Kyle Shanahan is optimistic that Talanoa Hufanga returns sometime during training camp
Which might explain why Julian Blackmon left the Bay Area without a deal
On Monday, San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch didn’t rule out the possibility of the team making more moves in free agency. He mentioned that bringing back Tashaun Gipson is a possibility while adding that safety Talanoa Hufanga’s ACL recovery is going well.
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On Tuesday, head coach Kyle Shanahan continued the safety discussion. The 49ers recently hosted former Indianapolis Colts safety Julian Blackmon on a visit. The Niners were honest with Blackmon, which is why there wasn’t a deal. Shanahan said the team told Blackmon that he wasn’t guaranteed to start.
Shanahan also spoke about Hufanga, saying he believes Talanoa can return to the team sometime during training camp and is optimistic that he’ll be 100 percent healthy. Now, “sometime” could mean July 28 or August 17, which is a wide range of dates.
Hufanga tore his ACL on November 12. The middle of August gives him about a nine-month recovery timetable. So, while it’s not far-fetched that Talanoa will be back to his old self by the time the 49ers are playing preseason games, there’s always the risk of betting on a player returning from injury.
It sounds like Shanahan and Lynch are more interested in signing more depth at safety as opposed to bigger names such as Justin Simmons, Quandre Diggs, or Blackmon.
Gipson seems like the “safest” re-signing, given his familiarity and durability. Blackmon had two season-ending injuries during his rookie contract.
