SAN FRANCISCO – Alex Smith spoke at his locker after the 49ers 17-6 preseason victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Friday night. Smith gave big praise to Brandon Jacobs, Brett Swain and the offensive line. Here’s the transcript of the interview, courtesy of the 49ers.

What were your thoughts on the performance of the offense?

“We ran the ball really well on the opening drive and all game. I think the offensive line did really well. The one offensive line was in there for the two series, I think, they just dominated. I don’t know what the yards per rush was but it had to be pretty high. Anytime you can do that it makes all of our jobs a lot easier. You’re in second, third and short. Even there where we didn’t convert on the third down, you’re in fourth and one and then you’re across the 50 and it’s a great chance to potentially go for it there. Then all of a sudden we really dominated on fourth and one and we moved the chains there. Then all of a sudden we are down in the red zone and we got a touchdown, so it made life easy.”

Did we see the affect RB Brandon Jacobs is going to have, especially on that first drive in that short yardage situation?

“Yeah perhaps. I think all of our backs ran great tonight, Brandon included. I think they all looked great. You know, I think that’s a good problem to have. Especially when you are able to give Frank [Gore], it’s the first preseason game, guys played a lot of football, and you’re able to give him time off and let those younger guys get their reps. Not younger guys, but Brandon included, but see them all come in and run well, it was a good thing.”

You got in the red zone and threw a touchdown pass.

“Yeah, it’s great, love it. I love touchdown passes. I didn’t throw that great of ball. [WR] Brett [Swain] did a great job outside. One, with his release and it was good enough.”

That first drive being a long, sustained drive gave you a lot of different things to work on and execute, right?

“Yeah, I got some short yardage in, got some red zone in. Not quite goal line but close, got a lot of situations in there. I mean that’s what you want out of the preseason. You’re trying to get the reps. Trying to be competitive, get some stuff out of it. I thought it was a good start.”

Talk about the importance of the first drive in the game:

“You want to get off to a good start. We didn’t know how many plays we were going to play. You just want to put something good together. We read the ball great, made the big fourth down conversion. [WR Brett] Swain made a great play down there at the goal line.”

How about the offensive line?

“I mean one offensive line, in two series, had 130 yards rushing so the stats speak for themselves. We just dominated tonight. Anytime you can play like that, it just makes all of our jobs easy.”

SANTA CLARA – Alex Smith spoke in the 49ers’ media tent after Jim Harbaugh on Thursday. Smith answered questions about Ted Ginn Jr., Leonard Davis and Mike Singletary, among other topics. Here’s a transcript, courtesy of the 49ers.

Guys are predicting in the preseason that you are not going to do a lot of running, establishing a running game, is that going to be the same story this year?

“No idea, asking the wrong guy. I mean we’ll see. No idea. I think it’s going to depend on the flow of the game.”

Head Coach Jim Harbaugh said he’s not sure exactly how much you guys are going to play as starters, but what kind of goals do you have going into the preseason opener?

“To go out there and execute. I don’t know how long I’m going to play, when I am going to get pulled out. I’m going to go out there and try to execute each and every single play I get, make the most of the opportunity and keep playing until they pull me out.”

Rather than rehash what happened last year in New Orleans in the exhibition opener, could that game at least show you that anything might be possible in an exhibition opener?

“For sure, wear your mouth piece in the preseason. That was a bad decision last year. Be ready for anything, it’s football. The whistle blows out here at practice and as quarterbacks you don’t get touched. This is real ball and it’s been, for all of us, a while since we’ve had that and it’ll be fun. It’s great to get the practice though in these preseason games before the regular season.”

Do the coaches tell you how much you will play or do they like to just let the game flow?

“I think they like to just keep us on our toes. You start telling guys, ‘Hey you are only going to get this amount of plays.’ All of a sudden they start counting plays. I think just go out there and execute each and every single one and play your best ball. That’s it. I think all of a sudden, like I said, you start telling a guy, ‘Hey you get this many plays,’ and he starts counting them waiting to get out.”

You didn’t have your mouth piece in last year?

“Last year I didn’t wear one in that opener. I did after that.”

Why was that?

“Preseason, I don’t know, I just hadn’t worn it yet and it had been so long. We don’t get hit in camp like I said, so not necessarily a reason.”

Did you put one in after the first couple plays?

“No.”

Was any dental work required after that?

“No, nothing like that. It just helps.”

What have you seen from WR Ted Ginn Jr. this training camp? What stands out for him?

“I just think he looks really sharp. He’s got the speed. Everybody knows that. I really feel like he just continues to work on the little things, the little things of being a receiver, really precise route running so far in camp, making a lot of plays with the ball in the air. He’s made a lot of tough catches. Coming back to the football, those are the things that I see. And obviously you combine that with his speed, I feel like he’s had a great camp so far.”

You have a couple of new targets in WRs Randy Moss and Mario Manningham. Are you looking to establish a connection in the preseason?

“To get the work, for sure. To just be out there on the football field, like I said, going against someone else. When you’re going against our defense you’re seeing the same looks a lot of times, how they’re playing us. Now all of a sudden we’re going against somebody new and you have the unknown factor. You’re going to step out there and you don’t know what they’re going to do, how they’re going to play you. You kind of have to make those adjustments a little bit on the fly. Sometimes you have to go through it. You’ve got a little bit of trial and error. So, it’ll be good to go through game situations and work through those things.”

Have you been to Candlestick Park since the NFC Championship game?

“I have not, no. It’ll be the first time back.”

Have you driven by it?

“Yeah. Of course.”

What do you think as you drive by it?

“I mean it’s The Stick. It’s such a unique place, so much history there. Obviously such a great run last year. For me the playoff games, hosting the home playoff games was really special. Just a lot of fun.”

G Leonard Davis said even as a seasoned veteran he needs this preseason to work with this offense. What is it like to work with him?

“There’s many guys that have played as long as he has that have a lot of egos, especially when it comes to preseason. A guy that’s been the starter and been to Pro Bowls and all of a sudden he’s not in that role anymore, it’s hard for them to handle that. He’s a guy I really feel like he’s checked his ego and just come to work every single day, no matter what’s asked of him. Hey, with this group, hey, doing this, whatever it is, it seems like he’s willing and wants to jump in there and get the reps and take advantage of it. He’s been a great addition.”

Are you excited to see the backups that are fighting for jobs?

“Absolutely, no question. All those guys work really hard and put a lot of time in. It’s a big deal for them, preseason. There’s a lot on the line, like there is for all of us, but obviously for them it’s a chance to go out there and be real football. Like I said, the whistles aren’t blowing early. Plays are going to continue on. So I’m excited, excited to see them all play.”

What will your role be after you come out of the game?

“Whatever I can do to help and be there. We’re a pretty tight group. We’ve got a bunch of good guys. No one’s selfish. If I do see anything from the sidelines I think might help, be there when they come off to the sideline.”

Will you be sending in signals from the sideline?

“Signaling like what? Secrets? No, I stay into the game. I feel like it’s your job to stay into the game. As starters once you come out, those young guys and the guys going in after you have earned that. To stay in the game and to be there, I expect that from them. When I’m playing, I’m expecting those watch and if I come off, anything they’re seeing, a guy watching the pocket, a guy watching the defense, no question when I’m on the sideline I’m going to do the same.”

What was your relationship with former 49ers head coach and current Vikings defensive assistant coach Mike Singletary? Will you say hi to him?

“Yeah, if we see him. I’m getting ready to play a game. I’m not thinking about seeing anybody or anything like that. I’m going to get ready to play a game. But our relationship was fine.”

SANTA CLARA – Greg Roman spoke Tuesday about Colin Kaepernick, Kendall Hunter and the team’s approach to the preseason, among other things. Here’s a transcript, courtesy of the 49ers.

Opening Statement:

“How’s everybody doing today? Getting ready for our first preseason game. Obviously for a lot of the young guys, it’s a really exciting week for them. They got their first game plan book handed to them today. Kind of going through the process of game week preparation. There’s no 20 hour rule in the pros, so for these guys, this is their profession. So really from now until game time, we’re going to try to get them to represent themselves the best they can against the Vikings. We’ve got a lot of respect for the Vikings and their organization. Look forward to getting out there and hitting somebody else besides ourselves. I know our guys are looking forward to that. Any questions?”

Last preseason, obviously QB Colin Kaepernick was not just a rookie, but a rookie coming out of the lockout. Was he in some ways a little bit overwhelmed by all that was thrown at him?

“I don’t think he was overwhelmed. I think he was grinding through it, might be a better way to put it. It was a completely different offense, playing under center for the first time with a new group of players who you really haven’t played with before. Definitely, there’s a curve there. I think there’s a little bit better opportunity for Colin having had a season under his belt, approaching this preseason to go in and play with confidence, know what he’s doing, know what he’s seeing. A lot of the stuff, thankfully, he won’t be seeing for the first time. I think it’ll be a really good opportunity for him to show us what he can do.”

In what ways in the past year has he made improvements?

“I’d say across the board really. Really just starting with taking the center snap. Understating defenses, which are completely different in the National Football League. Understanding protections, which are completely different in the National Football League. I don’t want to turn this into a football clinic, but the offense he came from; there wasn’t a lot of pro style mechanisms to it. That’s a big curve to overcome in a short period of time. He’s grinding through it every day. He’s doing really well. I really like his attitude. I really like how he’s maturing as a player. He’s a unique guy. He’s a lot of fun to work with, looking forward to seeing him out there.”

Last preseason the coaching staff had different needs. You hadn’t seen your players at all. What is the overall philosophy on how you’re taking these four games that is different than last season?

“I think it’s the same, I really do. I think we have a little bit more knowledge about who we have, what they can do. I know we have a lot more knowledge. We’re trying to ready, specifically our offense for the season. Not so much the preseason, a game. We’re trying to get ready for the season in its entirety. A lot goes into that, a lot of forethought, a lot of hard work by our players. Part of that is really the process of going through a game week, going through our base game plan on the first day of the week, moving onto situational stuff from there. Just getting into that process and seeing how guys study and prepare. Really for the young guys, you’re teaching them how to prepare. So, we’ve got a lot more understanding of the guys that have been here and beyond that though, it’s still a matter of preparing for the season.”

How much in a Week 1 preseason game do you prepare specifically for the opposition, compared to just getting your own stuff ready?

“I don’t think there’s a lot of game planning per se that goes into it. We’re going to be pretty basic. We’re going to ask our players to do basic tasks that aren’t necessarily opponent specific. I think there’s a big difference between the preseason and regular season. From an evaluation standpoint it’s a great tool, just watching players adapt to maybe different formations you might put in for that week. The plays are pretty much basic plays, and not a lot of real game planning that goes into it.”

Coach Jim Harbaugh singled out RB Kendall Hunter as one of his top performers in camp, in what ways have you seen Kendall develop going into year two?

“Great question. Kendall, the first thing that comes to my mind when I hear Kendall Hunter’s name is football player. He loves football. He loves to get out there and compete, he enjoys it. He always gives his maximum effort. I’ve never seen Kendall Hunter have a bad day, or a bad snap where he wasn’t totally tuned into football. I just think a lot like Kap [Colin Kaepernick], we were talking about earlier, Kendall came from a spread option type of offense at Okie State [Oklahoma State]. Now, he had a very nice year last year for us. He’s really starting to understand all the different things that go into playing running back in this league, which is more than just carrying the ball. It’s pass protection, route running, catching the ball, ball security, which he’s been very good at, and the special teams aspect of things as well. Kendall’s just becoming a more well-rounded football player. We’re really glad we have him. Kendall is a heck of a football player who gets better every day.”

Do you guys have any expectations for WR Michael Crabtree’s availability on Friday?

“Not going to comment on that. Talk to coach. He’ll probably say the same thing. He’s working through something and we’ll have to wait and see and evaluate it. It’ll probably be a last minute decision.”

What’s the plan for Friday now that you have your ones, twos and threes? What’s the rotation?

“We haven’t set that in stone yet. I think we have a general idea of that. We’ve got a couple of big practices here today and tomorrow and then we’ll kind of hone in on that type of stuff. But we’ve got a lot of ground to cover the next couple days. We know those discussions are looming, but we’re really focused on having a great practice today.”

How have RBs Kendall Hunter and LaMichael James done in blitz pickup? Have you seen a willingness in terms of the physical side of the game?

“Yeah, Kendall’s a little bit ahead of LaMichael. But LaMichael’s gotten a lot better, really in the past three days. Kendall, that’s another area he’s really matured, understanding protections. Defenses nowadays are so complicated, so complex. There’s a bunch of guys moving around. It’s not like the old days where they’d line up three guys or four guys and then one or two guys might blitz. It’s hard to even tell the structure of the defense sometimes with guys milling around. You might have two defensive linemen lined up at linebacker and two linebackers standing out on the edges. So, there’s a lot of different components for the running backs to identify week-to-week. So, knowing who to block is very important in this league even before how to block. He’s gotten much better in both though.”

What do you remember  from last year’s preseason opener?

[Laughing] “You had to bring that up didn’t you? I remember walking out of the locker room and talking to [T] Joe Staley. I felt pretty good about how the guys handled the situation, didn’t see anybody panic, didn’t see anybody start to withdraw from the situation. Everybody just dealt with it. So, felt good about that. But the execution was obviously not where we needed it. I vividly remember though walking out of the locker room talking to Joe.”

What was Joe saying that gave you that confidence?

“No, he didn’t say very much, just how they handled themselves during the game. Nobody panicked. It was definitely not our brightest moment, and we certainly hope to perform better this week.”

SANTA CLARA – Colin Kaepernick wants to show this preseason that he is capable of becoming starting-caliber quarterback – that’s what he said at his Tuesday afternoon press conference. He also discussed his performance last preseason and his ongoing transition to Jim Harbaugh’s pro-style offense. Here’s a transcript.

Q: Looking back at last preseason, did you feel overwhelmed in those games?

KAEPERNICK: I definitely wasn’t as prepared as I would like to be. We had to deal with the lockout, and we went out there and did the best we could.

Q: What’s the area you wanted to see the most growth in this season?

KAEPERNICK: Just performance – going out on the field and performing.

Q: What do you take from last year?

KAEPERNICK: This offense can do a lot of great things, we just have to go out there and execute.

Q: How has the transition from the pistol offense to this offense gone over the last two years?

KAEPERNICK: I think first jumping into it there’s quite a bit of a learning curve, but now I’m comfortable with this offense and I’m ready to get back out there.

Q: What’s the hardest part of that transition?

KAEPERNICK: I think it’s just the size of the playbook, knowing all the checks and audibles, what we’re trying to get out of each play, and I think that’s where I’ve made the biggest strides in the last year.

Q: Some people think the biggest transition is learning to receive the ball from under center and all the footwork that comes with that. How is that process going for you?

KAEPERNICK: I don’t think that’s that big of a process. There are little things you want to tweak here and there, but that’s minute compared to some of the other things.

Q: How would the playbook here compare to the playbook at the University of Nevada.

KAEPERNICK: A lot bigger.

Q: How much bigger?

KAEPERNICK: A lot.

Q: In terms of taking off and running with the ball, do you have to tell yourself to not do as much of that here, or is that just part of your game?

KAEPERNICK: It all depends on what the defense is giving us. If there are people open to throw the ball to, that’s what we want to do. If the pocket breaks down or if there’s no one open, we’re going to take the ball and get as much as we can.

Q: What are your goals for this preseason?

KAEPERNICK: To go and show that I can be a starter in this league. I want to do my best and show everyone what I’m capable of.

Q: What is it like having to wait last year and wait now?

KAEPERNICK: It’s football. At some point you’re going to have to wait your turn to get out there on that field and you just have to be ready for when that opportunity comes.

Q: What type of things are you doing on the sideline during the games?

KAEPERNICK: I’m going through the plays just like I was in the game, looking at the defense and seeing where I would be going with the ball.

Q: What are your memories of your first preseason opener last year against the Saints?

KAEPERNICK: We got blitzed a lot.

Q: Looking back at that game, is there any thought that it was a good thing for this team because it showed how much work needed to be done?

KAEPERNICK: Yeah, but we knew we had work to do regardless of that game.

Q: Do you watch a lot of film of you in the preseason last year, or did you move on to film of you in practice?

KAEPERNICK: I went to watching practice film. You watch the preseason, you get what you can from it and you move on.

SANTA CLARA – Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio spoke first in the media tent this morning, and here’s a transcript of what he said courtesy of the 49ers.

Your defense, the last couple of days, has obviously looked really solid. Is that what you’re seeing on tape too out of these guys?

“We’ve had a couple good days. Obviously, there are some mistakes out there that don’t show up as clear to you that we see. And there are things to be corrected, but we’ve had a good couple last days.”

Has DT Justin Smith reached the stage in his career where he doesn’t need to do much if any preseason work?

“You mean in the games?”

Yeah, in the games.

“We’ll monitor his reps. I think last year in the preseason, I think he might have had 40 to 50 reps, at most, in the four games total. It will probably be about the same, give or take. That doesn’t even equal a full game.”

What do you see out of CB Chris Culliver this his second year? When you develop a player, what do you want to get out of him and see him grow? What areas this training camp?

“Just to see him improve in all areas. I know that’s kind of a generic answer, but he just needs to become a better master of his position in route recognition, technique, where he fits within the whole scheme of 11 players. Particularly for a corner, playing only in passing situations is different than playing in all situations. The route variety and the types of plays that you see if you’re playing first and second down as one of the regular corners, there’s much more to learn, much more to see and be ready for it. And he’s got to improve in that area.”

How did CB Tarell Brown get better throughout last season?

“I don’t know the whole overall answer to that because I wasn’t here for his previous years. But I don’t think he played a whole lot prior to last year, and from day one, he was focused. He was learning and he was competing. I think maybe just a new environment, one of those few guys where maybe a change helped him. That’s not to say anything that was done previously was wrong. But I just think he took advantage of a new opportunity. Obviously, when [former 49ers CB] Shawntae Spencer got hurt early in camp and he missed all of camp, that gave him an opportunity. And he took advantage of that and we just left him in there because he was playing good.”

What does Brown do so well that makes him an every game starter?

“He’s a good student of the game. He understands football. He understands the importance of technique. He understands all the little things that go into playing his position. Yet at the same time, the corner is on an island many times and he knows that and accepts that challenge and responsibility. He’s become a real pro at his position. He’s one of those guys out there that can really help our young guys because he’s learned the position, knows what we want and expect and he does a good job of that.”

Did he go up against WR Calvin Johnson in that Detroit Lions game last year?

“I don’t remember but he could. It all depends on where he lined up.”

Was there any game last season where he really jumped out at you?

“He was pretty consistent the whole year. I can’t pick a game, it doesn’t come to mind right now, but he was pretty consistent the whole year. I think the thing he did as the season wore on last year, when he had his opportunities to get some interceptions, he took advantage of them. He dropped a couple of them early in the season and I think that’s why he got more notice as the season wore on. Instead of them just being break ups, he finished the down.”

Was he your second nickel back when you faced four wide receivers?

“He was at times. He would go in there and be our sixth DB and we’d bring in another corner.”

Is the scenario right now that you do all that right now about who is going to play in various secondary packages?

“Right, we have more options this year than we had last year at this time as it relates to playing six DBs because we have the addition of [CB Perrish] Cox. We have Tarell Brown in there and we have [S] Mike Thomas that’s been working in there. So, we’ve gotten four guys that are getting good reps. Now, Tarell Brown doesn’t get a lot of reps in there, but we expect him, and that’s goes back to you asking about Tarell Brown, we are expecting him to be ready to go in there at any time and I know that he’s keeping up on that position, even though we don’t give him many reps.”

Do you the potential for teams more and more maybe giving up on the run because of the way you guys played it last year and just trying to spread you out?

“That’s possible. It happened to a good degree last year. My numbers aren’t exact here, but they’re pretty damn close. In our season last year, I think we defend around 820, 830 passing plays and there were about 350 or less running plays against us. That basically did happen last year. Now, part of that is when you’re winning 13 games, a lot of fourth quarters you’re ahead and you get a bunch of passes then.”

When you talk about bringing in the six DBs when you’re facing four wide receivers, just getting back to Culliver, is his position changing or would it stay the same?

“No, it would stay the same. He would not be affected by that.”

Have you looked ahead and seen all of the offenses that like to use four wide receivers? It seems to me, even more than last year, on your schedule this year on your schedule, the Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers being the primary opponents?

“They do. I haven’t taken an in-depth look at some of those teams that you’ve mentioned because we don’t play them early. We still see a tight end on the field most of the time. Most teams when they get into their passing formation are three wide receivers, one tight end and one back. Now sometimes that one tight end is a really good receiver as we’ll see in the first game against Green Bay with [TE Jermichael] Finley and in the second game with [Detroit Lions TE Brandon] Pettigrew right now. We still see a whole lot more at least one tight end on the field than four wide receivers.”

How much has LB Ahmad Brooks improved over the time you’ve been working with him and what areas do you want to see him improve on this year?

“He’s improved a great deal since we first started last year. Number one, I think he’s got a better understanding of his position and how to play it. The area I’d really like to see him improve in is become even a better pass rusher than he was last year. I think he’s got to improve his technique, just the little things that go into becoming a top pass rusher and he’s shown that he’s on his way to doing that so far in this camp. But I think he’s got a whole lot more he can give us in the pass rush that he gave us last year consistently.”

Didn’t Brooks play something like 93 percent of your snaps last year? Is decreasing that percentage part of improving his pass rush?

“Not necessarily. Again, it goes back to what the flow of the game is, what type of game it is. Are they passing a lot? Is it more of a first and second down run and play pass team? I’ve got no problem with reducing it, particularly if [LB] Parys [Haralson] is one of the backups there, that he can go in there and take a little bit off of him. But, that’s not an emphasis by any means.”

What have you noticed in Randy Moss as he tries to create separation from your cornerbacks?

“I think he’s still got some speed there that he can create separation. And even in his prime, he was a guy that you didn’t know if he was really running as fast as you think he is. He kind of has a little glide to him or a smoothness to him. We used to say if a guy looks smooth, he’s probably fast and I still think he has some of that. Time will tell, when we play the games, exactly how much.”

You talk about Ahmad, DT Ray McDonald, obviously, another first year starter who was prominent in the rise of the defense to a level it hadn’t been before. How much was he responsible for that? What part did he play?

“Tremendous part. Ray McDonald is a big, big piece in our defense, both in run and pass defense. He plays the run and rushes the passer extremely well for us from the inside position. I think he improved as the season wore on last year. He was a guy that was one of the most pleasant surprises for us, in that I knew he was a good player, but I think he played his best last year and [head coach] Jim [Harbaugh] would tell you that, too. He’s a big, big cog in our defense.”

Coach Harbaugh mentioned yesterday, you noted that DT Justin Smith, obviously, as a star, but he plays like he’s just trying to make the roster. Are there other guys you’ve coached, obviously a player of his stature, who have that kind of attitude?

“Yes. [LB] Sam Mills comes to mind. You guys remember the linebacker from New Orleans and Carolina. Sam Mills, everybody thought was an overachiever because he was short. He was only 5-9 as an inside linebacker. But that was the only negative of his game was his height. He was very talented otherwise and I feel that same. And he had the mentality of an overachiever, of a guy fighting to keep his job and I think Justin’s the same way. Justin’s a very talented football player that has the mindset and attitude of an overachiever.”

Getting back to LB Ahmad Brooks, sometimes when you see a guy sign a big, long-term contract you see a decrease in his commitment, his work ethic. What have you seen from Ahmad this offseason?

“Actually it’s had the opposite effect with him. He’s had an increase in his commitment. He was here, he probably had his best offseason that he’s had in pro football. Again, I haven’t been around him throughout his whole career but people that know him longer than I have said he had a much better offseason than he’s ever had and he will tell you that, too. He was here a big portion of our offseason program. I think he’s probably in the best shape of his life, at least in his NFL life, and we’re expecting a big season from him. We’d be disappointed if he doesn’t.”

CB Tramaine Brock was your number three cornerback early last season before he got hurt, how is he progressing this training camp?

“Good. He’s had a good camp so far, been pleased with the way he’s playing. He knew he had to improve in his corner play. He was another guy that has some ability to play inside in the nickel package. We took that off his plate. We wanted him to focus right now on becoming the best corner he can become. He’s another guy, down the line, that we could slide inside, possibly.”

Looking at the nickel position, what physical attributes do you need kind of there as opposed to the outside?

“Well, a lot of the same ones, but you need to be a guy that can handle the short area quickness. You get a lot of quick routes in there and option routes that you can react to them quickly. The biggest thing is the ability to learn the position and execute the position. I mean if you think about it, the nickel defense is no more than a 4-3 defense and the nickel replaces one of the linebackers in the 4-3. His responsibilities are linebacker responsibilities so there’s no carry over, mentally, from the corner position to the nickel position. They are two separate positions mentally. So you have to have a guy that can learn all that besides being a corner. It puts a premium on a guy’s ability to learn and execute a totally new position.”