49ers hope deeper receiver 軍団 helps 上げる passing game
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) - Whoever ends up playing quarterback for San Francisco this season 人物／姿／数字s to have a much deeper 始める，決める of receivers at his 処分 than what the 49ers had last season.
With starters Deebo Smauel and Brandon Aiyuk 取引，協定ing with 傷害s last season that 限られた／立憲的な them to just a handful of games when both were healthy and not much proven depth behind them, the Niners struggled to get a 一貫した downfield passing game going in 2020.
But now with the 最高の，を越す two 的s healthy to start the season, the return of Mohamed Sanu, a strong （軍の）野営地，陣営 from special teams エース Trent Sherfield and the 出現 of Jauan Jennings after sitting out his 新人 season 負傷させるd, Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance should have plenty of 選択s.
"We don´t have 1, 2, 3 or 4 settled," coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday. "You guys know who´s probably going to make it, at least with those groups, but those guys have got to go out there and play. I mean, we had a lot of young guys play last year by default with the 傷害s that happen and some of the 状況／情勢s we were in. I want those guys going out there competing and showing they can play good football."
While Samuel and Aiyuk both 人物／姿／数字 to start, it's the 業績／成果 of some of the other players that has been most encouraging so far this summer.
Sherfield caught just nine passes the previous two seasons in Arizona when he played mostly on special teams but has proven he can 与える／捧げる as a receiver 同様に.
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Trent Sherfield, left, runs in 前線 of Kansas City 長，指導者s cornerback マイク Hughes (21) and safety Devon 重要な (24) to 得点する／非難する／２０ on a pass from quarterback Trey Lance an NFL preseason football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
"We were hoping he could, we just didn´t 熟考する／考慮する him a トン on it," Shanahan said. "There wasn´t a トン of tape on it. We liked how he was wired and how he could run and stuff and how physical he played on special teams. But getting him here 権利 in OTAs, we saw the receiver ability."
That has been evident on the practice field and in the 展示 opener when he caught an 80-yard TD from Lance on Saturday against Kansas City.
Sherfield and Lance have built a strong 関係 getting plenty of time together as part of the second-team 罪／違反.
"Just building that 関係 with him has been really, really good," Sherfield said. "Not just with Trey, but also with Jimmy, too. All the quarterbacks. ... All those guys and 存在 able to work with all of them has been a really, really fun 適切な時期 and whenever the ball come my way, no 事柄 who it´s from, got to catch it and make a play."
Jennings has also been a bit if a surprise this season after 存在 草案d in the seven th 一連の会議、交渉／完成する in 2020. He started the season on the practice squad but 傷つける his hamstring and never got a chance to play.
But now he is showing off the 技術s that helped him catch 59 passes his final year at Tennessee when he was also dynamic after the catch with the ability to break 取り組むs.
He caught two laterals from Lance on Saturday that he turned into 伸び（る）s of 11 and 12 yards for first 負かす／撃墜するs, 追加するd a 26-yard catch and was a strong run blocker.
"He´s a physical guy who loves to play football and I 手配中の，お尋ね者 to see it 移転 over to the game and make sure he could still stay under enough 支配（する）／統制する and do his assignments also," Shanahan said. "When he got his 適切な時期s when the ball was thrown to him, he （機の）カム through."
Sanu, a nine-year vet who played three games in San Francisco last season, is 支援する for another stint and is showing he can be a part of the 罪／違反 同様に. He caught a TD pass in practice from Garoppolo on Monday to end a 運動.
NOTES: DE Nick Bosa could 参加する team 演習s next week as he 作品 his way 支援する from a season-ending 膝 傷害 in 2020. ... DT Javon Kinlaw 傷つける his shoulder last week and is week to week. ... The Niners 調印するd LB Mychal Kendricks to a one-year 取引，協定. Kendricks has played nine seasons in the NFL, 含むing 2020 with Washington. ... The team 削減（する） CB Ken Webster, LB James Burgess Jr., LB Donald Payne and DL Eddie Vanderdoes. ... 新人 WR Austin Watkins (broken foot) will be placed on IR.
___
More AP NFL ニュース報道: https://apnews.com/中心/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
San Francisco 49ers 長，率いる coach Kyle Shanahan watches during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Kansas City 長，指導者s in Santa Clara, Calif., Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
