Golden Nuggets: Should we be worried about the unproven depth along the defensive line?

Your daily San Francisco 49ers links for Wednesday, July 21, 2021

What you see is what you get, at least for the moment, when talking about the 49ers roster. They’re up against the salary cap and have to finalize an extension with Fred Warner before we can start talking about potential additions. The team didn’t have $4 million to give Melvin Ingram.

49ers’ RB depth could create intriguing trade scenario

Mostert, however, could be an attractive pickup for a lot of teams heading into the regular season — but only if the 49ers believe they have enough talented backs to manage without him.

Mostert is scheduled to earn $3.225 million for the 2021 season. He enters the final year of his contract.

But who wouldn’t want a dynamic running back who has averaged 5.7 yards (regular season and playoffs) since first touching the ball for the 49ers late in the 2016 season?

Mostert is the 49ers’ best player whom, conceivably, they could deal in order to create more draft capital for the future.

The depth they created at running back this offseason gives them that kind of flexibility.

Available defensive end depth for 49ers gets thinner

The 49ers’ depth at defensive end is one of their roster’s biggest question marks going into training camp. Their options for improving that area via the free agent market were already thin, but the Steelers’ acquisition of former Chargers DE Melvin Ingram on a one-year deal limited the pool even further.

Chances are San Francisco is okay with what they have going into camp. They had the cap room to fit Ingram in if they wanted, and there was never any reported interest in him from the 49ers.

Jets coach Robert Saleh shares what makes 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan so unique

“Everyone wants to have the next offensive guru,” Saleh told Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. “I think what people lose with all these guys is their leadership skills. There’s a difference between being able to call plays and actually lead a football team, period. And that’s with any coach. And I think where Kyle separates himself from all of them, is his ability to lead and establish a style of play and a standard.”

“When you watch that team, watch the Niners, even last year, when you turn on the tape, there are common denominators that you see over and over again,” Saleh continued, “you see the work, the effort, the attention to detail, the energy. It explodes off the tape, and it starts at the top with Kyle.”

Former 49ers assistant battling life-threatening injuries from bicycle accident in Bay Area

New York Jets assistant coach Greg Knapp, 58, is battling life threatening injuries after being involved in a bicycle accident on Saturday near his home in Danville, CA.

Knapp was struck by a motorist at a busy intersection at approximately 2:49 p.m., according to the San Ramon Police Department.

Knapp was a 49ers assistant coach from 1997-2003, and played for the 49ers as a quarterback from 1992-94. Over his 25 year career as an assistant coach in the NFL Knapp coached the likes of Peyton Manning and Steve Young.

“Greg is such an amazing individual it is hard to imagine the challenge facing him and his family,” said New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh, who recently hired Knapp. “Greg’s fun nature, kind disposition, and wealth of knowledge has allowed him to make genuine connections with all of our coaches, players and staff since he has been here. I ask that you keep him in your prayers as we all pull for him to recover from this horrific accident.”

10 49ers Who Could Make a Return ahead of Training Camp

WR Jalen Hurd

The 2019 third-round pick has yet to take the field after being sidelined in consecutive seasons due to injury. Last season, Hurd tore his ACL on the second day of padded training camp practices while rehabbing on the sidelines. This offseason, Hurd was not a part of the full team non-contact drills. Instead, the wideout spent the sessions rehabbing on the sidelines – a positive indication of his progress nearly a year removed from injury. Lauded for his elite size, length and ability to line up all over the field, the 49ers are hopeful the wideout can shake the injury bug and help bolster San Francisco’s receiving corps in 2021.