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Kaepernick not focused on 49ers’ safety competition
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Colin Kaepernick isn’t taking it upon himself to determine which 49ers safety has what it takes to replace Dashon Goldson. But Kaepernick attacked C.J. Spillman’s deep coverage on back-to-back passes in Tuesday’s practice, resulting in completions to Vernon Davis and Anquan Boldin. On Saturday, Kaepernick found Kyle Williams for a 40-yard completion against safety Eric [...]
Chad Hall’s advantage? “He gets open,” Kaepernick said.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Chad Hall is winning the war of attrition at the 49ers receiver position. And it’s not entirely due to luck. “It’s something I prepare for,” the diminutive but quick…
Kaepernick on Vernon Davis: “He’s worked hard to have a full understanding of the offense so we can do anything with him.”
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
SANTA CLARA – Colin Kaepernick spoke at the media tent Wednesday afternoon. Here’s what he said.
Q: Do you feel like you and the offense are dialed in?
KAEPERNICK: Yeah, I think we’re farther along than we were last year at this point.
Q: In what way?
KAEPERNICK: Being the third year in the offense. Everybody’s more comfortable and we can do more things.
Q: What about your comfort level with the long ball?
KAEPERNICK: It’s being more comfortable with the receivers. The people I’m throwing to, the tight ends and receivers are making plays when I put the ball up there.
Q: When you were down in Atlanta this offseason, was A.J. Jenkins with you the whole time?
KAEPERNICK: He was there most of the time we were there.
Q: There was a play yesterday that Patrick Willis was remarking on, trying to keep up with Vernon Davis downfield. From your standpoint, what was the most impressive part of what Vernon did on that play?
KAEPERNICK: He did everything right on that play. He made the correct read on the coverage, hit his landmark and then at the end he had that extra burst of speed to go get the ball. That’s what’s unique about him.
Q: Are you cognizant in that situation that that’s him and you can put a little more air underneath it?
KAEPERNICK: Yes. You have to know who’s on the field and who you’re playing with.
Q: What do you like about Chad Hall?
KAEPERNICK: He gets open. He’s quick, he’s shifty, he knows how to read defenses and he finds the soft spots.
Q: How much do you rely on a center to communicate reads to you?
KAEPERNICK: I’m making my own reads. The center’s not telling me what to check to or anything like that. He has his things to worry about and I have my things to worry about.
Q: What’s been your impression of Marlon Moore?
KAEPERNICK: He’s been out here making plays.
Q: Is his toughness evident? It seems like he makes a lot of plays over the middle. Is that something you can appreciate as a quarterback?
KAEPERNICK: Very much so. Receivers who are willing to go after balls over the middle and trust you to not lead them into a headache, those are the receivers that get more and more balls because they build confidence in the quarterback.
Q: Roman said Vernon looks much more comfortable in offense this season. Have you noticed that, too?
KAEPERNICK: Yeah. Vernon is someone who comes in to work. He’s going to make sure he’s prepared. He’s worked hard to have a full understanding of the offense so we can do anything with him.
A.J. Jenkins – Could it be another slow year?
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Unfortunately A.J. Jenkins is beginning this training camp just like he started the last one. Slooowly. Jenkins is inconsistent at best and then he pulled a hamstring in Tuesday’s practice and there’s no word on how long he’ll sit. It’s way too early to declare Jenkins a non-factor again for training camp or the season [...]
CB Tarell Brown hires new agent after contract snafu
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Six days after Brown fired Brian Overstreet for not altering him to a lucrative escalator clause in his contract, he hired prominent NFL agent Joel Segal, the Sports Business Journal reported. Segal also represents another 49ers cornerback, Chris Culliver, and defensive lineman Glenn Dorsey, who signed a two-year, $6 million deal with the team on the second day of free agency in March.
Ex-49ers Rice, Sanders to help usher in new draft format for Pro Bowl
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
(UPDATED) The Pro Bowl is a changing, and the 49ers should take notice since they’ve had nine players selected each of the last two seasons. Gone is the AFC vs. NFC format. Instead, players will be drafted by the two leading vote getters, as well as two NFL.com fantasy-football champions. (Update: Colin Kaepernick could be [...]
Slimmed-down NT Williams ready to give 49ers more
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
He’s heavier in the wallet, lighter in the gut and is currently the starting nose tackle on the defending NFC champions. No wonder Ian Williams was asked about his sunny disposition Tuesday.
49ers camp report: Hall picks up slack at WR spot
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Although Anquan Boldin has been Colin Kaepernick's go-to guy in training camp, Chad Hall is making a strong case to be the No. 2 WR.
Training camp report: Kaepernick can’t miss, Jenkins leaves practice early with apparent leg injury
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
SANTA CLARA – Here’s what stood out to me at Tuesday morning’s padded practice.
THE GOOD
1. Colin Kaepernick – All of his passes have been on the money this training camp, especially the deep ones. This morning, Kaepernick was on fire in 11-on-11 drills against the first-team defense. First, he hit Anquan Boldin on a post route for a 20-yard gain. Next, Kaepernick threaded the needle between two defenders to hit Chad Hall over the middle. Next, Kaepernck hit Hall on a deep corner route for a 30-yard gain. Next, Kaepernick hit Bruce Miller deep for a 20-yard gain. Here were Kaepernick’s three final throws of the day – 40-yard completion to Anquan Boldin, 20-yard completion to Chad Hall, 50-yard touchdown pass to Vernon Davis.
2. Anquan Boldin – Since so many 49ers wide receivers are injured, the quarterbacks threw it to Boldin practically every other pass play. He caught 10 passes for 135 yards. None of the 49er cornerbacks could stop him.
3. Ray McDonald – If he had been pacing himself earlier in camp, he didn’t pace himself today. During team drills, McDonald constantly ripped into the backfield and forced Kaepernick to scramble out of the pocket. I’ve never seen McDonald play so well in practice.
4. Vance McDonald – He played mostly with the second-team offense and caught four passes for 40 yards. He also lined up in the backfield next to the quarterback in the pistol formation quite often, like Delanie Walker did last season. McDonald committed one false start penalty in the backfield.
5. Aldon Smith – He beat Joe Staley one-on-one twice and sacked Kaepernick once. This was the hardest Smith has practiced this training camp. Staley was no match for him in pass protection.
6. Chad Hall – He played with the first-team offense and caught five passes for 70 yards. I would be shocked if Hall didn’t make the team.
7. Marlon Moore – He beat Tarell Brown in one-on-one drills. Brown pressed Moore, Moore beat the press and beat Brown on a quick slant route. Later, Moore caught four passes for 40 yards in team drills and once again made the catch of the day. He ran a post route and Tolzien threw it a bit high. Moore lunged out for the pass and caught it and took a hit from Craig Dahl. Both players fell to the ground, but Moore hung onto the pass.
THE NOT-SO-GOOD
1. C.J. Spillman – Today was his turn to start at free safety and he struggled. He gave up deep pass after deep pass, and at the end of practice it seemed like Kaepernick was picking on him by continuously throwing his direction.
2. Daniel Kilgore – Jonathan Goodwin did not attend practice, so Daniel Kilgore was the starting center. He could not keep Ian Williams and Ray McDonald out of the backfield, and as a result, the quarterbacks had to scramble out of the pocket time after time.
3. A.J. Jenkins – He appeared to injure his right hamstring during individual drills. He sat out team drills.
4. NaVorro Bowman – He did not suit up for practice. Vic Fangio said he’s working through something minor. The 49ers cannot afford to lose either Bowman or Patrick Willis for any regular season games.
5. Kyle Williams – He did not practice due to his hamstring injury.
6. Ricardo Lockette – He practiced, but he could only move at half-speed. He seemed bothered by a hip injury.
7. Quinton Patton – He practiced, but he wore the blue non-contact jersey as he’s been wearing all of training camp.
8. Kassim Osgood – Like Jenkins, Osgood appeared to tweak something in his lower body during individual drills and sat out team drills. The 49ers currently have seven nicked up wide receivers – Michael Crabtree, Mario Manningham, Williams, Jenkins, Lockette, Patton and Osgood.
Darius Fleming tears ACL; team signs San Jose State’s Travis Johnson
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Darius Fleming, who missed his rookie season last year with a torn, left ACL, suffered the same injury this year and was waived/injured this morning. He’ll have surgery this week…
The Road: 49ers to travel more — a lot more — than any other team this year
Monday, July 29, 2013
The 49ers, Seahawks and Chargers usually duke it out for supremacy in this category, but this year the 49ers are the flyaway winners. Or losers, if you worry about…
Gore: ‘I train like I still want to be ‘The Man.’ I’m not ready to pass the baton’
Monday, July 29, 2013
Frank Gore sat on a shaded, concrete stairway next to the 49ers locker room for his interview. Barely a minutes into our session, he asked how he looked in his first practice of training camp, his first as a 30-year-old running back. “You looked alright,” I responded, “except for the ball you dropped that went into [...]
Where Davis fits among other 49ers pass-catchers
Monday, July 29, 2013
At 245-pounds, Vernon Davis is clearly better suited to play tight end, but it's not out of the question that the 49ers could use him outside.
Kaepernick’s touch throws have vastly improved
Monday, July 29, 2013
Known for his cannon-like arm, 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is demonstrating something new at training camp this year.
Could mistake be an opportunity for Tarell Brown?
Sunday, July 28, 2013
The 49ers ended their first week of training-camp practices fairly uneventfully. The situation that did garner national attention was cornerback Tarell Brown’s contract conundrum, when Brown and his now-fired agent failed to notice a workout bonus in his contract. It reduced Brown’s last year of his deal from $2.950 million to $950,000. However, mistakes often [...]
Safety talk: Rookie registers first INT; Spillman takes 1st-team reps
Sunday, July 28, 2013
The first-round pick finally flashed. After a silent opening to training camp, rookie safety Eric Reid made one of the more memorable plays of today’s practice when he stepped in front of a pass from Scott Tolzien and took the interception for a would-be touchdown.
Training camp report: Eric Reid’s breakout day
Sunday, July 28, 2013
SANTA CLARA – Here’s what stood out to me at Sunday’s padded practice.
THE GOOD
1. Eric Reid – He was the best free safety on the field by far. In 11-on-11 team drills, Reid knocked away a Kaepernick pass intended for Anquan Boldin running a slant. Also, Reid intercepted a Scott Tolzien pass intended for Garrett Celek. During individual drills, Ed Donatell had the safeties practice single-high coverage, having them back pedal and then defend either a Go route or a short slant. Reid was the only safety who could track the deep ball and catch it. Craig Dahl could track the deep ball but he couldn’t catch it – he dropped two of them. And neither C.J. Spillman nor Trenton Robinson could track it deep.
2. Colin Kaepernick – He made beautiful deep throws over the middle to tight ends. During seven-on-sevens, Kaepernick fired a 25-yard pass between two defenders to Garrett Celek. The pass was a bit high, but Celek reached up and caught it. Two plays later, Kaepernick through another seam pass to Vance McDonald for a 20-yard completion. This one really fired up Jim Harbaugh. He yelled, “Way to drive it in there, Seven!”
3. Justin Smith – He has not dominated the padded practices as he did in the past, but there’s a reason. When he’s at his best, Smith can use his arms to lock out blockers and fling them to the side. But Smith tore an elbow ligament last season, and he hasn’t been using his arms much in the team drills. When the center snaps the ball, Smith tends to drive into blockers with his shoulder. I imagine he’s protecting his surgically repaired elbow and saving it for the regular season. If so, that’s smart.
4. Marlon Moore – He beat Tarell Brown deep during one-on-one drills. That was the first time I’ve ever seen Brown beaten deep during one-on-ones. During team drills, Moore dove for an overthrown deep pass from Kaepernick and nearly caught but, but dropped it when he bounced off the grass. Later in team drills, Moore made a 20-yard catch down the left sideline. Tramaine Brock had great coverage, but McCoy threw it high and Moore jumped over Brock to catch it. Near the end of practice, Moore ran a slant route from the slot against Perrish Cox. Kaepernick threw it to Moore, Cox tipped it but Moore caught it anyway for a 15-yard gain. I think Moore currently is leading the 49ers’ split end competition.
5. Chad Hall – During team drills, he caught four passes for 65 yards, beating Chris Culliver, Carlos Rogers and Perrish Cox. During one-on-one drills, Hall beat Culliver, Rogers and Marcus Cooper. Like Moore, Hall had a terrific practice, but he’s probably not going to win the No.2 receiver job. The No.2 receiver has to be a split end, and Hall is more of a flanker/slot receiver. Still, he’s putting himself in position to make the final 53-man roster.
6. Vance McDonald – He dropped four passes yesterday but none today. In a span of nine plays during seven-on-sevens, McDonald caught five passes for 55 yards running seam routes and corner routes. But he was a bit sketchy during blitz-pickup drills. Cam Johnson beat McDonald rather easily.
7. LaMichael James – He caught three passes, including a bubble screen when he was lined up at split end. He has yet to drop a pass in training camp. During the blitz-pickup drill, James was much better than last year, when he got knocked onto his back quite a few times. Today he successfully blocked Michael Wilhoite.
8. D.J. Harper – The undrafted rookie free agent running back from Boise State was terrific in the blitz-pickup drill. He stood up NaVorro Bowman, Nick Moody and Nathan Stupar.
THE NOT-SO-GOOD
1. Kyle Williams – He left practice early yesterday with what appeared to be a hamstring injury. Today, he did not suit up or participate in practice.
2. Ricardo Lockette – He made two good efforts on deep passes but couldn’t catch either one. He’s a terrific athlete, but he’s doesn’t yet look comfortable catching deep passes. Halfway through practice, he appeared to injure his right hip running a route. He toughed out the rest of practice, but he could not sprint. He was limping and grimacing.
3. Darius Fleming – He injured his left knee, the one he’s torn twice in the past 15 months. He was doing a kick-off coverage drill, Chad Hall was returning it, he juked, Fleming cut and fell to the ground in a heap.
4. Jewel Hampton – He did not do well in the blitz-pickup drill. Both Fleming and Wilhoite tossed Hampton aside.
5. B.J. Daniels – He took the biggest shot during blitz-pickup drills. Nick Moody knocked him onto his back. Daniels got up shaking his head.
THE JENKINS
Here is everything A.J. Jenkins did today.
1. During one-on-one drills, he lost to Nnamdi Asomugha and beat Daryl Morris. Jenkins tried to run a quick hitch route in front of Asomugha, but the veteran cornerback was all over it and knocked it away. Against Morris, Jenkins beat his press, ran a square in and made a nice catch on a low pass from Kaepernick.
2. During seven-on-sevens, Jenkins let his first target sail right through his hands. Later, he beat Morris on a short slant and he beat Lowell Rose on a deep dig route.
3. During 11-on-11s, he caught zero passes. Kaepernick tried to force one to Jenkins on a drag route, but Tramaine Brock was all over him, knocked the ball away, Jenkins fell to the ground and Brock made the interception.
4. Later during 11-on-11s, Jenkins gained 10 yards on an end around.
5. His final play of 11-on-11s, Jenkins lined up at split end and motioned behind Daniels in the Pistol. Daniels ran the triple option, faking the inside handoff to a running back and then sprinting to the right with Jenkins. Daniels flipped a perfect pitch but Jenkins dropped it. Culliver recovered it and ran it into the end zone.
LB Fleming re-injures knee; injury bug also hits WR corps
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Linebacker Darius Fleming, who sat out his rookie season last year with a torn ACL, appeared to injure the same knee today while covering a kickoff late in practice.…
Aldon Smith: “I don’t think any team wanted to let me set the record on them.”
Sunday, July 28, 2013
SANTA CLARA – Aldon Smith spoke with Bay Area reporters Sunday morning. Here’s what he said.
Q: Once the pads go on, what is the goal for you to work on during this part of the offseason?
ALDON SMITH: Just improving where I left off last season. Doing things better. Improving on things I’ve been working on in the offseason. Everyday I’m on the field, getting a step better.
Q: You had 19.5 sacks last year. What can you improve on?
ALDON SMITH: A lot. Getting more sacks, making more plays, seeing more. Things that I didn’t do as well last year, doing them better this year.
Q: This team used a third-round pick on an outside linebacker. You’ve got Parys Haralson back. You seem to have more reserves at your position. How do you see that as a starter? Do you like to have backups who can give you breathers?
ALDON SMITH: Depth is always good. Having veterans like Parys and Ahmad, we can always help out each other. Any time we can add guys to our position, we welcome it. If anything, it makes us be more competitive and it brings out the best in us.
Q: We saw you having your shoulder worked on last season as early as that Chicago game. Did that injury get progressively worse as the season went on?
ALDON SMITH: I don’t think it got too much better, not having a rest. We had a lot more games to go. I didn’t get a chance to really heal up, but I’ve had this offseason and I’ve really done a lot to get back to where I was and get better.
Q: Is it a goal of yours’ to break the sack record?
ALDON SMITH: It’s definitely a goal, but I take it game-by-game.
Q: Did Justin Smith seem like his old self in the first padded practice?
ALDON SMITH: He’s looking pretty good, yeah.
Q: You didn’t have any sacks after Week 13. How much of that was your injury and how much of that was Justin Smith being out and offenses focusing on you?
ALDON SMITH: I think it was a couple of things. Them seeing the pace I was on, I don’t think any team wanted to let me set the record on them or let me get sacks on the because it wouldn’t look good. There were double teams, triple teams at times. And of course, not having Justin beside me. They had a lot more attention they could focus on me. And then the shoulder, I’m not a man of excuses, but being hurt doesn’t make anything easier for you.
Q: Were you satisfied with the way you played in the NFC Championship game and the Super Bowl?
ALDON SMITH: I think I played well, yeah.
Q: How did Lawrence Okoye handle his first padded practice?
ALDON SMITH: I wasn’t really curious. I know what a guy like him can do. He’s an Olympian and he’s really strong. When he puts the pads on, I think strength is going to show in any kind of way he plays. He did a good job.
Q: It seemed like Ian Williams had a good practice yesterday. What have you seen from him this offseason?
ALDON SMITH: Ian has continued to progress since he’s been here. He’s learned a lot from the guys. He’s been able to step it up and step right in and handle his business.
Q: Okoye is very tall and has long legs. You’re tall too. Do you give him advice on how to use that to an advantage and how to keep guys from getting into your body?
ALDON SMITH: I try to help him out a little bit when I can. It’s something he’s going to have to learn, just to drop his hips and sink down. But it will come to him. This is his first year ever playing football. Every day he’ll get better and he’ll continue to improve.
Q: Is he impressive in the weight room?
ALDON SMITH: He’s definitely strong. He’s a strong guy.
Q: What do you understand about the NFL now that you didn’t when you were a rookie?
ALDON SMITH: A couple of things. The consistency, the way you take care of your body and your time management. As long as you manage all of those things and do what you’re supposed to do…However you want to be remembered in this league. You can treat yourself like you want to play for 3 years or you can treat yourself like you want to play for 13.
Harbaugh: Okoye plays better in pads
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Lawrence Okoye has never played a football game in his life, but Jim Harbaugh liked what he saw from the former Olympian on Saturday.
Harbaugh on Vernon Davis: “I’ve seen a lot of improvement in his route running. He looks leaner, too.”
Sunday, July 28, 2013
SANTA CLARA – Jim Harbaugh spoke to Bay Area reporters in the 49ers’ media tent Sunday morning. Here’s what he said about Vernon Davis, Colin Kaepernick, Marlon Moore, Quinton Patton and Lawrence Okoye .
Q: How has Vernon Davis looked in training camp?
HARBAUGH: Good. He’s looked really good.
Q: When he was drafted in 2006, he was very muscle-bound. Have you seen an evolution in his physique?
HARBAUGH: I’ve seen a lot of improvement in his ability as a football player, his route running. He looks a litter leaner, too. He looks really good. Prime of his career.
Q: Do you think Vernon has to pick up the slack while Crabtree is out?
HARBAUGH: When you lose a great player for a period of time, all players on that particular unit feel it and feel that they have to be better.
Q: You mentioned Marlon Moore before practices began. What have you seen from him so far? What jumps out about him?
HARBAUGH: The way he competes. His knowledge of the system. Smart guy who already is able to play multiple receiver positions. He’s made plays. He’s made eye-popping type of plays. He’s been consistent as well. He’s been consistently good.
Q: What’s Quinton Patton’s health status?
HARBAUGH: He got a jammed finger.
Q: Does the blue jersey mean no passes can come his way?
HARBAUGH: Yeah, I just don’t want to aggravate that.
Q: Was that from a Kaepernick pass?
HARBAUGH: I don’t know whose it was.
Q: Kaepernick showed some nice touch on a couple of screen passes yesterday. Is than an area he’s spent considerable time honing in on?
HARBAUGH: He spends a considerable amount of time on every phase of the game – his training, his film study, his meeting habits. He’s always looking for things on the field to improve. He did have some very nice touch throws yesterday. He made a corner throw that had great anticipation. I thought it was his best throw of the offseason. It was to McDonald on the left, a high-angle corner to him. Standing behind him I could see the anticipation that he had. He threw it two steps before Vance made his break and determined his angle. It was the perfect amount of loft and perfect location on the ball. That one got me fired up. That was the best one right there. Progress has been real good and steady. Encouraging.
Q: How did Lawrence Okoye’s first ever padded practice go?
HARBAUGH: It was good. He was a little bit nervous before practice being in uncharted waters, never had football equipment on. It was impressive that he got the pads put all in the right spots. So, he was off to a good start. The most notable thing is he seems to be a better player in pads, which wasn’t going to be my first thought. His arm length really shows up in the pads. His being able to puts his hands on somebody and lock them out was noticeable.
Q: He mentioned he was nervous?
HARBAUGH: I sought him out and asked him how he was doing. I thought that would be an interesting guy to talk to before his first padded practice. I remember my first padded practice. Pee Wee Football. Ann Arbor, Michigan. Nineteen hundred and seventy-three. So excited to put the gear on that I slept with it all around my bed that night. I did put the thigh pads in wrong, the top part was sticking down and the narrow part was sticking up.
Q: What was the name of your first team?
HARBAUGH: Ann Arbor Junior Packers.
Q: Okoye said, “I’m a little nervous”?
HARBAUGH: That’s what he said, “A bit nervous.” But he acquitted himself very well.
Harbaugh on Tarell Brown: “I don’t want to see him playing for the minimum when he’s a starting, top-end player.”
Sunday, July 28, 2013
SANTA CLARA – Jim Harbaugh spoke with Bay Area reporters Sunday morning. Here’s what he said about Tarell Brown.
Q: It must have been tough for Tarell Brown the past couple of days. Have you noticed anything on the field? Is he still focused and ready?
HARBAUGH: Yeah, on the field he’s been very good. You feel for him. That’s a real torpedo. But he’s been very professional. The thing I think for all of us is finding the solution. There’s a solution there and I assume if we all put our minds together and come up with the right plan, this will hopefully get to the point where we’ll chuckle about that. That’s what I’d like to see.
Q: Did your heart sink when you heard about it?
HARBAUGH: Yeah, most definitely. That’s a tough situation.
Q: Could this be an opportunity to work out an extension with Tarell?
HARBAUGH: I don’t want to break a long-standing policy not to discuss contracts in the media – I don’t think it’s in anybody’s best interest to do that – but this maybe is an exception to the rule. I just think that there’s a solution there. Don’t know that it’s any one particular thing, but we’ll explore all of those options and find the solution. It’s there, we’ve just got to do some thinking and do some work. We’re very motivated to do that because he deserves it, he’s earned it. I don’t want to see him playing for the minimum when he’s a starting, top-end player.
Q: Are you comfortable with the way the organization upstairs handled it?
HARBAUGH: Comfortable is a confusing word. I just think it was an unfortunate situation. I feel confident knowing that the people who were involved, had they known anything then we would have brought that to attention. And that’s the same with everybody involved. Unfortunately, nobody caught it and that threw a real torpedo nobody really wanted to see happen. And now, let’s get the solution and solve the problem.
Q: Will you be involved in those talks to find a solution?
HARBAUGH: Again, not going to talk about it. But yeah, I’d like to be a part of the solution. Absolutely. I think I can break my policy by saying that.
Vernon Davis: “It’s a beautiful thing to be able to work with the wide receivers.”
Sunday, July 28, 2013
SANTA CLARA – Vernon Davis spoke with Bay Area reporters in the 49ers’ media tent Sunday morning. Here’s what he said.
Q: How is your on-field chemistry with Colin Kaepernick?
VERNON DAVIS: We have a great relationship. We’re putting it all out there. We’re working in training camp, and that’s what training camp is all about. It’s about developing that relationship. I think we’ve come a long way since last year. It takes time to get that connection, that relationship, and just to develop something special.
Q: What was there in the NFC Championship and the Super Bowl that wasn’t there in the previous six or seven games when you were catching one pass a game?
VERNON DAVIS: Experience. You saw Colin developing into a great quarterback and you saw the rest of the guys, including me, following him and trying to figure him out, getting the timing down.
Q: Do you think he has a better feel for your speed now?
VERNON DAVIS: Yeah, he’s gotten a lot better. You have to keep in mind that we had mini-camp and we had OTAs as well, so we had an opportunity to get some things corrected and get our timing to where we wanted it to be. Now that it’s training camp, it’s even better. We’ve got a lot of time, a lot of practices.
Q: Has he improved the touch on his passes?
VERNON DAVIS: I can tell you this: From the time he started to the Super Bowl, totally different guy. Touch. Precise decisions. He’s talking more. He’s being a leader. He’s working hard. He’s working extremely hard. He’s not just a worker on the field he’s also a worker in the weight room. Every time I turn around he’s working. That’s the unique thing about this situation. We know we’re going to get 110 percent out of this guy.
Q: With Michael Crabtree out, do you see your role in the passing game growing?
VERNON DAVIS: I’m just here to contribute. I’m just a piece of the puzzle. That’s all I am. I’m not here for statistics. I’m not here to go to the Pro Bowl. I’m just here to do my job and that’s all I can do. Whatever they ask me to do, I’m up for it. I’m up for the challenge, whatever they want me to learn. I’m all about it. That’s what I believe in.
Q: With Crabtree out, which of the young receivers have caught your eyes so far?
VERNON DAVIS: I really like Chad (Hall). He’s quick. He’s fast. He’s doing everything that the coaches are asking him to do and he comes to work. Ricardo Lockette. Fast receiver. Talented. He’s just blessed with tons of talent, but it’s going to take him some time. But he’s learning. But I think once he gets it, he’s going to excel and he’s going to be a tremendous player. I really like Kyle Williams. We all know about Kyle Williams and what he can do. He’s a vet with a lot of experience and he’s ready to go. A.J. Jenkins. A.J. is coming along. He’s making some smooth transitions as far as being that elite receiver that they want. I believe in him. I think when the season comes around, he’ll be one of those guys who is ready to step in and fill the void.
Q: What have you seen from Vance McDonald throughout the practices?
VERNON DAVIS: He has a lot of potential. He’s working really hard. He’s trying to be the best that he can be. His ambition is very, very strong. It’s an honor to have him because it takes me back to when I was a young guy coming in. I see some of the same qualities in him that I saw in myself, as far as wanting to be good, wanting to fine tune everything and be the best at the position. He has it.
Q: I’ve seen you doing more wide receiver drills in practice. What are you trying to improve, and do you see yourself playing that position more this season that you have in the past?
VERNON DAVIS: Like I said before, I’m willing to step up and do whatever they ask me to do, and they’ve been having me work with the wide receivers, work with the wide receivers, pretty much all over the place. It’s a good thing that I get that opportunity to work with those guys because it not only helps me at the wide receiver position, it also helps me at the tight end position because my feet can get quicker, my route running is better, I get to play around with the routes and figure out how I want to run them and all sorts of things. It’s a beautiful thing to be able to work with the wide receivers. I’m ready for the challenge.
Q: At the end of practice yesterday you caught a deep pass from Colin Kaepernick and you beat C.J. Spillman. After the play he said, “I knew that was coming,” or something like that. Do you remember that play? Can you explain that route?
VERNON DAVIS: That was just a corner route. I’ve ran a number of those in the pasts. Just a simple corner route.
Q: Did you say anything to C.J.?
VERNON DAVIS: No, I just listened. I just go out to work. I don’t talk. I just do my job and try to get better each and every day.
Q: Did you play wide receiver as a kid?
VERNON DAVIS: In high school a played a little wide receiver. In college, they started me out at wide receiver but Coach said, “You’ll be too big.” I said, “Coach, I want to play wide receiver.” He said, “You’ll be too big.” I said, “What do you mean I’ll be too big?” He said, “I’ll have you play H-back, Vernon.” I said, “OK, whatever you want, Coach.” I played H-back. I actually did get bigger. I got up to about 248 pounds. By the time I got out of Maryland I was at 255. But I’m definitely familiar with the position. It’s just like tight end. It’s just running routes. That’s all it is. If you want to get better at anything, you have to put the time in. For me, if I want to get better at wide receiver I put the time in.
Q: Are you still 255?
VERNON DAVIS: No, 245. I’ve been 245 for the last four years.
Q: Is your body different than it was in 2006?
VERNON DAVIS: Oh yeah, a lot different. I feel faster, quicker. My feet are quicker. I can move around a lot better. The NFL is all about speed. It’s all about being able to get from Point A to Point B in seconds. It’s good being this size. I can’t get bigger. If I get bigger, I get slower.
Q: Can you visualize yourself playing into your late 30s?
VERNON DAVIS: Take it one day at a time, that’s all you can do. Who knows? I don’t know the plans God has for me, but I plan on being in the league until I can’t play anymore. I always said to myself, “When I lose my speed, I’m going to retire.” Hopefully, I’ll keep my speed for the next six or seven years.
No. 1 … for now: Dahl battling to keep first-round pick off the field
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Unlike Reid, the No. 18 overall pick who was a two-time All-American, Dahl has a modest pedigree. He’s a former undrafted free agent from North Dakota State who wasn’t re-signed by the Rams after his 16-start, one-interception campaign in 2012. In March, Dahl signed a three-year, $5.25 million deal with the 49ers.
It’s all about offense for defensive-minded assistant Mangini
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Eric Mangini is known for his defensive mind, but he belongs solely to the offensive staff in his role as senior offensive consultant.
Training camp D3: Vernon Davis goes deep … again and again
Saturday, July 27, 2013
It wasn’t exactly a complaint. Or a lament. It probably is best classified as a notation. But during last year’s regular season, tight end Vernon Davis pointed out that…
Training camp report: Kyle Williams’ day ends early, Ian Williams dominates, Justin Smith does not
Saturday, July 27, 2013
SANTA CLARA – Here’s what stood out to me at Saturday’s padded practice.
THE GOOD
1. Ahmad Brooks – The 49ers practiced situational football near the end of the afternoon. Jim Harbaugh placed the ball on the offense’s goal line and gave them three downs to make a first down. On third and seven, Brooks beat Anthony Davis around the edge and sacked Kaepernick.
2. Ian Williams – He was the starting nose tackle and by far the most disruptive defensive lineman today. He was violent in one-on-one-blocking drills, and during team drills he was constantly stuffing the run and ripping through the offensive line to get into the backfield. He even sacked Kaepernick once and got held by Al Netter on another play.
3. Kyle Williams – He started practice as the starting split end, and on the first play of seven-on-sevens Williams blew by Eric Reid on a deep route for a touchdown. Williams appeared to tweak his hamstring on the play, although he told the Mercury News he’s fine. He watched the second half of practice with Trent Baalke on the sideline.
4. Marlon Moore – He made the catch of the day. He ran a deep square in and Kaepernick sailed the pass a bit too high, but Moore dove and caught it anyway. He’s made a few catches like that this offseason. He is not afraid to lay out over the middle of the field.
5. Vernon Davis – He’s having a monster training camp so far. Today he caught six passes for 110 yards. He has not dropped a pass yet.
6. Anquan Boldin – The 49ers started individual drills practice press-coverage. The 49ers’ cornerbacks could not press Boldin. He juked Carlos Rogers, Marcus Cooper and Tarell Brown. Boldin did not juke Lowell Rose, though. Rose correctly guessed Boldin would cut right, and Rose tied up Boldin. In one swift, easy motion, Boldin threw Rose to the ground. Later on during team drills, Boldin beat both Tarell Brown and Chris Culliver on slants and beat Marcus Cooper on a deep pass.
7. Cam Johnson – Yesterday he almost intercepted Colin Kaepernick on a deep pass to Bruce Miller. Today, he exploded by Carter Bykowski to sack B.J. Daniels.
8. Nick Moody – On the last play of practice, Daniels threw a deep pass to Vance McDonald. Moody ran stride-for-stride with McDonald and out-jumped the second-round pick to make the interception.
THE NOT-SO-GOOD
1. Chris Culliver – His first two days of camp were terrific, but he struggled today. During position drills, Ed Donatell had the defensive backs practice locating the ball in the air. They had to run down the numbers and defend either a pass to the seam or a pass to the corner, they didn’t know which. Culliver ended up having to defend two corner passes, and he couldn’t adjust to either one. He struggled more than any other defensive back in this drill. Late in team drills, Colt McCoy threw a deep pass to Marlon Moore, who was being covered by Culliver. Neither Moore nor Culliver could find the ball in the air, so it fell to the ground.
2. Justin Smith – Unlike Ian Williams, Justin Smith did not get himself into the backfield. Joe Staley handled him in one-on-one blocking drills, and in team drills, Mike Iupati and Daniel Kilgore took turns stopping him. On a couple of running plays, Smith got rocked off of his feet.
3. Vance McDonald – He caught two 20-yard passes, but dropped four passes. One tipped into C.J. Spillman’s hands for an interception.
4. Glenn Dorsey – He was not a pass-rushing factor because he got very little push. On the other hand, he didn’t get pushed backwards, and he generally played the run well.
5. Lawrence Okoye – He looked like someone who had never played football before. He was not a factor against the run or the pass, he did not use leverage and he frequently got washed out of the play.
6. Craig Dahl – Playing strong safety, he blew a coverage and allowed Ricardo Lockette to run uncovered into the end zone and catch a deep touchdown pass.
THE JENKINS
Here’s everything A.J. Jenkins did today:
1. He caught four passes for 25 yards.
2. He dropped three passes.
3. He let one pass sail by his face because he didn’t turn to find it. Rogers saw the pass all the way and nearly picked it off.
4. Jenkins ran one deep route. It was against Lowell Rose. Kaepernick threw a perfect deep ball. Jenkins could not run by Rose. Rose blocked out Jenkins from the play. Jenkins did not make an attempt to catch the pass. Jenkins gave Rose a free shot at an interception. Rose dropped it.
5. Jenkins ran two fly sweeps. On one, Will Tukuafu tagged him for a five yard loss. On the other, Jenkins tripped over his own feet at the line of scrimmage.
Roman on Boldin: “From the first day Anquan got in the NFL he just lit it up.”
Saturday, July 27, 2013
SANTA CLARA — Greg Roman spoke in the media tent Saturday afternoon. Here’s what he said.
Opening statement:
“It’s just hitting afternoon, good afternoon. It’s exciting to be back, start training camp, a chance to build a great foundation and build the keel of our ship. The first week or two, we are totally focused on ourselves and getting out there practicing, teaching and putting ourselves through the paces. Trying to build a strong foundation that we can build upon. I hope everybody’s been well. Any questions?”
Is that an America’s Cup reference, keel of the ship?
“No, it’s simply an analogy. But [head] coach [Jim] Harbaugh talked about it the other day. The ship builders talk about, if you want that ship to sail the right way it all starts with the keel. And the same holds true for football teams. We got to pay our homage to the football gods, put ourselves through the paces. Guys that have been around have to treat the old as new. If you’re thinking young you’re always learning something. So, we challenge our guys to come out, and even with things that they’ve done multiple times, take a fresh look at it and see where we can get better at it.”
How much of this time is also, do you set aside to evaluating, analyzing what guys do best and how, when the real games start, putting them in the right situations?
“That’s a great question. That’s an ongoing process. Every day we’re getting a feel for what guys naturally do well, where guys are with certain tasks, where we need to bring them and what that could eventually grow into. That is part and parcel with what we do as coaches. And that’s really been going on since the beginning of the offseason program. But, today’s our first day in pads, so now is when it really starts.”
WR Anquan Boldin does not have great height, he does not have great speed, but obviously he’s a very accomplished NFL wide receiver. How has he been able to do the things he’s done in his career?
“Well, that’s another great question. From the first day Anquan got in the NFL he just lit it up. I just think it’s a combination of things. I don’t think you can titrate it down to one thing. The guy is a straight football player. And he’s got great natural instincts. He’s strong, competitive, very strong-willed, very competitive to doing his job. You can sense in him that it means a tremendous amount to him. Anytime he gets an opportunity to do his job and help his team, that really goes a long way towards his success and the type of makeup and character he has. Physically, he’s extremely gifted, maybe even unique as you were alluding to, just how strong he can play. But, as athletic as he is, he’s really got a unique skill set and it allows him to do things a lot of wide receivers can’t do.”
Obviously, he’s no secret around the league, but after you’d acquired him or before or whatever, I assume you studied him a bit more closely. Was there stuff that you saw that you didn’t know before?
“I really didn’t know him as a guy. So, just seeing what a high, high character guy he is allows you to connect all the dots and say, OK here’s why this guy has been so good for so long. As you watch the film or you watch him on TV you can see the skills, the physical skills. But, just been thrilled and his character leaps off the page at you.”
With RB Frank Gore going into, I think this is his ninth camp, what way does he need to get better? But, do you also get the sense that Frank really still wants to be the main work horse of that run game?
“Yeah, I think Frank’s number one goal is winning. I really believe that, and I would say that as it’s a fact. I think anyway that Frank can help the team win, he’s excited about. And Frank is going to be a huge part of our success. In that, really he’s such a well-rounded back, everything he does. Very few backs can do what he does on three downs. He looks like he’s in great shape. Moving around really well and excited, really excited to get back at it.”
When it comes to QB Colin Kaepernick running with the football, who coaches him on how to run? Because I would assume running backs coach Tom Rathman stays with the running backs. Is that something that falls on you, quarterbacks coach Geep Chryst, head coach Jim Harbaugh, or is it just Colin’s natural running ability that when he takes off?
“I think it’s you watch him run and you advise him, give him tips. Certainly, the whole team is coached on how to run, protect the football. We just had a great meeting on ball security headed by coach Rathman. But, I think we’re all after the same thing. So, we all help direct him when needed. But, he’s a very naturally gifted runner and I think he’s got good instincts on when to hold them and when to fold them. So, that’s a great thing.”
Four points of pressure applies to everyone?
“Everybody, oh yeah. Four points of pressure. Squeeze it. Just ask [running backs coach] Tom [Rathman], he’ll tell you.”
Where do you want to see the offensive line improve? And, T Joe Staley coming off two Pro Bowls, where can he take his game this year?
“Well, Joe’s playing at an extremely high level and the thing that’s just so exciting is that he is attacking every individual drill, every meeting like he would as a rookie. And he’s just itching to get better, itching to be successful. I think our offensive line, since we’ve been here, has grown, matured and hopefully ready to take the next step and play with that level of cohesion that we would expect out of them.”
Do you feel like the younger guys are pushing for more opportunities at center and those guard spots?
“No question. [G/C Daniel] Kilgore is coming along. We have [G] Adam Snyder that’s back in the fold, and these guys are constantly pushing the standard. When we got here really noticed a pretty incredible culture amongst our defensive line. It was very evident, and I really think our offensive line is growing into that type of culture. It’s really exciting to see.”
As much as QB B.J. Daniels is being spread around, special teams, all over the place on offense, how does he get a fair chance to compete for the number three quarterback job? How will you know what he’s capable of doing at quarterback with all the moving around that he’s doing?
“Well, with [QB] B.J. [Daniels], that’s something that we just have to have a feel for. He’s getting a tremendous amount of quarterback work, but also being given an opportunity to show what he can do and contribute in other areas. B.J.’s a very athletic young man. Really felt like he’s approached this camp with a great mindset. He’s really impressed all the coaches, the first couple days we’ve been here with what he’s carried over from the spring. So, I think that’s just one of those decisions you have to weigh every day and see where he’s at. It’s just one of those feel things.”
Did you spend a lot of time this offseason trying to come up with new plays or how much did you add to the playbook?
“That’s an ongoing process. I really think our offense is something that we try to install throughout the offseason. This will be our fourth installation of it. So, I think if we decided we wanted to add something or tweak something, it’s just a natural progression of us working through things. And from a scheme standpoint, we’re back to square one. It’s the beginning of training camp. We’re all about fundamental football and we’re back to building the proper fundamentals. And it’s just something, even after a bye week that you need to get back to. Let alone an extended break, because it doesn’t matter what play you run, if you’re not good at it it’s not going to work. It’s really critical to our success these first two weeks of training camp that we get better every day.”
Is the fourth install, is that the final install?
“It is, before the season starts. Yes.”
Does senior offensive consultant Eric Mangini know the offense?
“Yeah, I think he’s getting there. He’s a smart guy and he’s really picking things up quickly. And really it’s a function of learning the language of the offense. Eric’s seen a lot of football, he might have called this play something else for years, but now he’s calling it something different. And it’s not too hard for a guy, Eric’s a really smart guy.”
Has his first couple of months on the job, has it been getting him up to speed or has he had stuff to offer the offensive staff?
“I think initially it was getting him up to speed, but it doesn’t take Eric long to really observe and we certainly tell him, ‘Hey Eric, look at this, give me some feedback on that, what do you think?’ And it’s a really good interchange there amongst all our coaches. Just fitting into a great staff really well and we’re excited to have him. We had a little offensive staff meeting the other day and we all said to him, ‘We’re really happy you’re here and you’re really going to help us.’ And that’s what we aim to do as a staff.”
Receiver roulette: Williams tweaks hamstring, Patton dons cast, Jenkins struggles
Saturday, July 27, 2013
The 49ers’ early battle at wide receiver endured some unsettling twists Saturday, most notably Kyle Williams sustaining a hamstring injury that sidelined him most of practice. Williams declared himself “fine” afterward, adding he also was relieved at how his surgically repaired left knee responded from a hard landing on a 40-yard touchdown catch. Meanwhile, rookie [...]
Snyder gets practice time at all five line spots
Saturday, July 27, 2013
In five plays Friday, Adam Snyder played all five positions on the offensive line. His flexibility is paramount to Jim Harbaugh's staff.
Asomugha on the 49ers’ Super Bowl optimism: “It’s coming from a real place. I’ve never been around that.”
Saturday, July 27, 2013
SANTA CLARA – Nnamdi Asomugha spoke at the podium in the media tent Saturday afternoon. Here’s what he said.
Q: Are you looking forward to putting the pads on today?
ASOMUGHA: I am. I’m always excited to start that portion of football. We’ve been doing shorts for a while, so it’s good.
Q: Real football begins now?
ASOMUGHA: It’s not like we’re going into full, live tackling immediately. It’s just the next stage.
Q: Does it help you determine where you are with your press coverage?
ASOMUGHA: It’s definitely good for when you want to be aggressive to have the pads back on. Up until now it’s been working on your feet, maybe working some of your off game. But now I think the aggressive part of it starts to play a role.
Q: How does the scheme here fit your skill set compared to what they had you do in Philadelphia?
ASOMUGHA: It’s a really nice scheme here. I said earlier in the spring that there’s a great mix or man coverages and zone coverages. I don’t think they’re heavily dominant one way or the other, maybe a little more zone as far as the call but certain things turn into man. I think the aggressive nature of the defense is really good.
Q: At this stage in your career, what does a fresh start on a winning team mean to you?
ASOMUGHA: It means a lot because there’s always a feeling of a fresh start because the previous season has never really been that great. In my career, I’ve never been on a playoff team, so it’s never been like, “Oh, we’re coming in and we’re going to build off of that.” It’s always like, “OK, fresh start, let’s put it all together.” I think the fact that they’re building off the Super Bowl definitely changes the whole landscape of how this season is going mentally for me so far. It’s a fresh start but it’s building off success.
Q: What have you observed being in that locker room, being around the guys who made it to the Super Bowl and lost? Do you sense the determination to return?
ASOMUGHA: Yeah, the hunger is definitely there. It’s a talented group. When you’re a talented group can still be mature and still be disciplined and still be focused and still be working hard, then you know you’ve got a chance to do some special things and I think that’s what we have in the locker room. It’s not a situation where you know that you’re talented so things are just going to work out. You don’t get that sense here at all. It’s just not the way it is. It’s a beautiful thing.
Q: Is it a different culture here from what you’re used to?
ASOMUGHA: Yeah, it’s definitely a different culture. The whole environment is a lot more positive, a lot more healthy, a lot more optimistic and it’s true optimism. It’s not like all 32 teams coming into the offseason saying, “This is the year, we’re going to the Super Bowl this year.” It’s coming from a real place. I’ve never been around that. Just a really good locker room of guys.
Q: Have you gotten a feel of whether they want you on the right side or left side?
ASOMUGHA: Not really. I’ve been playing a little bit of both. I think the main thing is getting down the defense and all of the different things that can happen.
Q: When you were in Philadelphia, which side did you play?
ASOMUGHA: I actually played both. With the Raiders I was mostly on the right side – the right side of the defense and the left side of the offense – unless there were times where I would just follow a guy.
Q: Where do you see yourself fitting into this team as you’ve gotten to this point?
ASOMUGHA: I’m still letting it play out. I think I’ve been fitting in well so far, learning the defense and just being able to make plays. That’s been one of the big things I’ve been happy about. I’ve been able to make plays in the defense in the spring and the summer.
Agents: Plenty of blame all around in Brown contract snafu
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Tarell Brown should have known. His agent should have told him. And the 49ers should have reminded him. What happens next?
Fangio: Locker room normal after Brooks-Divens incident
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Many of you have been asking how Ahmad Brooks and Lamar Divens possibly could coexist in the 49ers locker room this summer and perhaps beyond. After all, it’s only…
Fangio on second-string first-round pick: ‘He’s got to go out and earn it’
Friday, July 26, 2013
If the message wasn’t clear when safety Craig Dahl played with the first-team defense during the first practice of training camp Thursday, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio spelled it out today: First-round pick Eric Reid won’t be handed a starting job. The 49ers might have traded up 13 spots to select Reid with the No. 18 [...]
49ers camp report: Both sides of ball work on read option
Friday, July 26, 2013
With several marquee matchups against read option offenses this season, the 49ers' defense is seeing plenty of read option plays during camp.
Training camp report: Ahmad Brooks commits encroachment, Colin Kaepernick finds Vernon Davis
Friday, July 26, 2013
SANTA CLARA – With 20 minutes remaining in practice, Jim Harbaugh set up a fourth down drill:
Fourth and five from the opponent’s 20-yard line, the edge of the red zone. The offense had one chance to make a first down or a touchdown.
The first-team offense faced the first-team defense and right away, Ahmad Brooks jumped offside like he did in the Super Bowl.
The 49ers replayed the down and this time, NaVorro Bowman batted away Kaepernick’s pass at the line of scrimmage.
Next up were the twos. McCoy dropped back and floated a beautiful pass over Perrish Cox’s head to Marlon Moore in the back-left corner of the end zone for a touchdown.
On the next play, Scott Tolzien committed a Delay of Game penalty.
Here’s what else stood out to me at Friday’s pad-less practice.
THE GOOD
1. The Colin Kaepernick-Vernon Davis connection – Kaepernick threw five times to Davis and Davis caught all five passes for roughly 100 yards. Davis was wide open most of the time. He burned Donte Whitner repeatedly.
2. Trenton Robinson – Playing free-safety, he read Kaepernick’s eyes and broke early on a pass to Anquan Boldin running a square in. Robinson easily broke up the pass, but he couldn’t hold on for the interception.
3. Cam Johnson – The outside linebacker outran Bruce Miller on a deep wheel route and almost intercepted the pass. Miller had to become a defensive back and knock the ball away to prevent the interception.
4. C.J. Spillman – Playing single-high safety, Spillman sprinted across half of the field and broke up a deep pass from Kaepernick intended for A.J. Jenkins on the sideline. Culliver was running stride-for-stride with Jenkins and was in position to knock away the pass, but Spillman soared in and knocked it away first. Culliver seemed annoyed with Spillman after the play.
5. Kyle Williams – He was the No.2 split end behind A.J. Jenkins, but Williams played better than Jenkins today. On one play, Williams beat Culliver on a crossing route for a 15-yard gain. That’s an accomplishment. Culliver hasn’t given up many long catches the first two days of training camp.
6. Ricardo Lockette – Although he hasn’t established himself as a deep threat (he couldn’t get a hand on a well-thrown deep pass when he was covered by Tramaine Brock), Lockette is not afraid to go over the middle and he’s improved his hands. On one play he reached out and snagged a laser from Kaepernick in the middle of the field between two defenders.
7. Chad Hall – He beat Chris Culliver on a slant for a gain of four or five yards. He also beat Marcus Cooper for a 20-yard catch, and he beat Perrish Cox for a 10-yard catch.
8. Justin Smith – The 49ers’ offense tried a trick play but Smith destroyed it. Kaepernick threw it Williams who threw it back to Kaepernick in the backfield, who wanted to throw it downfield but couldn’t because Smith immediately got in his face and tagged him.
9. Tarell Brown – He said he couldn’t focus during yesterday’s practice, but he was locked in today. He didn’t give up a single catch. A.J. Jenkins could not separate from Brown’s coverage. Quarterbacks rarely even looked Brown’s way.
10. Anquan Boldin – He made the catch of the day in one-on-one drills. He ran a Go route against Carlos Rogers. Kaepernick threw it up, Boldin had no separation and Rogers was holding his left arm, but Boldin reached up and caught it with his right hand. He made it look easy.
11. Vance McDonald – He dropped one catchable pass deep down the middle of the field, but he made up for it by catching three other passes, one short one and two intermediate ones.
THE NOT-SO-GOOD
1. Perrish Cox – He gave up a touchdown to Marlon Moore in a fourth-down drill and a deep touchdown to Chuck Jacobs in a one-on-one drill. Cox is quick, physical and aggressive, but he’s not fast and he’s vulnerable deep.
2. A.J. Jenkins – He didn’t catch a pass in team drills until 4:15, when there were 30 minutes left. At the beginning of practice, Jenkins ran a Go route against Brown in a one-on-one drill and dove/fell at the goal line. The pass was catchable, but he didn’t get a hand on it. Brown never touched him. Jenkins ended up catching a quick screen at the line of scrimmage, and twice he beat soft coverage with quick hitch routes – Nnamdi Asomugha and Daryl Morris gave Jenkins 10-yard cushions on those plays.
3. Quinton Patton – No catches, no targets. He has worn a blue non-contact jersey the past two days, but he’s participated in all of the drills. I assume he’s nursing an injury, but not a serious one
Teammates still trying to get to know Anquan Boldin
Friday, July 26, 2013
Anquan Boldin's coaches and teammates want to get to know the wideout, but when he's at the facility, he's focused on football and nothing else.
Training camp D2: Marlon Moore reels in highlight of the afternoon
Friday, July 26, 2013
Before practices began this week, Jim Harbaugh made sure Marlon Moore was added to the informal list of receivers competing for the No. 2 role opposite Anquan Boldin this…
ILB issue? Faceless foursome backing up 49ers’ dynamic duo
Friday, July 26, 2013
Michael Wilhoite, Darius Fleming, Nick Moody and Nate Stupar. They are … wait, who are those guys again?
What’s next? Ex-agent weighs in on Tarell Brown’s contract snafu
Thursday, July 25, 2013
In the aftermath of Tarell Brown’s contract snafu, I spoke to former NFL agent Joel Corry about what might happen next.
Practice report, Day 1: Justin Smith, Anquan Boldin look in familiar, All-Pro form
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Justin Smith looked like, well, good ol’ Justin Smith again as he raced toward Colin Kaepernick in the 49ers’ first practice of training camp. Gone was Smith’s cumbersome arm brace he required late last season for a partially torn triceps, an injury that hindered not just him but the defense’s worth. Don’t worry, Smith pulled [...]
It’s all about football now for 49ers Colin Kaepernick
Thursday, July 25, 2013
If you look at the internet, you would think that 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick wore nothing but a Miami Dolphins cap during the off-season — and we do mean nothing. However on the first day of training camp practice, Kaepernick was in no mood to talk about the ESPY’s, the Body Issue or his cap [...]
Training camp report: Kyle Williams, Chris Culliver and Eric Reid stand out
Thursday, July 25, 2013
SANTA CLARA – Here’s what stood out to me at the 49ers’ Thursday afternoon pad-less training camp practice.
THE GOOD
1. Kyle Williams – He looked as explosive and fast as he did last offseason. In 7-on-7 drills, Williams blew past Marcus Cooper on a deep route and easily caught a 40-yard toss from B.J. Daniels.
2. Anquan Boldin – He snatched a sure interception away from Tarell Brown on a short pass from Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick stared down Boldin on the left side of the field, so Brown broke early on the pass. He had better positioning to make the catch than Boldin, but Boldin grabbed the ball out of Brown’s hands. Later, Boldin caught a deep pass after beating Tramaine Brock on a Go route.
3. Vernon Davis – He caught four passes downfield from Kaepernick and dropped none. Kaepernick targeted Davis more than any other receiver today, an encouraging sign.
4. Chris Culliver – He was the only cornerback who didn’t give up a catch today. On one play, Culliver lined up across from Boldin, the flanker. Kaepernick dropped back and rifled a back-shoulder pass to Boldin, but Culliver adjusted to the ball and knocked it away. I’ve never seen Culliver adjust so well to a ball when it’s in the air.
5. Eric Reid – He was not the starting free safety – that was Craig Dahl – but Reid rotated into that spot with the first team defense and when he was on the field, he looked terrific. Here’s an example. On one play, A.J. Jenkins lined up at flanker across from Nnamdi Asomugha. A.J. Jenkins ran a short drag route and Asomugha did not follow him. Instead, Jenkins became Reid’s responsibility. Reid recognized the route right away and darted at Jenkins. Jenkins dropped the pass. It seemed like he heard Reid’s footsteps.
THE NOT-SO-GOOD
1. Colin Kaepernick – He’s had a good offseason, but he was not sharp today. He fumbled two snaps – one from under center and the other from the Pistol. When he passed the ball, he stared down receivers and forced passes into tight windows. Aldon Smith and Tarell Brown both dropped passes from Kaepernick.
2. Carlos Rogers – He played soft coverage and got beaten on back-to-back plays from the slot by Chad Hall and Marlon Moore. Perrish Cox played better and more aggressively than Rogers in the slot, and Nnamdi Asomugha, Tarell Brown and Chris Culliver played better than Rogers outside.
3. Frank Gore – He dropped a short pass in the flat from Scott Tolzien. The ball bounced off Gore’s hands and landed in Patrick Willis’. On the other hand, LaMichael James made a few nice catches on swing passes near the line of scrimmage. Kaepernick fired those short ones but James caught them anyway.
Harbaugh on Kaepernick: “He’s universally respected in the locker room and loved by his teammates.”
Thursday, July 25, 2013
SANTA CLARA — Jim Harbaugh spoke to Bay Area reporters in the media tent Thursday afternoon. Here’s what he said.
One of the themes for the team that loses the Super Bowl is how historically they have a difficult time coming back, whether it’s mental or what. Is that an issue that concerns you at all with this team?
“Whether what context you put it in, firm believer that if you have to talk about what you did yesterday, no matter how good it was, then you haven’t done much today. So, that’s where we’re at today going forward, trying to achieve things today. Try to make what we accomplish today to be for the betterment, for the good of the Niners. And may each day be that, pray for that.”
Do you have any working theories on why teams have historically struggled?
“No. I don’t even know if you’re right.”
I am.
“Okay. I haven’t done that research. Don’t have that in front of me now.”
How confident are you that QB Colin Kaepernick can not only replicate what he did last year in a 16 game schedule, but then get even better than that and grow?
“Well like I said, you come out here and may each day be an accomplishment for the individual’s future betterment and the betterment of the Niners. Each of our guys are working at that.”
A year ago Colin came in mid-season and took over the starting quarterback role. He goes into this season unquestioned starter. Have you seen a difference in him in terms of how he carries himself in the locker room, leadership wise, sort of taking charge of this team?
“[QB Colin] Kap is a diverse guy. And the coaches love him, the players love him. It’s unique in that way, maybe, for a quarterback. You don’t always see that, but I see that with Kap. He’s universally respected in the locker room and loved by his teammates. I guess I see that from the 25 to 35 demographic too, buying jerseys. People relate to him. They like his company, they like being around him and I’ve noticed that very much from our team. So, you asked about his leadership ability or effectiveness, for a leader to be effective they got to be followed by most of the group that he’s leading. Colin Kaepernick definitely has that love and respect from his teammates.”
Would you say it was like that in the locker room before he even started playing? Did he have that kind of following among his teammates even before he played?
“I first really noticed it more with the younger guys, the class of guys he was hanging around with and spent quite a bit of time with, that same kind of respect. And now it really appears to be universal. And I’m in the locker room, I see it. So, just an observation.”
A lot of teams spent the offseason defensively trying to game plan against the read option, not just yours but around the league. I assume that you guys must have done that defensively too. So then, are the offensive people trying to counter what they think the defensive people are doing? How does that work in the offseason when you’re trying to work through that?
“Everybody is formulating their plans and how they want to attack. At the same time you setup your guard in defense of the opponents attack. So, all those things are possibilities. Speculate people are going to do what they’re going to do and we’re going to formulate our plans and do what we do.”
Yeah, the other thing is people are concerned about the quarterbacks getting hit a lot, not just yours, but around the league. Is there a way to game plan against that, against quarterbacks getting hit too much in that offense?
“Well, there’s nobody that wants to see their own quarterback get hit too often. So, we don’t really talk scheme, about what we’re going to do and not do. But I think that’s a universal statement, that nobody wants to see his quarterback get hit too often.”
What’s the hardest you ever got hit? Do you remember?
“No, I don’t remember what I did 20 years ago, what I did 15 years ago. Almost 30 years ago we’re talking, trying to remember what I did today.”
Fair enough, but you don’t remember one or two hits, sitting around talking about that was the worst?
“I got some scars. Sometime I’ll have you over for a barbeque and I’ll strip my sleeves and show my scars. I usually do it about once a year for my neighbors. Feast my neighbors and talk about days gone by. But today’s not the day. You will be included for the yearly barbeque.”
How about this, are there tips about how you avoid getting hit that you could pass on to somebody like Colin? About how you can avoid taking the big blow?
“It’s a physical game. Yeah there are tips and coaching points most certainly.”
Can you share them with us?
“They’re the ones you all know, get out of bounds, get down. Those are the two biggest ones. Get below the pad level. It’s like a guillotine coming. It’s coming, you got to get under it. Got to get under the guillotine.”
QB B.J. Daniels talked about working with University of South Florida head coach Willie Taggart. Obviously he never coached him, but were you able to get feedback from USF Willie before the draft on B.J.?
“Um hmm.”
Anything that you could share? Obviously, it must have been fairly positive feedback.
“Yeah, it was positive and as you pointed out, coach Taggart didn’t coach B.J., but was around him for a few months that he was when he was hired at South Florida.”
He’s kind of, probably enforced whatever you may have seen on film?
“Yes.”
Will you require, when you have padded practices, for them to have their thigh and knee pads as are required in the games and are there any other changes you’ve implemented this training camp that are new?
“Yeah, what we’re going to do with that is – all the first year players when we have padded practices will be wearing their pads in there thigh boards and the knee pads. The second-year players and above who have been practicing in full gear without the pads and the pants will have the choice to practice like they have been practicing, without the knee pads and the thigh boards or they can put them in. So, kind of like hockey. I was thinking about that very same question. What do you say to them? What do you tell them? And hockey came to my mind. Back in hockey, nobody wore helmets. There was a time when not even the goalies wore helmets. Then they thought, maybe it’s a good idea for the goalies to wear a shield, like a catcher. Some did, some didn’t, but all the first year guys coming into the league had to, and the ones that’d already been in the league were grandfathered in. And even the hockey players, the position players, then made the same rule. First-year players had to wear helmets, the ones who were already in the league it was their choice. I think Brad Park might have been the last player to not wear a helmet in the NHL. You guys can check me on that fact. But that was kind of the analogy that I drew on to make that decision.”
Any new changes to training camp that you implemented that you haven’t had the past two years?
“Yeah, there’s some. Nothing that’s not secret, necessarily, that we’ll share. ”
Aren’t they required to wear them in the games though?
“Yes.”
So why not start to get them to adjust to the pads in training camp?
“And that’s definitely our suggestion, is that they wear them in the practices. And that’s their choice to do that. Then we’ll have one practice, maybe two before the preseason game where everybody wears them. So, we’re thinking along the same lines.”
What’s senior offensive consultant Eric Mangini’s role? How do you anticipate him helping?
“Well, we love our coaching staff and when you love what you got you keep it and you add to it. And that was our feeling. We had an opportunity to add a great coach, strictly be on the offensive side of the ball helping us in a lot of different ways, mainly game-planning looking at future opponents. Seeing where they possibly have a weakness or what strengths, weaknesses coming up with that, helping us come up with that and helping us come up with a game plan. Also, maybe where defenses will attack us offensively. So, really not going to stand up and say it’s just that, it’s going to be a lot of personal help with me. And so he’ll be a great addition to our team and already has been.”
Inaudible question
“The plane was flying over and I didn’t hear it. Who were you referring to?”
Colin, with Kaepernick was saying that it’s still in his head how the Super Bowl ended. How can you help him move forward. It’s a good theory, but sometimes if it’s lingering there’s got to be a way to get that out of his head.
“Like I just said, if you’re still talking about what you did yesterday then you haven’t done much today. So, now’s our opportunity. This is the start of training camp. Make each day an accomplishment for our future. Him as a player and us as a team.”
Can you individualize that? Can you talk to him specifically or do you just hope that he…
“I think I just did individualize it. It is individualized. It’s accomplishments today for the future of the individual, for the future of the team.”
What about Colin’s personality gives him the ability to handle this sort of rock star status that he’s achieved in this last few months here, post playing time last year?
“Not going to peel back the onion in every possible way, but like I said, he’s a very diverse guy, a very intelligent guy. Got a lot of attributes, lot of common sense. And he’s plus, plus, plus across the board when you start talking about his attitude, the way he thinks, the way he thinks things through, how he operates. So he’s A plus.”
What do you want to see out of RB Frank Gore this training camp?
“What do we want to see out of him? You guys ask me that every year. Then next question will probably be what? How many reps is he going to get and how are you going to keep him healthy all season long. Him like every other player. I’ll probably say it for the third time and it may bore people but today, make that an accomplishment. That’s what we’re hoping for and that’s what we’re working for, for his betterment and our team’s betterment.”
With Colin he leaned heavily on WR Michael Crabtree last year. With Michael out, do you expect that to go to WR Anquan Boldin or do you think he’s going to spread it around and what’s your hope in that area?
“What’s my hope in who’s going to get all of Michael’s catches?”
Yeah, do you think he’ll kind of lean on WR Anquan Boldin the way he leaned on Michael last year or do you expect him to spread the ball around a little more?
“I expect Anquan to be a very big factor in our offense. I’m probably being the master of the obvious both of us saying that but, that’s what we expect.”
With the injuries at receiver, just talk about the competition in this camp especially as it pertains to WR Marlon Moore trying to make the team.
“You know competition will hone us. We’re back into action and the senses, the instincts are honed once again. When you do that the competition is there. Guys fighting for spots coming in. ‘Will I make the team,? Will I play well? Is this my first camp as a professional football player, first camp with a new team?’ For some guys, ‘Is this my last year in football?’ There’s just a lot of things and there’s an attack on the nerves right now. There’s some angst, there’s some butterflies, excitement, enthusiasm, all of those things are going through the player’s nervous system right now. How do I know that? Because I have them too and I can’t wait to get out back into the action and just literally throw yourself back into the action. That’s what hones the senses and the instincts.”
S Donte Whitner said yesterday he would love to stick around here beyond this season but it’s not something that is a distraction he just voiced what his desire would be. Is that something you see talking about with him before things get started or just let it play out?
“That’s my desire too. Master of the obvious, but he is 28 years old, he’s done a lot. Who do I respect more than Donte Whitner? No-body. He’s right up there at the very top. He’s one of the best athletes at his position in his sport and I expect great things from Donte this year.”
Did you have the locker room quote board up yet?
“Yes.”
What was the quote today to start training camp?
“[WR] Kassim Osgood. Aristotle.”
49ers camp report: Dahl, Williams line up as starters
Thursday, July 25, 2013
While it's too early to jump to any conclusions, the first-full squad practice of training camp included Craig Dahl and Ian Williams as first-stringers.
Justin Smith on the read option: “I think we’re going to be ready to stop it.”
Thursday, July 25, 2013
SANTA CLARA – Justin Smith spoke to Bay Area reporters Thursday afternoon. Here’s what he said.
Q: Given the defense’s struggles when you got hurt last year, what did you learn about how important your role is and what you mean to this defense?
JUSTIN SMITH: I think we want to look to 2013.
Q: What are you focusing on this year?
JUSTIN SMITH: I think there are some things we can clean up. I think we had a really good defense last year, but I think there are some things we can clean up. Coach Fangio talked to us about what we need to improve on. That’s what we went over on our first day and that’s what our focus is going forward.
Q: You said last month you were close to being full strength. Are you there now?
JUSTIN SMITH: Yeah, I feel pretty good. It’s here now so, yup, it’s 100 percent. It feels good. Ready to go.
Q: You, Aldon Smith and Ahmad Brooks were all hurt at the end of last season. Does that point to the fact that you guys could use more time off during the season, more relief from the backups?
JUSTIN SMITH: I think it’s just part of football. Some years you’re going to have more injuries, some years you’re going to have less injuries. It’s football. People are jumping into each other. That kind of stuff is going to happen, but I hope it doesn’t happen this year.
Q: How has your view of Kaepernick evolved since last year’s training camp?
JUSTIN SMITH: That’s one thing that’s cool about this game or any sport, it’s all opportunity. Kaepernick got his opportunity last year, went out there and ran with it. He did a hell of a job and now he’s one of the top quarterbacks in the league. He seized the moment and it seems like he’s still doing that. He’s working his tail off, leading by example and showing the other young guys how to do it. It’s pretty cool watching from the beginning.
Q: Does who play quarterback have an effect on the defense? Alex Smith led long, methodical drives and Kaepernick is more of a quick-strike quarterback.
JUSTIN SMITH: I think our basic philosophy is it doesn’t matter what they do, our job is to go out there and get the ball back as soon as possible. It’s good to have a dynamic threat like Kaepernick on your side as opposed to chasing after him all of the time. Other than that, wherever we are on the field it’s our job to get the ball back.
Q: You said you wanted to tighten up a few areas and in the playoffs the defense did give up more points than usual. What were those things you want to clean up?
JUSTIN SMITH: There are just some little things. Football always boils down to technique, how you play within the framework of the defense. I think the season wears on, you start playing playoffs games a couple seasons in a row, maybe you think as a unit you can walk out there and make it happen, but it always goes back to fundamentals and basics. I think we realized that. That’s what we need to re-focus on.
Q: How have you adjusted to the faster quarterbacks coming into the league?
JUSTIN SMITH: Something we’ve focused on a bunch is the read option. A lot of teams are doing it. It’s like I said, the Wildcat used to be big, too. But, we’ll see what happens. I know as far as our defense and how we’re preparing, I think we’re going to be ready to stop it.
Q: You’ve been teammates with Ahmad Brooks dating back to his days on the Bengals. Does his recent incident call into question for you where he is as a person?
JUSTIN SMITH: Next question.
Kaepernick: “Knock on wood, I haven’t been knocked out yet.”
Thursday, July 25, 2013
SANTA CLARA – Colin Kaepernick spoke to Bay Area reporters Thursday afternoon. Here’s what he said.
Q: How has your life changed the past few months?
KAEPERNICK: I’ve had more opportunities to do things. For the most part for me, I’m worried about playing football.
Q: Was it awkward for you last season going from a backup to the focus of everybody?
KAEPERNICK: No, it wasn’t awkward. For the most part, I was worried about playing football. That was my main concern. Everything else was just extra.
Q: How much have you thought about the end of the Super Bowl and how much has that motivated you this offseason?
KAEPERNICK: I think about it a lot. I think about it to make sure that doesn’t happen again. I’ll put our team in a better situation next time we’re in a situation like that.
Q: How different does it feel knowing you’re the No.1 guy at this point in training camp?
KAEPERNICK: To me, it’s football. Football is football regardless. I’m here to work. I’m here to make sure I get better and make sure I get myself ready.
Q: How important is it for a starting quarterback to be a leader?
KAEPERNICK: I think it’s very important. If your teammates don’t respect you, if they don’t feel like you’re someone they can come to and talk to and associate with, they’re not going to play as well for you on the field. They’re not going to perform for you. To me, if I can build that relationship and make sure my teammates are comfortable, I think they’ll perform better.
Q: How do you build that relationship?
KAEPERNICK: There’s a lot of different ways to do it, from talking to them and going out and working hard in practice, showing them you’re here to work.
Q: Have you noticed a change in your teammates as far as seeking more leadership from you?
KAEPERNICK: Off the field, we’re just having a good time. When it comes to football, I think they’re more comfortable in me and I think they have more confidence in me.
Q: You couldn’t get one of the plays called in time at the end of the Super Bowl. Is that one of the areas you’re trying to improve?
KAEPERNICK: That was just one situation. To be real honest, the problem came in the first half. It didn’t come down to those last four plays. It came down to the first half and we didn’t put points on the board.
Q: Now that time has passed, how do you feel about Crabtree’s situation and your current wide receiving corps?
KAEPERNICK: It’s a tragic situation that happened to a great player like Crab. People are going to have to step up. Who that is will really depend on how this camp goes.
Q: One of the offseason themes is the read option offense cannot sustain, defenses will figure out a way to stop it. What are your thoughts about that?
KAEPERNICK: The same way defenses adjust, offenses do, too. It’s a chess match.
Q: What’s the biggest hit you ever took?
KAEPERNICK: Sean Witherspoon my sophomore year of college. I was on the run. He got a good shot on my shoulders and head. Best lick I’ve taken.
Q: Was that a read option play?
KAEPERNICK: Scramble.
Q: Did you come right back?
KAEPERNICK: Knock on wood, I haven’t been knocked out yet.
Q: The Ravens hit you every time you handed off the ball on the read option. Did that affect you?
KAEPERNICK: I’ve seen that before.
Q: You leaned on Crabtree last year on a large percentage of your passes? Are you going to do the same thing this season with Boldin or do you hope to spread the ball around a bit more?
KAEPERNICK: It depends on the play call. Crab was a hot receiver for a while so we went to him and he kept making plays so we kept throwing. This year, it really depends on what the offense is doing.
Michael Crabtree walks
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Michael Crabtree just walked from the locker room to the weight lifting shed sans limp.
He was sporting a light brace on his right ankle and he rode a stationary bike.
49ers activate Kyle Williams and Darius Flemming
Thursday, July 25, 2013
The 49ers just announced they’ve activated WR Kyle Williams and LB Darius Flemming from the PUP list, but the 49ers did not activate Kendall Hunter.
The 49ers practice in front of the media at 2:30 this afternoon. Stay tuned.
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