With 2023 ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷Íøtraining camps set to kick off the week of July 24, it's time to get up to speed on all 32 ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷Íøteams. Christian Gonzales has the lowdown on position battles, key players and notable subplots across the NFC West:
Catch up on the San Francisco 49ers' offseason and 2023 outlook below ...
Training Camp Dates/Information
- Players report: July 18 (rookies); July 25 (veterans)
- Location: SAP Performance Facility | Santa Clara, California ()
Notable Roster Changes
| 2023 Draft class | Selection |
|---|---|
| S Ji’Ayir Brown | Round 3 (No. 87 overall) |
| K Jake Moody | Round 3 (No. 99) |
| TE Cameron Latu | Round 3 (No. 101) |
| CB Darrell Luter Jr. | Round 5 (No. 155) |
| DL Robert Beal Jr. | Round 5 (No. 173) |
| LB Dee Winters | Round 6 (No. 216) |
| TE Brayden Willis | Round 7 (No. 247) |
| WR Ronnie Bell | Round 7 (No. 253) |
| LB Jalen Graham | Round 7 (No. 255) |
Preseason ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷Íø
- Week 1: at Las Vegas Raiders | 4 p.m. ET (¹ú²úÍâÁ÷ÍøNetwork) on Sunday, Aug. 13
- Week 2: vs. Denver Broncos | 8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Aug. 19
- Week 3: vs. Los Angeles Chargers | 10 p.m. ET (¹ú²úÍâÁ÷ÍøNetwork) on Friday, Aug. 25
2023 ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷Íø Notes
- Have the 15th-toughest strength of schedule in 2023 based on their opponents' 2022 win percentage (.514).
- Of the 49ers' 17 games, 11 will be against teams that finished .500 or better in 2022.
-- ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷ÍøResearch
Subplots To Track
1) Who will be the 49ers' starting quarterback in Week 1? Brock Purdy, the last pick in the 2022 draft, went 7-1 as the starter last year, guiding San Francisco to the NFC Championship Game. But a torn UCL in the team's playoff loss has clouded his place atop the 49ers' depth chart. As he continues his elbow rehab, former No. 3 pick Trey Lance has been putting in work (including with Patrick Mahomes) to reclaim his starting spot. The team added another former third overall pick to its QB room this offseason in Sam Darnold, who said earlier this month that learning the 49ers' dynamic offense has been "a work in progress." Although Purdy is expected to be the starter when healthy, any setbacks in his recovery could open up opportunities for Lance, or even Darnold, to take on QB1 duties to start the season.
2) Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle and Deebo Samuel are a headache for defensive coordinators around the league. The trio ranked top four in scrimmage yards per game at their positions the last two seasons. Brandon Aiyuk enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2022, earning career-highs in receptions (78), receiving yards (1,015) and touchdowns (eight). In fact, Aiyuk was the only 49ers player to have more than 70 receptions or 800 receiving yards. As much uncertainty hangs over the team's QB situation, there's no questioning the talent of the squad's supporting cast.
3) The No. 1 ranked total defense in 2022 will have new leadership this year. With former defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans taking the head coaching job in Houston, Steve Wilks has been given the keys to the unit. Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead will be joined by newcomer Javon Hargrave, who had a career-high 11 sacks with the Eagles. Those three will team with Fred Warner, still a top linebacker in the league, and first-team All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga, to give the Niners studs at every level. Despite losing veteran pieces like Jimmie Ward and Azeez Al-Shaair, expect San Francisco's explosive pass rush to key the defense in 2023.
4) Although the 49ers' defensive core remains mainly intact, the franchise said goodbye to a longtime member of its kicking game this offseason. With Robbie Gould out, the 49ers drafted Jake Moody in the third round and traded for Zane Gonzalez. San Francisco selected Moody at No. 99 overall, making him the highest-picked kicker since the Bucs took Roberto Aguayo at No. 59 in 2016. During his time at Michigan, Moody won the Lou Groza Award as the nation's best kicker in 2021 and led the FBS with 29 field goals made in 2022.
5) The 49ers have been a juggernaut over the past four seasons, with Kyle Shanahan leading the franchise to three conference title appearances and one trip to the Super Bowl. But after several near-misses, how might another Lombardi-less campaign sit with 49ers faithful? GM John Lynch and Shanahan have assembled arguably the league's most talented roster from top to bottom. And with unevenness throughout the conference, expectations are sky high for this club. Will the Shanahan-Lynch combo finally get over the hump in 2023?
