49ers mailbag: Why was Kyle Shanahan not calling plays against the Titans? How is the safety position looking? Studs and duds from training camp and preseason?

It hasn't been the best offseason and training camp for the San Francisco 49ers. WR Brandon Aiyuk's situation is still unresolved. LT Trent Williams is still holding out. And Kyle Shanahan had to cancel joint practices with the New Orleans Saints because the 49ers aren't healthy enough. I'd ask, "What else could go wrong," but I'm afraid we'd find out.

Fortunately for 49ers fans, we, at 49ers Webzone, are healthy and in the best shape of our lives. So we're still here and putting out content. One of those pieces is the 49ers Webzone Mailbag. We opened it on Monday to take a look at your questions. We kept all the good ones and made fun of all the bad ones. So let's jump in and see which ones we went with.

Why was Kyle not calling plays in Saturday's exhibition game? - Craig L.

Shanahan was not calling plays in Saturday's game in Nashville because he was giving Offensive Passing Game Specialist, Klay Kubiak, the opportunity to do it. I'm sure Kubiak wants to be an offensive coordinator with play-calling duties someday. So this was an opportunity for Shanahan to allow one of his key assistants to call plays and add to his resumé.

I don't recall Shanahan giving up the play-calling in the preseason before, but he decided to do so in this first game. I heard 49ers reporter, Matt Barrows, say Shanahan let Mike McDaniel and Mike LaFleur do it when the 49ers' coaching staff was coaching in the Senior Bowl a while back. But I don't believe he's done it any other time until Saturday night.

We don't have to worry about Shanahan giving up play-calling duties, though. It's what he does best, and he's elite at it.

In your opinion, which 49ers have been studs, and which ones have been duds so far this training camp and preseason? - Ed H.

Here are my "studs" so far:

• Jordan Mason- he runs like he's mad at the grass
• Dominick Puni- impressive for a rookie
• Dee Winters- he's all over the field
• Malik Mustapha- a big hitter who can also cover ground as a safety
• Brock Purdy- Purdy is a great leader and has looked great in camp
• Ji'Ayir Brown- Reportedly has been very good in camp
• Deommodore Lenoir- the best player on the field in camp
• Deebo Samuel- a healthy, in-shape, focused Samuel spells trouble for the NFL
• Chris Conley- has made one play after another in camp and preseason
• George Odom- he's looked good at safety so far

Here are my "duds" so far:

• Ricky Pearsall- injury-related
• Jacob Cowing- injury-related
• Ambry Thomas- he's not any good and now he's injured
• 49ers kick and punt coverages- ugh!
• Danny Gray- can't seem to take advantage of his opportunities or stay healthy

How is the safety position lining up? - Israel

Shanahan said on Monday that Talanoa Hufanga will see his doctor on Thursday. If that visit goes well, he could start getting eased into practice soon. So that's positive news.


Beyond Hufanga, Brown has been excellent in training camp. Mustapha has had a great camp, as well, and had some impact plays in Saturday's preseason game. Odom, who is a special teams standout, has played well at safety during camp. I still believe he would get the start over anyone else if Hufanga isn't ready for the first couple of games.

The 49ers recently added Tracy Walker, III to the safety room. He's made some plays, as well. He's not going to be the impact safety the 49ers are searching for, but in a pinch, he should be able to step in and hold things down.

Particularly with his ability in pass protection, does Cody Schrader make the roster? - Spin Move Button Stuck

It's possible Cody Schrader can make the 53-man roster. I still think he's most likely going to be a practice squad player unless he goes off in one of these preseason games and makes it less likely he makes it back to the practice squad. His chances of making the team improved with the injury to fellow rookie Isaac Guerendo. But the signing of veteran Matt Breida hurts his chances.

Patrick Taylor, Jr. is probably ahead of Schrader, as well. So he still has an uphill battle, but he has a chance. He does well in pass protection and has good vision as a runner, but he lacks the kind of speed the others at his position have. So that works against him. He was, however, the leading rusher in the SEC last season. That should speak to his ability. Then again, he went undrafted.

But his success in college makes me question if he'd make it to the practice squad. So the 49ers may need to find a way to keep him on the 53-man roster.

With season after season of prolonged contract negotiations, I am curious if the front office does any self-assessment and perhaps tries a proactive approach. The market always explodes, and in turn, they are always behind the 8 ball. - Lowbridge

I'm certain the 49ers' brass does some type of evaluation and assessment of themselves. Of course, they're answerable and accountable to owner Jed York. But the way the 49ers approach contract negotiations is how they have been doing it. There are times, like last year with Nick Bosa, and this year with Aiyuk and Williams, that it looks bad. Still, I don't know that they are going to veer too far from the approach they've used for the past several years.

What are you doing about the injuries and the Trent Williams and Aiyuk situations? - Julian H.

I'll assume Julian is directing this question at the 49ers, rather than at me since there's nothing I can do about injuries or contract issues. And when it comes to injuries, I'm not sure Shanahan and the 49ers have the answers. It's been a rough last couple of weeks on the injury front. So much so that Shanahan canceled joint practices with the Saints. You know it's bad when Shanahan does that. He values joint practices more than he does preseason games. So if he's canceling those practices, you know the injury situation is worse than normal.

As far as Williams and Aiyuk, the front office is still working on those. They'll get something worked out with Williams soon. It may not be this week or next, but once they get the Aiyuk situation resolved, I think Williams will be back with the team. Maybe it will be the week between the final preseason game and week one.

When will the Aiyuk saga be resolved? Your guess is as good as mine. He was at 49ers practice on Wednesday, so maybe they're getting close.

Anything going on with Trent Williams? All we hear about contract-wise is with Aiyuk. - EHeels10

No, it's been crickets regarding Williams. Partly because the 49ers aren't even entertaining any trade discussion. And also because Williams isn't going on podcasts, taking to social media, or holding in like Aiyuk is. Williams is staying away and staying quiet, much like Bosa did a year ago.

Are we going to win the SB this year? - Lio P.

If the 49ers get back to the Super Bowl and are healthy, they have as good of a shot as anyone. This is still the best roster in football. But a lot has to go right, namely Aiyuk, Williams, health, etc. I have to admit to feeling some 2020 vibes right now, with all the injuries. But most look like they won't linger, so as long as they can remain relatively healthy, the 49ers have a great shot to win their sixth Lombardi.

That's all we have for this week. We'll be back next week for another edition of the 49ers Webzone Mailbag. Hopefully, there will be more positive things to discuss.

• Marc Adams
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