Nick Wagoner, ESPN Staff Writer 7y

Brian Hoyer has strong practice despite facing constant pressure

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- There was good news and bad news for the San Francisco 49ers offense in the team's first padded practice of this year's training camp.

The good news was that quarterback Brian Hoyer continues to be a calming influence in the huddle who more often than not makes the right decision of where to go with the ball and gets it there in a timely manner. That much was evident during the roughly two-hour workout Sunday as Hoyer saw only a few passes hit the ground during the team portion of the practice.

“It seems like he had a real good day," coach Kyle Shanahan said. "Again, you never know fully until you watch the tape, but he had a few big opportunities and for the most part the ball always went to the right spot.”

By my count, Hoyer missed on just three passes during the team portion of practice, and one of those incompletions was really a catchable pass missed by tight end Logan Paulsen.

And Hoyer has showed a willingness to push the ball down the field more consistently, something he didn't do much during the practices that were open to media in the spring. He was particularly on-target during the one-on-one drills between cornerbacks and receivers. On one deep ball, he hit receiver Marquise Goodwin in stride after Goodwin made a nice stop-and-go move against cornerback Rashard Robinson.

Of course, those one-on-one drills were also the only time during the practice when Hoyer and his fellow quarterbacks didn't have to deal with constant pressure. That's the bad news, at least for the offense.

Defensive end Arik Armstead was in position for what would have been three sacks, with two of those coming against right tackle Trent Brown. Elvis Dumervil also gave Brown fits. At one point in the practice, Hoyer connected with Goodwin again for another would-be touchdown, but had the play taken place under game circumstances, Armstead would almost certainly have dropped Hoyer for a sack before he got the throw off.

The first-team offensive line wasn't the only group to struggle. At other points in practice, defensive end Solomon Thomas shoved tackle Andrew Lauderdale into the quarterback, defensive end Aaron Lynch had a couple of would-be sacks and rookie defensive tackle D.J. Jones pushed blockers back in stuffing the run.

The addition of pads is supposed to even the playing field up front, but for one day at least, the advantage went to the defense.

Some other news, notes and observations from Sunday's practice:

  • Armstead is noticeably leaner at his new position, trimming down to about 275 pounds from his past playing weight of around 290. Armstead has tantalized with his training camp efforts before, so he will need to prove he can perform in games. But he's off to another promising start now that his surgically repaired shoulder is back to full strength.

  • The first groups on offense and defense were the same as on Saturday, with the exception of the corner spot opposite Robinson. Dontae Johnson got first crack at that job after Keith Reaser did on Saturday. The Niners are going with a full-fledged rotation with those two as they try to determine the better fit for the starting lineup.

  • Strong safety Eric Reid suffered an apparent right ankle injury during team drills. Shanahan was unsure of the extent of the injury after Reid tried to continue practicing before he had to limp off again. Vinnie Sunseri filled in for Reid. Another injury at safety after losing Jimmie Ward to a hamstring ailment would be a bad early development as the Niners adjust to a new scheme.

  • Running back Tim Hightower had the best run of the day in team drills, bouncing a well-blocked play to the left and darting down the sideline for what would have been a big gain. Hightower continues to make the case that he should be next in line behind starter Carlos Hyde.

  • Rookie linebacker Reuben Foster continues to work with the third-team defense but also made a couple of plays that stood out, including an interception against quarterback Nick Mullens and a run stuff of back Matt Breida.

  • Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner was dominant in one-on-one pass-rushing drills, leaving guard Joshua Garnett with his hands full each time they squared off.

  • It was a rough day for rookie quarterback C.J. Beathard. During one period of team drills, he missed on three consecutive throws. One of those should have been an easy pitch and catch in the flat but Beathard's throw was nowhere close. To his credit, he fit a couple of throws into tight windows to receiver DeAndre Carter and tight end Vance McDonald in the next period.

  • Wide receiver Pierre Garcon is known for his fearless playing style and it's easy to see why. He not only doesn't hesitate to go over the middle but he seems to make a living off of intermediate dig routes. He and Hoyer connected a few times in Sunday's practice, and it's a safe bet those plays will be a staple of Shanahan's offense this year.

  • Undrafted rookie safety Chanceller James had an interception Sunday after a pretty impressive spring. He's been working mostly as the third-team strong safety but also has shown some ability to play deep.

  • Ward, receiver BJ Johnson (hamstring) and offensive lineman J.P. Flynn (knee) did not participate in the practice.

  • The 49ers are back at it on Monday before their first day off of this camp on Tuesday.

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