The San Francisco 49ers leading wide receiver last year, Kendrick Bourne (487 yards), is entering his third training camp with the team.
A starter last year, Bourne is feeling the heat of competition in early August and facing it, “Okay, we've got a good group of guys, so I've got to have a good day,” as he said last week, via David Bonilla on 49erswebzone.com. It appears Bourne has had his good days in camp.
ESPN's Nick Wagoner reports, via Twitter, that the 49ers haven't seen a consistent play from wide receivers at camp, other than Bourne. Head coach Kyle Shanahan mentioned that Bourne spent his offseason training nearby and honing his craft with the team.
According to Bonilla, the coach said after Tuesday's practice:
“We've always liked KB. He's got real strong hands and plays very hard. Being in the same offense now, going into his third year, it's been a lot easier to move him around and stuff. But he's having a hell of a camp, and we really enjoy him here.
KB always works, but you could tell it was even different this time. He didn't leave it all in his 40 days away. I can see he's stronger; I can see he's in better shape; I can see he's more locked in.”
Indications point to Bourne taking the task of competing in the 49ers offense to heart. His competition is no joke. Marquise Goodwin, Dante Pettis, Deebo Samuel, and Jordan Mathews should compete for starting jobs.
Trent Taylor, Richie James Jr., Chris Thompson, Jaylen Hurd, and Bourne round out a ten-man group that will be trimmed come week one.
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