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49ers Notebook: Jalen Hurd, red zone threat? Plus the ‘Gold Digger’ title, Blair hushes coach talk

By

Jake Hutchinson

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Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

SANTA CLARA – As of Saturday, there has now been a full week’s worth of 49ers practice. It might seem like a lot has changed, but all that’s really changed is the number of reps under belt. Minor “nicks and bangs,” as Kendrick Bourne termed them on Friday, have taken place on the injury front, but nothing has changed on a monumental scale.

There’s now a week left until the first game of the preseason on August 10 against the Dallas Cowboys, and as that date looms larger, much more will come into place, like the plan for Jalen Hurd…

Jalen Hurd talks shop

Hurd talked to media for the first time since OTAs, and the first time since he was involved in a pair of Day 2 scuffles; something Hurd said “won’t happen in a game.” He was much more involved in the offense on Saturday, taking a handoff and catching a quick pass (plays which took advantage of Hurd’s size, athleticism and muscle memory as a running back).

Hurd made it clear when he transferred to Baylor that he wanted to be a wide receiver to preserve his health and extend his career, and while he has yet to line up as a tailback, he said on Saturday that he’s been learning two positions: F (fullback) and Z (flanker wide out who plays a few steps off the line). He’s most frequently been used as a blocker, using his tremendous size and strength to set up openings downfield.

Hurd said, “I just enjoy hitting,” when asked about that blocking usage, adding that he feels as a guy, at 6’5″ and 226 pounds (his combine weight, at least) who spends plenty of time in the weight room, that he’s “pretty strong.”

What might have been the most impressive part about what Hurd did in camp on Saturday was in 1-on-1 drills against defensive backs in the red zone. Hurd beat all three defensive backs he lined up against on red zone passes, catching one which was contested, and using his size to fairly easily make catches on the others. He’s not been targeted frequently, and has yet to be targeted in the end zone, but preseason games will give a better indication of whether that glimpse of red zone talent is something the 49ers are eyeing.

If they aren’t, Hurd is. Asked about the prospect of being used in the red zone, he was to the point, but not short on confidence, especially for a rookie wide receiver.

“I’d love to do it,” Hurd said. “I definitely think I can benefit [the team]. I mean I’m tall, big, so I think that’s something I can do.”

Ronnie Blair’s not ready to talk about coaching

Ronald Blair III, or as he’s more commonly known, Ronnie Blair, isn’t a teacher’s pet, but he’s about as well-like by defensive coordinator Robert Saleh as is humanly possible. Saleh has a common saying, “If you like winning, you like Ronnie Blair,” adding, “I love him to death. He can do no wrong in my book.”

Blair was appreciative, but accustomed to the praise when he spoke on Saturday.

“I think [Saleh’s] just giving me a little bit of respect because I’m usually on top of my keys, I like paying attention to the game and I just love the game of football,” Blair said. “He always jokes in the defensive meeting room, ‘If you want to win, put Ronnie in.’ So, he’s just trying to give me a little bit of respect, give me credit for always being on top of my stuff, knowing what’s going on, knowing personnel, so I definitely appreciate that.”

The one thing Blair isn’t appreciative of, at least not yet, is the talk of him coaching in the future. Blair’s intelligence for the game coupled with his work ethic has drawn plaudits from his coaches to the point that they’ve said, and said frequently, that Blair has a future in coaching.

From Blair’s perspective, they can slow down just a bit with the coaching talk.

“That’s another joke that Saleh says to me all the time, he says, ‘Ronnie’s gonna be a coach.’ I’m like please, stop,” Blair said. “I’m playing right now, so let’s not do that right now. It kind of creeps more and more because guys on the defensive staff always come to me all the time, saying, ‘Hey man, you would be a great coach.’ I’m like, once again, stop. I’m not ready to have that conversation. When that time comes, it’ll come, but right now I’m just trying to be the best defensive lineman for the 49ers.”

Blair’s a guy who says he’s appreciative of every rep, regardless of where it comes. He even slotted in as a linebacker a few times today, and has been shifted across the line pretty frequently throughout camp, saying that he’s enticed by the prospect of playing with Nick Bosa and Dee Ford (along with his “brother,” DeForest Buckner), who are certain, in his mind, to open him up in the season by drawing double teams.

He might be as close with Buckner – who he says seeks perfection – as anyone. There’s not too much correcting Buckner’s work, but if he does something wrong, Blair will be there.

“Any little thing that we do wrong, we point it out immediately,” Blari said. We don’t let things hover, even when we’re training out wide, ‘Hey, you’re doing this wrong, you’re doing that wrong.’ We’ve built that rapport since we first met each other that, hey, we’re going to try and hold each other to the best standard that we can, and if we’re not, then we’re failing each other.”

That aforementioned flexibility resulted in Saleh saying Blair could play nickel corner if the 49ers put him there. There likely aren’t too many defensive lineman who would be eager to line up there. But Blair? He’s game.

“Hey, I’d do whatever he needs me to do. I’d do whatever he needs me to do,” Blair said. “I take a lot of pride in [my positional flexibility and athleticism]. Because I just love the game of football. I’ve been in it. I’ve been playing the game for so long. I just love being on the field, love being around it, so if they line me up at nickel corner, imma give you all I got for those couple reps you have me in there.”

That’s who Blair is. At the end of the day, he’s a team-minded player who doesn’t care where he plays. As he said it:

“I just like being on the field.”

The “Gold Digger” program

Not that kind of gold digger. The 49ers’ “Gold Digger” is a program that rewards defensive effort and big plays; the type that makes you say, “I know there’s dudes ballin, and yeah, that’s nice.”

aIt’s a day-to-day thing that goes to guys, who, as cornerback K’Waun Williams said on Saturday, are rewarded for, “… a lot of effort plays, showing your technique and producing stats… Plays on the ball, lots of stuff like that.”

The ball, as shown below by the Mercury News’ Cam Inman, is emblazoned with some of Saleh’s favorite slogans, encouraging, “All Gas, No Brake” and “Extreme Violence.” It used to go to the defensive line group at the start of camp, but Blair said the coaching staff has tried to level the playing field.

“It’s changed. It kind of changes every day because they tried to help out the linebackers and the corners because we always beat them,” Blair said. “Right now, you just want to show extreme violence. If you can recover a fumble, recover a scoop ball. There are some little things you can do, but they’re trying to make it easier on the linebackers and the corners right now. They’re trying to balance it out a little bit.”

Injuries, vet days, roster moves

  • Injuries: Not much new to report from Friday. Ahkello Witherspoon, DeForest Buckner and Dee Ford are all still out with a glute issue, mild toe sprain and knee tendinitis, respectively, while the PUP list still has Garrett Celek, Jerick McKinnon and Weston Richburg on it. Joshua Garnett is still recovering from finger surgery, Jeff Wilson still has a calf issue, and Jimmie Ward is still not involved in drills.
  • Vet days: Both Richard Sherman and Joe Staley took vet days today
  • Roster moves: Since the end of Friday’s practice, three corresponding moves were made. The cuts were tight end Niles Paul, defensive lineman Kapron Lewis-Moore and wide receiver Max McCaffrey. The additions were tight end Daniel Helm, defensive lineman Jay Bromley, and wide receiver Chris Thompson
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