SANTA CLARA — Two plays Monday signaled key strides in Jimmy Garoppolo’s comeback.
First, Garoppolo’s reconstructed left knee channeled enough ground force to unleash a 70-yard touchdown pass to Richie James Jr., the first pass Garroppolo attempted in the first full-pad practice at 49ers training camp.
It was the best deep ball Garoppolo has thrown — in front of the media — since his Halloween 2017 arrival, or at least that is what it seemed like in the wake of all he’s endured.
The other pertinent play: Garroppolo scrambled up the spine of the field and came to a safe stop on a pseudo-slide, unlike his final play of last season when he fatefully darted down the left sideline in Kansas City and tore his anterior cruciate ligament.
How did coach Kyle Shanahan digest the sight of Garoppolo running from the pocket?
“I love what I saw today, because no one was open, the seas parted and he turned it into a draw,” Shanahan said. “It was an exciting play. He got 15 yards, and he fake slid.”
As much as Shanahan wants Garoppolo to do all he can to spark the offense, running is not part of the design.
“That’s why we have a throwing quarterback who looks down field and tries to get the ball to people,” Shanahan said.
#49ers camp
• Garoppolo beauty 70-yard TD to James on 1st pass of 11s
• First session in pads, hardest hits: MSmith, Kittle, Harris
• McGlinchey d. Ford in 1v1; Ford dominate 11s
• Staley vet day
• RB Wilson (calf)
• Goodwin didn’t test Sherm deep
• Moseley INT CJ to end pic.twitter.com/5MP8pS61UX— Cam Inman (@CamInman) July 29, 2019
About an hour before the scramble, Garoppolo stepped up in the pocket, stepped his left leg up to the 23-yard line and launched a pass toward Reed, who had a step on safety Adrian Colbert, at the 10-yard line.
“It’s getting it versus the right coverage and making the right read,” Shanahan said. “We run that play a lot but he got it against the right coverage today and he made the right read, which is where it starts.
“We had the right pocket, so he had time to see it, and then you’ve got to throw it right, and he did throw it right. … It was a hell of a play.”
FULL CONTACT
No one got floored and no fights broke out in the first practice with full pads, but there were some quality hits delivered, such as those by linebacker Malcolm Smith and safety Marcell Harris.
Tight end George Kittle sought out contact on a would-be, 80-yard touchdown reception as he stiff-armed Tarvarius Moore and threw a shoulder into D.J. Reed.
Wide receiver Marquise Goodwin and cornerback Richard Sherman split their one-on-one matchups on relatively short throws, as opposed to last year’s opening act in which Goodwin blew past a still-rehabilitating Sherman.
BOSA BACK IN PADS
Putting on pads for the first time since last September at Ohio State, defensive end Nick Bosa had a light workload, as planned, Shanahan said.
“Throwing on the shoulder pads today, it was a shock to me how long it’s been,” Bosa said. “I hadn’t taken that long of a break since I was 7 years old. It was different but it was just the best feeling ever, especially the weather out here feels great with no humidity. I couldn’t be happier.”
#49ers Nick Bosa has light workload in his first practice in full pads since #OhioState but loved it and won his final rep pic.twitter.com/tirm4AkZHa
— Cam Inman (@CamInman) July 29, 2019
Bosa credited himself with a would-be tackle on his final play before surrendering to offensive tackle Shon Coleman, noting: “I actually tagged up the running back and Shon wanted to keep pushing me back, so I let him have his moment. I was just trying to brace my fall.”
Defensive line coach Kris Kocurek’s cut-it-loose scheme is being adored by Bosa and the defensive linemen, and Bosa also expressed appreciation for left tackle Joe Staley’s mentorship (“He’s a super nice guy, um, usually.”).
Even though Bosa got the best of Staley on Saturday, Bosa said: “It was just one practice. Can’t compliment a rookie too much. I had a good day but it’s going to be a lot of hard work to be where I need to be.”
McGLINCHEY’S ‘MATURITY’
Right tackle Mike McGlinchey, last year’s first-round draft pick, won his one-on-one matchups against Dee Ford before Ford dominated he and other blockers on three consecutive plays in team drills.
McGlinchey is an old soul who Shanahan jokingly compared to a CEO the first time he met him at the 2018 scouting combine.
“McGlinchey is very mature, until you hang out with him,” Shanahan said in deadpan fashion. “He comes off very mature. He knows what to say, how to handle himself and act like a pro. … You get thrown into it your rookie year and battle through ups and downs. He’s very consciencous, very smart and very hard on himself so he’s always working at it every day.”
HURD’S PHYSICAL APPROACH
Rookie wide receiver Jalen Hurd lined up with the first-string unit, and while receivers routinely rotate in camp, Shanahan said it wasn’t directly a reward for Hurd’s physical play that led to two fights Sunday.
Shanahan said upon reviewing film of the incidents that it led to teaching moments in Monday’s team meeting.
“I was proud of how Jalen handled himself. That’s why we brought him here: We want him to be physical, to irritate the heck out of every player in that secondary and I hope he pisses people off and I hope a lot of guys throw punches at him. That’s what happened.”
Shanahan concluded that Hurd took no cheap shots to instigate the scuffles, but he did err in retaliating, which would merit ejections from games.
INTERCEPTION FINALE
Cornerback Emmanuel Moseley produced the defense’s third takeaway in as many practices. His interception of a C.J. Beathard pass toward Kendrick Bourne ended practice.
GARNETT AILING AGAIN
Oft-injured guard Joshua Garnett did not practice after dislocating a finger on his right hand each of the previous two days. He was to see a doctor Monday. A 2016 first-round draft pick out of Stanford (No. 28 overall), he has 11 career starts, all as a rookie.
Last year, he sustained a knee injury early in camp, dislocated a toe in the season opener and required thumb surgery in November. He appeared in seven games and his best was the season finale at Los Angeles. He did not play in 2017 to rehabilitate a knee injury and improve his conditioning.
The 49ers passed on exercising his 2020 option. He’s been competing mostly at right guard behind incumbent starter Mike Person, but Garnett also took some snaps at center in the offseason program with Weston Richburg sidelined.
RUNNING BACK PAINS?
Jerick McKinnon could come off the active/physically-unable-to-perform list Thursday if all goes well in his evaluation Wednesday, when the 49ers players get a day off from practice.
Jeff Wilson Jr. appeared to strain his right calf during warmups with the running back corps. Handling the team reps were Tevin Coleman, Matt Breida, Raheem Mostert and Austin Walter, who overcame a hamstring issue Sunday.
MOMENT OF SILENCE
General manager John Lynch paused the start of practice to lead the team and the crowd of 2,000 fans in a moment of silence honoring the victims of Sunday’s mass shooting in Gilroy.
#49ers GM John Lynch pauses training camp practice for a moment of silence honoring #gilroyshooting victims from last night’s tragedy.
Gilroy is about 40 miles from #49ers HQ.
Alberto Romero, father of slain 6-year-old Steven, was wearing Garoppolo jersey at hospital pic.twitter.com/us9frjTqUn
— Cam Inman (@CamInman) July 29, 2019
VETERAN WORKLOAD
Staley, a 13th-year veteran, got the day off to rest, and Shanahan said he plans to rest players over 30 after they practice on back-to-back days. Others who fit that criteria are cornerback Richard Sherman, offensive linemen Ben Garland and Person, linebacker Malcolm Smith and kicker Robbie Gould.
VERRETT’S PLAN
Cornerback Jason Verrett did not partake in team drills but his comeback from Achilles repair is on track, so much so that he said he might be cleared for the exhibition opener, as unlikely as that would be the way the 49ers are slow-playing veterans rehabilitating such as Garoppolo, McKinnon and linebacker Kwon Alexander.
Verrett changed his jersey to No. 2 after practicing the first two days of camp in No. 34, which is retired by the 49ers in honor of Joe “The Jet” Perry.
