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George Nikitin/Associated Press

The San Francisco 49ers finally lowered the drawbridge and opened the castle gates Thursday.

For the first time this offseason, the Niners invited the media to watch one of their practices. I attended.

The Niners allowed us to walk around the edges of the practice field. We had terrific views of the action. Sometimes, we stood five feet away from the players as they worked.

After individual drills, we watched seven-on-seven and 11-on-11 team drills. We saw which players stood out in a competitive setting, and we saw hints of changes to the 49ers offense.

In ascending order, here are the five biggest takeaways from the 49ers’ first open practice of the offseason.