49ers camp takeaways: Bosa dominates backfield in final practice

SANTA CLARA — Coach Kyle Shanahan called the 49ers together Wednesday afternoon with one scheduled period remaining in practice.

Training camp was cut short, and it came to an official end just like that.

The 49ers held their 19th day of practice, and the team appears to be in rest-and-get-ready mode with less than three weeks before the 2024 NFL season officially kicks off.

Camp concluded with two days of non-padded workouts Tuesday and Wednesday. The second practice was brought to an end approximately 15 minutes early.

Here is a look the takeaways from the 49ers’ final practice of training camp:

Mitchell, Guerendo Return

Running backs Elijah Mitchell and Isaac Guerendo returned to the practice field this week after missing most of training camp with hamstring injuries.

Mitchell served as the 49ers’ backup ever since Christian McCaffrey arrived on the scene in the middle of the 2022 season. The 49ers traded up in April to select Guerendo in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

On Wednesday, Jordan Mason lined up in the backfield for the first play of practice. Mitchell entered on the second play and immediately got a rushing attempt. He also caught a pass during the practice session.

Guerendo, who was the fastest running back at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine, looks all the way back after sustaining his injury early in the first practice of camp.

Mason, Mitchell and Guerendo appear to be in line to win roster spots behind McCaffrey.

Bosa In The Backfield

Defensive linemen rarely get a whole lot of attention during training camp because offensive players are not allowed to be tackled.

And while 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa never popped any of his offensive teammates, he seemed to spend as much time in the backfield as quarterback Brock Purdy.

Bosa capped a strong training camp with a particularly impressive day before the 49ers broke camp.

Bosa was regularly seen running past Purdy in the backfield for simulated quarterback sacks, whether he was working against left tackle Jaylon Moore or right tackle Colton McKivitz.

Womack vs. Luter

One of the final roster spots likely will come down to a couple of young defensive backs competing for one roster spot.

Cornerbacks Samuel Womack and Darrell Luter saw a lot of passes come their way on Wednesday, and this is a competition that might be too close to call.

Luter was in coverage against speedster Jacob Cowing and surrendered a deep pass completion from undrafted rookie quarterback Tanner Mordecai.

But a short time later, Luter came up with the nicest defensive play of the day when he broke up Brandon Allen’s deep pass for veteran receiver Robbie Chosen.

Later, Womack went 1-for-2 on a couple of chances, too.

Womack had good coverage against tight end Jake Tonges but could not prevent a completion from Joshua Dobbs.

On the next play, Womack had perfect coverage and broke up a pass from Mordecai that was intended for receiver Tay Martin.

Luter might have more upside as a cornerback, but Womack has the ability to also play nickel back.

Taylor Sits, Cowing Steps Up

Veteran receiver Trent Taylor worked out on a side field, as he sat out his first practice of the summer due to an undisclosed issue.

Taylor’s ticket to a spot on the 49ers’ 53-man roster is as a punt returner. But Cowing, a fourth-round draft pick from Arizona, has made significant strides in that area.

Cowing handled all of his punt-return chances flawlessly in the 49ers’ preseason game Sunday night against the New Orleans Saints at Levi’s Stadium.

“It was good to see him do some things in the game,” Shanahan said. “Really liked how smooth he looked as a punt returner.”

Cowing got a lot of practice time on Wednesday, and he ended on a high note with a short touchdown catch on a pass from Dobbs.

Camp At A Lower Tempo

The 49ers are expected to be back in the playoffs with the possibility of putting together another deep postseason run.

There is little doubt the 49ers have, on paper, one of the better rosters in the entire NFL. So, perhaps, they know exactly what it takes to get ready for the season.

But training camp seemed to lack its usual energy and enthusiasm as the practices piled up. As some of their top players were sitting out with injuries, the 49ers seemingly went into a more protective mode.

Camp appeared to be a little disjointed. Is it the hangover from losing the Super Bowl? Or were things a little funky due a couple of their best players, left tackle Trent Williams and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, not stepping onto the field due to contract issues?

The 49ers play their final preseason game on Friday night against the Las Vegas Raiders. Then, they start preparations to face Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets to open the regular season on Monday, Sept. 9, at Levi’s Stadium. The 49ers must dial things up quickly against Robert Saleh’s team. The Jets are desperate to end their streak at eight consecutive losing seasons.

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