49ers camp takeaways: Floyd fitting right in as D-line standout

SANTA CLARA — The 49ers quietly closed out their fourth block of training camp practices Thursday without fans in attendance.

It was a shorter session, with several veterans sitting out for rest days, including wide receiver Deebo Samuel and cornerbacks Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir. Linebacker Fred Warner also missed practice with what he called “minor foot irritation,” as did wide receivers Ricky Pearsall and Danny Gray, both of whom are nursing shoulder injuries.

Practice started with individual drills as usual, followed by a series of one-on-ones between the offensive and defensive lines on one end of the field, and tight ends and running backs facing cornerbacks and safeties on the other.

The team moved on to 11-on-11 work with a run session followed by third-down drills. After a special teams kickoff period, the group moved to the end of the field for several series of red-zone, move-the-ball work.

Here are the takeaways from Day 13 of 49ers training camp:

Floyd getting up to speed

Veteran defensive lineman Leonard Floyd stood out as one of the faster players in one-on-ones. Many defensive linemen, no matter how much experience they have, often experience an acclimation period when they first start working with defensive line coach Kris Kocurek -- but Floyd seems to be hitting his stride.

What looks to be the team's defensive starting front four all participated in team drills, with Nick Bosa, Javon Hargrave and Maliek Collins alongside Floyd. The group looks like it's starting to build chemistry, and all four took turns getting into the backfield, including the nine-year vet, who was seen harassing 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy multiple times.

Warner making his presence known

Warner didn't participate on the field, but the All-Pro’s bellowing voice was heard during the latter half of practice. The linebacker stood near the weight room, some 50 yards away from the action, shouting what plays the offense seemed to be setting up for, as well as encouraging remarks to teammates whenever they made plays.

Warner has kept a watchful eye on position mate Dee Winters, who has had a productive camp thus far, and George Odum, who could start next to Ji’Ayir Brown at safety come Week 1, depending on the health of Talanoa Hufanga, who is returning from an ACL injury.

“I’m really confident in G.O.,” Warner said earlier in the week. “I’m excited and happy for him because this is an opportunity that he’s wanted for a long time, and he’s shown up in a big way. He’s had a great camp and has been around the ball a ton.”

Rookies have their chance

With several veterans scheduled to sit out of Saturday's preseason opener, many rookies and younger players will have a chance to show their progress. On defense, Renardo Green, Malik Mustapha and Jalen Mahoney have seen a fair amount of reps, and that will continue as the team plays it safe with their players.

Brown has spent a good amount of time next to all of them, and he gave a progress report after practice Thursday.

“Those guys are great,” Brown said. “Mustapha, he’s been great. Strong kid, fast, physical, understands football. Jaylen is the same way. He understands football and he’s a ballhawk, a lot like myself. In the post can out and go redline to redline.”

Kickoff play something to watch

The special teams unit was on the field for a full period, practicing what it plans to do Saturday when it has actual live reps of the new kickoff procedure.

There were several combinations of returners, including Trent Taylor, Kyle Juszczyk, Jordan Mason, Ronnie Bell and Tay Martin. On Wednesday, even Deebo Samuel was in the mix, practicing his return skills.

“It’s been interesting,” Taylor said after practice. “I don’t think anyone really knows what to expect. It’s a big experiment for everyone right now, learning what to do and how to coach it. It’s still a work in progress.”

No news is just no news

There has been no movement from the team or Brandon Aiyuk in the stalled contract negotiations or trade talks that have kept the star receiver off the field. The 26-year-old continues to report to the facility, but he has yet to be seen on the field for practice.

There also are no updates regarding Trent Williams, who remains away from the facility while continuing to accumulate a hefty sum of fines. The All-Pro eft tackle’s fines for the 13 missed days now total $650,000.

The team will travel to Nashville on Friday to prepare for its Saturday game against the Tennessee Titans, which kicks off at 4 p.m. PT.

Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast