10 Bruce Ellington WR

Ellington (undisclosed) did not participate in Wednesday's minicamp practice due to a soft-tissue injury, CSN Bay Area's Matt Maiocco reports.

The injury is unrelated to Ellington's hamstring injury that cost him the entire 2016 season. However, with a new head coach in town, any time Ellington misses can only put him further behind the learning curve in picking up the new offense, which is a legitimate concern considering San Francisco brought in Pierre Garcon, Marquise Goodwin and Aldrick Robinson as competition at wideout this offseason.

Free-agent acquisition Marquise Goodwin could compete with Ellington (hamstring) and Jeremy Kerley for playing time in the slot, CSN Bay Area reports.

Ellington entered 2016 with a shot to emerge as a crucial part of the San Francisco passing game out of the slot, but a hamstring injury landed him on injured reserve prior to Week 1. Kerley joined the team shortly thereafter and ended up leading the 49ers in catches (64), receiving yards (667) and targets (115) while primarily working from the slot. Despite his large role last season, Kerley's inefficient production on a per-target basis could leave the slot job open for competition heading into the offseason program. If so, Ellington and Marquise Goodwin could both make a push, though the latter actually may be ticketed for an outside role. Pierre Garcon is locked in as one of the outside starters, with Goodwin, Aldrick Robinson and Aaron Burbridge (among others) all potentially in the mix for the other spot. Garcon is the only sure bet to have a key role in the passing game.

Ellington (hamstring) was placed on injured reserve Tuesday.

Expected to serve as San Francisco's No. 2 or 3 wideout, Ellington sprained an ankle a couple weeks ago, then injured his hamstring in Friday's preseason game against the Packers. He hasn't been ruled out for the year, making him a prime candidate to return from IR during the season. Following offseason rule changes, each team can take one player off IR at any point in the season after Week 6. Torrey Smith and Quinton Patton figure to start at wide receiver, with Jeremy Kerley, DeAndrew White and others competing to fill out the depth chart.

Ellington (hamstring) remained sidelined during Tuesday's practice, CSN Bay Area reports.

Ellington's injury came at an unfortunate time as he appeared to have locked up the team's slot receiver role. The team acquired slot receiver/return specialist Jeremy Kerley from the Lions this week, which is tells us how concerned they are with the injury. Ellington had a chance to be relevant in PPR and return yardage leagues, but now he seems like a risky option even in those formats given the uncertainty surrounding his hamstring.

Ellington left Friday's preseason game due to a hamstring injury, the San Jose Mercury News reports.

The severity of the injury isn't clear. Ellington hasn't been able to stay healthy this preseason as he also missed time with a sprained ankle. If Ellington can't stay healthy, DeAndrew White could get more playing time as the slot receiver.