The Big Thing
Niners training camp has technically already started, though it will be another few weeks until the team is on the field practicing. Such is 2020.
But San Francisco made a late addition to the now-80-man roster Monday, signing tight end Jordan Reed to an incentive-laden one-year deal.
With George Kittle’s contract negotiations seemingly at a standstill, it’s easy to read too far into the Niners signing a former Pro Bowl player at the same position.
But Reed — who only played his rookie season for Kyle Shanahan in Washington — isn’t around to take Kittle’s place (a move that could only be made through Kittle’s opting out of the season before Thursday’s deadline, something I cannot foresee happening) — he’s in Santa Clara to play alongside the best tight end in the game.
The signing is the kind of low-cost, high-reward move that cap-strapped Super Bowl contenders have made for decades. Reed is a dramatic upgrade over the Niners’ No. 2 tight end, Ross Dwelley, who performed admirably in Kittle’s absence last year, but was ultimately a liability for the Niners in the two games No. 85 wasn’t on the field.
The move also has the potential to change the base look of the 49ers’ offense.
Kyle Shanahan loves to use “21” personnel. That’s two running backs and one tight end on the field, with two wide receivers as well. No one in the NFL ran more 21 looks than the Niners last year, and no one ran it better.
But this team’s Achilles heel position in 2020 might be wide receiver. With Deebo Samuel sidelined with a Jones fracture for an indefinite period of time, the Niners lack a No. 1 option at the position, and it’d be aggressive to ask rookie Brandon Aiyuk to fill that void in Week One. Unless the Niners think Kendrick Bourne or Dante Pettis can take a leap (there’s no reason to think they will), San Francisco might be well served to go to a different default personnel set that’s less reliant on wide receivers.
A 22 personnel would put two tight ends on the field with those two running backs (technically a fullback and a tailback). It’d make running the ball — the team’s offensive priority — a bit easier and also demand that opposing defenses counter the look with a base 4-3 defense, creating laughable mismatches in the passing game (good luck covering Reed or Kittle with a linebacker or cornerback).
San Francisco ran the second-most 22 personnel looks in the NFL last year. With Reed now in the fold, I wouldn’t be shocked if they led the NFL this year — at least for the first few weeks.
Going to more 22 is not a suggestion I would make if Dwelley remained the team’s No. 2 tight end. That should tell you how much better Reed is than him. (And he’s not bad!)
All of this comes with a serious caveat: Reed has seven documented concussions in his football career, dating back to college. He missed all of last season with a concussion, staying in the protocol for six months. I’m not a doctor, but it’s worth questioning if it’s safe for Reed to play football (acknowledging that, of course, football is inherently unsafe for everyone). One more hit to the head could do more than end his football career.
Clearly, Reed and the 49ers are comfortable with those risks and are looking for that big reward.
I’m not kidding when I say that it’s available.
What we learned
• Speaking of Kittle… the 49ers recently extended brass, John Lynch and Shanahan, spoke to the media Monday and gave little indication that they were afraid of Kittle opting out ahead of the season. As for a new deal, they pushed optimism that something will get done. That’s nice, but these guys are going to get these questions until Kittle is paid. They should probably get on that.
• Giants 6 – Rockies 7… San Francisco is now under .500 after a disastrous bottom of the sixth inning Monday night in Denver, where another questionable Gabe Kapler pithing decision and another slew of defensive miscues helped the Rox score five runs after being down 4-1 at the start of the frame. It sure seems like a theme is developing there.
Mike Yastrzemski, Chadwick Tromp, and Alex Dickerson hit home runs for the Giants, who made a late rally to tie the game, but came up a run short. There’s no denying it — these guys are entertaining but oh so flawed. I’ll take that over boring any day.
Two themes have emerged for the #SFGiants so far this season: The offense is resilient and the defense is giving way too many runs away. https://t.co/HTNN5KM6m5
— Kerry Crowley (@KO_Crowley) August 4, 2020
• A’s 11 – Mariners 1… This is the laugher that the A’s needed. This is the kind of game that Khris Davis, who has been in a funk since 2018, it seems, needed.
Oakland broke the game open with an eight-run fifth inning, which included a Davis RBI infield single. In the seventh, he homered for the first time this year.
Obviously the A’s lineup isn’t dependent on one player hitting — and Davis is hard the only Athletic who is off to a slow start — but if arguably the best power hitter in baseball between 2016 and 2018 can find his old ways, this Oakland lineup stacks up with the best in baseball. Without him, this team does seem to be stuck in a second tier.
Takeaways from the A's win over Seattle:
– Khris Davis homered. The tweak that's helping him get the barrel of the bat out quicker
– A closer look at Ramón Lauraeno's incredible start
– Mark Canha's quiet consistency
– Frankie Montas the locomotive https://t.co/3qmVM8HxBs— Shayna Rubin (@ShaynaRubin) August 4, 2020
• RIP to The Razor… I’m not a Bay Area kid, but when I moved here six years ago to work for KNBR, I quickly found out who Ralph Barbieri was and how important he was to sports fans in this region. He was a pillar.
But taking in all the memories of him on Monday, it’s clear that “pillar” might be understating it. Insert whatever word you want — he was one-of-a-kind and it’s clear he’ll be sorely missed in this region.
"He was special."https://t.co/EUY4NitGcj
— KNBR (@KNBR) August 3, 2020
• The G-League to the East Bay… The NBA’s developmental team in their developmental league will be based in Walnut Creek, of all places. I’m told the league’s “Pro Pathway” team, which will be comprised of prospects taking a gap year between high school and the league instead of going to college, will play at the former site of the Contra Costa Times — the Ultimate Fieldhouse. It’s not yet clear if they will host games yet. More on this later today.
What to Watch
Richard Sherman and Jimmy Garoppolo talk to the media Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. on Zoom… Get your popcorn ready.
Giants at Rockies, 5:40, NBC Sports Bay Area… The starting pitcher is to be determined, but a solid Yaz peformance is almost guaranteed.
Rangers at A’s, 6:10, NBC Sports California… The first Major League start for Jesus Luzardo. Now this is must-see TV, folks.
