In Saturday's preseason loss to the Titans, Eric Saubert played 17 snaps and made excellent blocks during runs by Jordan Mason. When Saubert left the game, the 49ers' rushing attack suffered.
He's a blocker. That's his role in the offense when he's on the field. He might run an occasional route, but he almost never gets the ball. Last season, the 49ers backup tight end was Charlie Woerner, and he caught a whopping three passes for 32 yards. And yet, he played 312 offensive snaps for the 49ers. Which means most of the time, he essentially was a sixth offensive lineman.
Now Woerner is on the Atlanta Falcons and his replacement most likely will be veteran tight end Eric Saubert. Not because Saubert is a dynamic receiver -- he's not. He's slow. He's winning because he's a good blocker. In Saturday's preseason loss to the Titans, Saubert played 17 snaps and made excellent blocks during runs by Jordan Mason. When Saubert left the game, the rushing attack suffered.
And in training camp practices, Saubert frequently participates in 1-on-1 pass-rushing drills with the offensive linemen and has to block a defensive end by himself. Kyle Shanahan desperately covets tight ends who can block edge rushers during play-action passes. Remember, Shanahan asked former 49ers backup tight end Tyler Kroft to block Eagles edge rusher Haasan Reddick in the NFC Championship game two seasons ago, Kroft predictably whiffed and Reddick tore Purdy's throwing elbow.
Instead of scrapping that play from the playbook, Shanahan simply found another tight end he feels can make that block.Grant Cohn has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily since 2011. He spent the first nine years of his career with the Santa Rosa Press Democrat where he wrote the Inside the 49ers blog and covered famous coaches and athletes such as Jim Harbaugh, Colin Kaepernick and Patrick Willis. In 2012, Inside the 49ers won Sports Blog of the Year from the Peninsula Press Club.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Eric Saubert is Leading the 49ers' Backup Tight End CompetitionThe 49ers' backup tight end competition isn't a glamorous one. Eric Saubert caught just three passes for the Houston Texans last season, but he still played 20 percent of their offensive snaps because he's a quality run blocker.
Read more »
Kurtenbach: Why Brandon Aiyuk’s absence matters for the 49ers, and why Trent Williams’ doesn’tBrandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams are holding out (and in) for new contracts.
Read more »
Who Did Shawn Mendes Almost Get Pregnant in 'Why Why Why'?He released his new song 'Why Why Why' with questionable lyrics.
Read more »
Shawn Mendes Drops Two Singles, ‘Why Why Why’ & ‘Isn’t That Enough’: Stream NowShawn Mendes unveiled two tracks, 'Why Why Why' and 'Isn't That Enough,' on Friday (Aug. 9).
Read more »
Why the 49ers Still Haven't Extended Brandon Aiyuk's ContractLet's be realistic. Brandon Aiyuk has some leverage and seems to have no preference whether he plays for the Steelers or the 49ers. If the 49ers offer him what the Steelers have offered him, he would take it.
Read more »
Why 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk Wants to Play for the SteelersIt's clear why Brandon Aiyuk is unhappy with the 49ers. It's unclear why he wants to play for the Steelers. The 49ers frustrate Aiyuk because they treat him like the little brother on the team. He's not a captain.
Read more »