Brock Purdy Camp Update — August 31: His Protection Changed Shape

The most consequential news of Brock Purdy's week came from the other team's building. Aaron Donald ended a two-year retirement and rejoined the Rams — the Week One opponent in Melbourne on September tenth — on a one-year, 20-million-dollar deal that can reach 30 million with incentives, per Ian Rapoport and Adam Schefter via 49ers Webzone. The line that meets him and Myles Garrett in Week One, and again in Week 14, spent the week reorganizing. Rookie fourth-round pick Carver Willis, out of the concussion protocol, played the entire first half of the finale at left guard with the first group, and Matt Maiocco at NBC Sports Bay Area had him playing well in pass protection and in the run game — the favorite to open the season in the starting lineup. David Lombardi at the SF Standard notes line coach Chris Foerster has indicated a possible platoon. And the team bought insurance, acquiring center-and-guard Jarrett Patterson — 39 games and 21 starts for Houston — from the Texans for a seventh-round pick in 20 27, per Tom Pelissero, with Schefter reporting the compensation, via 49ers Webzone.

The quarterback room set at three, with him at the top of it: waiving fourth quarterback Adrian Martinez left Purdy, Mac Jones, and Kurtis Rourke, per Rapoport via 49ers Webzone, with Rourke making the roster while still working back from three broken ribs, per David Bonilla at 49ers Webzone. As for the finale itself, no source reports Purdy's participation either way — the attributed statement is that the team "rested most of their projected regular-season starters," per CBS Sports, and the club's recap of the 18-to-12 win names Martinez at quarterback, not Purdy.

Last week's watch line asked whether he'd play in Las Vegas — answered only at the room level, above — and which targets would be standing after cutdown, which is now answered in full. Standing: Evans, Samuel, Stribling, Robinson, Cowing, and Watkins at receiver, per Briana Jeannel at 49ers.com; George Kittle activated off the physically-unable-to-perform list with what Schefter calls a legitimate Week One chance; McCaffrey with Black and James behind him. Down: Christian Kirk, to injured reserve with a return designation, per Maiocco. The group Purdy finished August with is the group that flies to Melbourne, minus Kirk. Back in June the preview framed him as a player whose last season measured availability rather than ability, with the supporting cast as the second question — that second question is now answered on paper, and the first gets its real test against a defensive front that just added Aaron Donald to it. More when the Melbourne picture sharpens.

_Data via nflverse._