Niners Nation

The San Francisco 49ers are signing edge rusher Khalid Kareem from the Atlanta Falcons’ practice squad, according to Greg Auman of Fox Sports. Kareem spent the previous two seasons with 49ers defensive coordinator Raheem Morris in Atlanta. According to Auman, Kareem is en route to Melbourne, suggesting he’ll play in Week 1. This move is a necessity, as Sam Okuayinonu was recently ruled out with a foot injury. It’s as close to a 1-for-1 swap as it gets. Kareem is 6’4”, 268 pounds.

Last we heard about Aaron Donald going to Australia, all we knew was the Los Angeles Rams were trying to “figure out” the recently retired defensive lineman’s status for Week 1. Friday, Rams head coach Sean McVay told reporters that Donald will be making the trip to Australia, though there was no confirmation on if Donald would play. This can go one of two ways. If Donald is making that trip to Australia, then there’s a good chance he’s going to play.

I loved the Evans signing. Getting Kyle Shanahan the type of receiver he had lacked since becoming the head coach of the 49ers -- a big, long, downfield ball-winner, short-yardage specialist and red zone mismatch -- opened new and exciting possibilities in the offense. Evans is also much better on the classic 49ers routes than he’s given credit for. Among all receivers over the past two seasons, Evans is third in yards per route run (6.1) on deep, in-breaking routes.

The San Francisco 49ers landed in Australia yesterday, or today, depending on the time zone used. The Los Angeles Rams plan to fly in the day before the game and leave right after. Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay are on differing sides of travel plans, which only adds to the rivalry between the two coaches. The thought process of landing early is so the 49ers can acclimate to the time zone and won’t hop off the plane and head straight to the stadium.

Who is your ideal DE trade target? We all know the interior o-line is weak. We also know that Niners seem to have subpar draft classes. Bosa will look for an extension next year, and my opinion is that he should be traded if he holds a high value. If you could trade for a DE this year who would it be? It is far-fetched, but it would be interesting to see a trade in which we acquired Verse from the Browns to get him back within the division. I'm not a GM, so no idea what the compensation would be.

In news that came as no surprise, the 49ers will be without defensive end Sam Okuayinonu for their season opener. The Niners initially listed Okuayinonu as questionable with a foot injury and he did not make the long journey to Melbourne, Australia with the rest of the team on Thursday as they prepare to face the Los Angeles Rams next week.

Those That Got Away There numerous caveats I can include here, but won't. The following is a list of late round picks and undrafted free agents that I wished we had picked up. J.C. Davis (OT). I probably looked at Davis more than any other OT in the draft. I failed to understand how he could be projected lower than round 4. As it was, he was drafted in the 6th by the Giants and 13 picks after Cruz. Like Cruz, Davis made the 53-man roster.

Will the NFL suspend Puka Nacua? Or Alaric Jackson, for that matter. The San Francisco 49ers are set to face the Los Angeles Rams in an international game next week. Nacua and Jackson, the Rams’ projected starting left tackle, aren’t on the commissioner’s exempt list — a sign that they’ll be good to go for Week 1. For those who don’t know, Nacua is currently facing a civil lawsuit alleging physical assault and battery, in which the victim alleged Nacua bit her on the shoulder on New Year’s Eve.

This time last year, as the San Francisco 49ers were heading into their Week 1 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, Kyle Shanahan was reluctant to name his starting safeties. In a mild upset, rookie Marques Sigle beat out Ji’Ayir Brown, as the 49ers took the field with a Day 3 rookie and veteran Jason Pinnock. Sigle’s start to the season was a mixed bag. The ball has a way of finding you when things aren’t going your way as a defensive back.

We will not hear from the San Francisco 49ers until their next block of practices. On Wednesday, the team released its first official depth chart of the season. Keep in mind that the communications staff put this together. The reaction to Connor Colby trotting out with the rest of the starters and lining up at left guard after being demoted to third string would be comical. If Colby is the best player for the job, then so be it.