Late last season, Ahmad Brooks’ future with the 49ers didn’t look bright.
After coming into camp overweight, the outside linebacker didn’t play as well as he did in past seasons, had some disagreements with the coaching staff and looked to be a candidate for release in the offseason, especially with a strong season from 2014 rookie Aaron Lynch.
Plus, Brooks’ large salary – he counts more than $7 million against the salary cap in 2015 – makes him vulnerable.
But over the first weekend of 49ers training camp, it appears Brooks is making a big push to remain a 49er.
So far, Brooks is running with the first-team defense and is in terrific shape. That better condition and his apparent desire to impress a new group of defensive coaches has led to some impressive plays over the first two days of practice.
As Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee noted, Brooks batted down a pass from Colin Kaepernick on Sunday, then looked explosive and athletic by putting a spin move on offensive tackle Erik Pears in one-on-one pass rushing drills.
“At one point this offseason, it seemed as if the 49ers would unload hefty Brooks and his hefty contract,” wrote Barrows. “Now he seems poised for a big year.”
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Kevin Lynch, who covers the 49ers for the San Francisco Chronicle, wrote Sunday night that Brooks has sometimes looked “like a man among boys” in camp.
Despite speculation that Brooks’ future with the 49ers was in jeopardy, 49ers general manager Trent Baalke said this offseason that Brooks has all along been in the 49ers’ plans for 2015, and said in March – even before Brooks lost weight – that he would be on the opening-day roster.
Baalke said reports that the 49ers would part with Brooks because of his high salary were off base.
“It was all speculation based on our cap number and the cash flow we had leading into free agency,” said Baalke. “A lot of assumptions were made, but wrongly.”
