present at practice went so far as to say he could sneak onto the roster and was viewed as the top option at punt returner. The team felt differently. They could bring Bergen back if he clears waivers, but the 49ers being comfortable with losing him on waivers with a slew of injuries at the position tells us how they feel about him.”