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SANTA CLARA Gabriel Landeskog Jersey Kids , Calif. (AP) — Eli Harold spent the past two seasons kneeling aside San Francisco 49ers teammates such as Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid as a form of protest of racial injustice during the national anthem.

Harold has changed his stance this year and has stood during the playing of the “The Star-Spangled Banner” during the first two exhibition games for the 49ers.

Harold said Tuesday he didn’t want to get into details on why he no longer is kneeling during the anthem.

“I understand everyone wants to ask the questions,” he said. “I just don’t want to get into it right now. I’m trying to focus on ball. Me and my wife had a discussion and we feel it’s best right now that I just don’t answer those questions and try to stick with ball.”

The league and the players’ union have yet to announce a policy for this season regarding demonstrations during the anthem after the league initially ordered everyone to stand on the sideline when “The Star-Spangled Banner” is played, or remain in the locker room.

Only a handful of NFL players have protested during the anthem this preseason with a few kneeling, staying in the locker room or raising a fist. Niners receiver Marquise Goodwin is the only player to protest on his team so far, raising a fist during the anthem.

While a new policy is being worked out, both Kaepernick and Reid remain unsigned. Kaepernick hasn’t played since the end of the 2016 season and has filed a grievance over the refusal of any team to sign him to a contract.

Reid has not been signed so far this offseason despite coming off a solid season in showing the versatility to play both safety and linebacker.

“He’s a heck of a ballplayer, obviously top five at his position,” Harold said. “It sucks but it’s the nature of the business. I’m praying for him. Hopefully everything works out, but it just sucks. He’s a heck of a player. It hurts me to see what he’s going through.”

The 49ers determined early in the offseason that they wanted Jaquiski Tartt and Adrian Colbert as their starters and only offered Reid a one-year minimum contract to come in and compete for a backup spot.

Reid declined the deal and has gotten no significant offers from other teams. Coach Kyle Shanahan said the Niners still would be willing to bring Reid back as a reserve.

“If any really good player wants to come in here on a minimum deal and have a good player to be a backup, that’d be unbelievable,” Shanahan said. “I don’t think that’s what Eric wants. I told you the reason we decided to go that direction is because we made a tough decision, but we had to do it. We went with Tartt. We thought that was the right way to go.

“You can’t give a lot of money to backups, and that’s what he would be if he came here. But Ryan Kesler Jersey , I like Eric. Eric is a good player, he’s a good person. That’d be great if we could add him to that role. I don’t think he would be that interested in it.”

NOTES: CB Richard Sherman returned to practice after being sidelined by a hamstring injury and is on track to play his first exhibition game Saturday against Indianapolis. … DL Solomon Thomas and OL Garry Gilliam have not yet been cleared for contact following concussions in the exhibition opener. … Backup QB C.J. Beathard did not practice and is day to day with a sprained foot.

The key for Seattle remaining a contender while churning the roster is rediscovering success in the draft after the Seahawks went 9-7 last season and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2011.

In recent years, general manager John Schneider and his staff have been tagged with more misses than hits. The days of finding stars such as Russell Wilson in the third round and Richard Sherman in the fifth round have been replaced by high-round busts such as Christine Michael and Malik McDowell.

In the past five years, Seattle has drafted just one player to be voted to the Pro Bowl: Wide receiver and kick returner Tyler Lockett.

So the pressure is on Schneider to again have a bountiful draft. It doesn't have to be as good as those ones earlier this decade that defined Seattle's contending squads.

But there are notable areas Seattle needs to address and baring a trade it'll have to do it with limited picks. Seattle's first pick is at No. 18, the Seahawks have just eight selections entering the draft and none in the second or third rounds.

In an effort to have fewer misses, the Seahawks have shrunk their draft board with a smaller pool of players to consider.

"It looks cleaner. It's easier to study. It's easier to figure out where the ledges are, the drop-offs, where the strengths are," Schneider said. "(In) 2010, 2011, 2012 we had less numbers in general. And then for one reason or another we continue to add more and more players and it's just too much."

Here's what else to watch about the Seahawks entering the draft:

WHAT ABOUT EARL?

The offseason has been filled with conjecture about the future of star safety Earl Thomas, who is going into the final year of his contract in 2018. Thomas wants a new deal and has not hid his desire for one.

Thomas is also one of the few commodities Seattle has on its roster that could yield a bounty of picks if a trade was made. Thomas is still an elite safety, but the chance to get multiple picks could lead Schneider to pull off a trade.

SILENT DAY 2

Seattle is without a pick on the second day of the draft Tyson Barrie Jersey , the result of trading its second-round pick to the New York Jets as part of the Sheldon Richardson deal, and sending its third-round selection to Houston as part of the Duane Brown deal.

Don't expect that to last. Schneider has been among the most active GMs during the draft making deals to acquire more picks.

"We take a lot of pride in our relationships with clubs where we can call someone up really quick and make a deal and move around. ... I wish we had a second-rounder and a third-rounder, but we went for it and now here we are," Schneider said. "It's a challenge, but it's a fun challenge."

BIGGEST NEEDS

While the offensive line is regularly the biggest complaint of fans, it's not Seattle's biggest need. The Seahawks must get some pass rush help in this draft. The trade of Bennett and uncertainty over the future of Cliff Avril because of a neck injury leaves a void at defensive end with Frank Clark as the only proven pass rusher.

The secondary should also be a priority. Sherman is gone. So too are DeShawn Shead and Jeremy Lane. And there's the same uncertainty around Kam Chancellor as Avril. Seattle re-signed Bradley McDougald and Justin Coleman, and has hopes for young safeties Delano Hill and Tedric Thompson, but depth is a major concern.

HITS, MISSES AND BARGAINS

The first three drafts Seattle had under Schneider laid the foundation for a Super Bowl team. The past five have been shaky at best.

The misses: None may be more costly than McDowell. The second-round pick has yet to play for Seattle because of an ATV accident before the 2017 season. His injury caused Seattle to trade for one season of Richardson, which cost the Seahawks a serviceable receiver in Jermaine Kearse and a second-round pick.

The hits: Last year the Seahawks nabbed cornerback Shaquill Griffin in the third round and he immediately became the starter. Playing opposite Sherman meant Griffin was targeted right away and his performance showed he can be capable of being Seattle's next great cornerback.

The bargains: His rookie season was cut short because of injury, but Seattle has high hopes for running back Chris Carson, a seventh-round pick last year. Carson won the starting job in training camp last year and will likely be the presumptive starter going into this season.