49ers camp takeaways: Offense sharp; Odum makes most of opportunities

49ers camp takeaways: Offense sharp; Odum makes most of opportunities originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SANTA CLARA — The 49ers opened their third block of training camp practices Friday with a packed house of fans.

Quarterback Brock Purdy didn’t throw an interception for the second consecutive session, which coach Kyle Shanahan deemed a little bit shorter than what’s to come. The plan is to have a higher count of team reps Saturday as the 49ers slowly ramp up toward the regular season.

Defensive end Nick Bosa and running back Christian McCaffrey both took veteran rest days and weren’t seen on the field. Jauan Jennings participated in individual drills, but Shanahan shared that the wideout was dealing with a minor ankle injury and should return soon. Tight end Logan Thomas was sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Center Jon Feliciano was back in the mix on the offensive line but worked in only during a few series of offensive plays. Aaron Banks was sidelined with back spasms, and fellow guard Spencer Burford remained sidelined with a broken hand. Shanahan said Burford will not need surgery but still will miss a few weeks because of the injury.

Here are five updates and takeaways from Day 8 of 49ers training camp.

Kickoff returns will be interesting

The 49ers had everyone from Kyle Juszczyk to Deebo Samuel to Danny Gray trying to return kickoffs Friday, as they adjust to the NFL’s new rules. Even undrafted rookie Terique Owens took a shot at catching a line-drive boot from kicker Jake Moody.

Shanahan, who watched a few kickoffs in Thursday night’s Houston Texans-Chicago Bears Hall of Fame Game, believes returns will be a work in progress throughout the preseason and maybe even into Week 1.

“We are all trying to learn,” Shanahan said. “That was the first time everyone got to see it. I think I saw three of eight. It was messy, but I’m sure they will be throughout the preseason. We will get as much info as we can on it and adjust as the year goes.

Pearsall continues to progress and impress

Rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall didn’t catch a pass during team drills, but he consistently showed follow-through during run plays. Shanahan appreciates Pearsall’s commitment, given how important wideouts blocking is in the 49ers’ offensive scheme.

“I’ve been really happy with his progress so far,” Shanahan said. “It’s been cool watching him in the run game. He understands our standards. He’s not someone we have to call and say, ‘We need more.’ He gets it, and he’s doing everything he can, and just continue to get more reps.”

Odum taking advantage of opportunities

Special teams ace George Odum could be the safety called upon to start alongside second-year pro Ji’Ayir Brown if Talanoa Hufanga isn’t ready to play by Week 1. Odum has taken the majority of the first-team snaps and made standout plays.

The undrafted free agent from Central Arkansas has had a number of pass breakups and one of the four interceptions of Purdy’s passes in Tuesday’s practice.

Offense nearly had turnover-free day

A Purdy hand-off to Jordan Mason went awry during team drills in the latter half of Friday’s session. It wasn’t clear from the other side of the field if the mistake was the quarterback or the running back’s fault.

That was of no concern to Javon Hargrave, who scooped up the ball and ran it back for a defensive touchdown.

Moody a little off his game

Kicker Jake Moody has been exceptionally accurate throughout camp, missing only one field-goal attempt. Maybe it was the myriad line-drive kick-offs the second-year pro had practiced prior, but after making two field-goal tries earlier, he wasn’t as accurate later, missing attempts from 46 and 53 yards just before the end of practice.

The 49ers will reconvene Saturday for a lengthier session with extended team drills.

Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast