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An early look at 49ers rookie pass rusher Eli Harold

The 49ers drafted Eli Harold with the 79th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, and they expect him to get after the quarterback. The rookie edge player out of Virginia recently showcased his athleticism by posting a video of drills on Instagram

Lattimore details end with 49ers; shocked Baalke drafted him

Marcus Lattimore's stint with the San Francisco 49ers was certainly brief, but unique enough to not be forgotten any time soon. The former South Carolina running back, who suffered two knee injuries in college, reflected back on his football career, including his unorthodox journey in and out of the pros. "I went out there and put a smile on my face like everything was alright," Lattimore said about his time with the 49ers in a recent interview with SB Nation. "But it was hell. Every day.

Turner: Aldon ‘wide-eyed, all ears’ with ex-49ers LB Haley

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith is looking to take his game to the next level in 2015 when he enters his fifth year as a pro. On and off the field, the All-Pro pass rusher has taken advantage of all available resources, most notably Pro Football Hall of Famer Charles Haley. And a former teammate of Haley's, four-time Super Bowl champion linebacker Keena Turner, has had a front row seat to this blossoming relationship between mentor and protégé.

Three young 49ers endure offseason setbacks

At a time when the organization wants to place more emphasis on developing young players, three 2014 draft picks did not get those opportunities during the 49ers’ offseason workouts. Three second-year players expected to fill big roles this season mostly spent the nine-week period rehabbing injuries and not getting on the field to work on getting better.

The art of the Harbaugh interview

Take it from a reporter Jim Harbaugh once described as “Master of the Obvious,” there is an art to structuring questions for the Michigan coach. Sometimes Harbaugh is in a talking mood. Other times, not so much. But as we all discovered during his four seasons with the 49ers, even when Jim Harbaugh is dull, he is incredibly entertaining. His radio “interview” this morning with ESPN’s Colin Cowherd was short on information, to be sure. Cowherd described it as a “clunker,” and he ended it abruptly as it became obvious things were going nowhere.

Amari Cooper strongly endorses 49ers UDFA WR White

The 49ers are looking to reconstruct a wide receiving corps that has been largely ineffective over the years. And while they didn't invest a high pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, the first wideout off the board, Amari Cooper, endorsed who the 49ers brought in after the draft. That is Alabama wide receiver DeAndrew White, who has garnered attention early this offseason. "Great athlete. Great route runner, and he's getting better," Cooper said, according to 49ers.com.

49ers’ Boldin, Bush: Chatter doesn’t determine wins, losses

Are the 49ers destined for a sub-par season given all the changeover that took place this offseason? Anquan Boldin and Reggie Bush don't think so. "We hear the chatter outside, coming from every angle. But that doesn't determine whether or not we win football games," Boldin told the NFL Network. "That'll be determined by how we prepare and how we go out and play." "Our mindset right now is to work. That's the only thing that we can do."

49ers among worst in NFL at targeting running backs

Running Back Targets can be affected by game flow and personnel, or in-season personnel turnover. The use of running backs in the passing game can be dictated by scheme, and/or strengths and weaknesses of a team's running back as a receiver and/or pass blocker. Regardless of scheme, a team whose lead back is Chris Ivory is probably not going to throw to its running back as much as a team whose lead back is Le'Veon Bell. Running back targets are also impacted by how many plays a team runs overall, and how often the team throws the ball. Last year's running back targets are not necessarily a reliable projection for 2015.

NFC West rival: Gore was 49ers’ biggest loss

At least 10 players who started games for the 49ers last season will not return. But one player’s departure stands out for one NFC West rival. “I think losing Frank Gore, that’s the biggest one,” Arizona Cardinals second-team All-NFL defensive Calais Campbell said Wednesday on the NFL Network’s "NFL Total Access." “He was the heart and soul of that offense, and really that team -- his passion for the game. I played with him in Miami, too, so I might be a little biased. But playing against him, he is the guy. He is really the one that we have to stop. When he got going, they were a tough team to beat.”

49ers’ Armstead aware of expectations, ready to make impact

The 49ers lost an All-Pro defensive tackle in Justin Smith, who retired this offseason, which has thrust a major weight upon the shoulders of rookie first-round pick Arik Armstead. "No down time. You have 3-4 weeks to get ready for camp," Armstead told Sirius XM NFL radio. "There's a lot of expectations and a lot of things my team is going to need from me. There's no down time. You've got to have your body and mind right for camp, and try to have an impact." The No. 17 overall pick out of the University of Oregon is an impressive specimen; a multi-sport athlete that checks in at 6-foot-7, 292 pounds.

How retirements change 49ers’ outlook

The free-agent losses of Mike Iupati, Michael Crabtree and the 49ers’ two starting cornerbacks from a year ago were expected. After all, the 49ers’ track record is if one of their players hits the open market, that player is as good as gone. Recent history suggests the 49ers do not get into the bidding wars for players that come when a player is eligible to begin negotiating with other teams. But the unexpected losses -- well, three of four were unexpected, anyway -- due to retirements probably were not accounted for on the 49ers’ three-year roster plan.

New 49ers WR among NFL’s most dominant in red zone

One thing is clear when looking at the regression which traditionally strikes wide receivers who score 10-plus touchdowns in a season. Consistently scoring touchdowns year on year is difficult even for the top talents in the game, and predicting which receivers will score a lot of touchdowns in a given season is equally hard. Luckily, there are two factors which can almost always be found in an elite touchdown season: opportunity and efficiency.

Dockett firm on choice of 49ers: ‘Like I said, we’ll win’

Darnell Dockett figures he walked past former archrival Alex Boone seven times before they finally spoke the other day. San Francisco's new defensive lineman broke their silence with a good-natured question to Boone: "Are you retiring?" Meant in fun, Dockett has been inundated on social media with questions about the state of the 49ers following four high-profile retirements in three months.

49ers adapt to millennials, cut time of team meetings down

The 49ers face an uphill battle as they look to grow into a new regime, but the new staff has gone outside the box when it comes to reaching the players.

49ers add OL Gottschalk, K Acosta, WR Hull; release WR Davis, OT Martin

The 49ers made five roster moves Monday, including the signings of offensive lineman Ben Gottschalk, kicker Corey Acosta and wide receiver Mario Hull.

49ers CEO York expects at least one LA NFL team by 2016

Jed York runs the only California football team that isn't connected to a potential Los Angeles relocation, but he's convinced at least one move will be made.

Scouting out 49ers RB rotation: Hyde leading charge ahead of Bush, Hunter, Hayne

Much of the 49ers fate will be dictated by how they replace stars gone by, and as a potential run-oriented offense, that means filling the massive void of all-time leading rusher Frank Gore. "If I get 20 carries a game, we'd win," running back Carlos Hyde said as he headed out of the locker room Thursday after minicamp ended. Gore averaged only 16.5 carries per game, so 20 is perhaps too ambitious for Hyde, who made sure to note that he isn't assuming he's been appointed Gore's heir apparent.

"We've got a group of running backs where anybody can be the guy," Hyde added. "I don't feel it's just my shot. I feel I have to compete and win the job."

Hyde is the presumed starter, however, and he likely didn't lose that status through the offseason program, even if a leg strain kept him out of some practices. Drafted in the second-round last year out of Ohio State, Hyde's skill set seems to fit what the 49ers are installing under new offensive coordinator Geep Chryst.

Hyde isn't clamoring to be a one-man show. He's fine if the 49ers go with a rotation in the backfield, and that indeed is possible with Reggie Bush's all-purpose talents and Kendall Hunter's recovery from a 2014 knee injury.

Behind them are a trio of first-year hopefuls: fourth-round draft pick Mike Davis, Australian rugby-league import Jarryd Hayne and 2014 practice-squad player Kendall Gaskins.

Hyde likes how Chryst, in his promotion from quarterbacks coach, has made the scheme simpler yet more widespread to utilize everyone's capabilities. Coach Jim Tomsula's emphasis on an up-tempo approach also is approved by Hyde.

"That's way different, the way we're walking up to the ball at 24 seconds," Hyde said. "We're being quick and not letting the defense get in position to get their cleats planted. Last year, it was a little slow to me."

The running game could be bolstered on several fronts: the installation of a zone-blocking scheme, the improved threat of going deep in the passing game, and the development of Kaepernick to recognize defensive alignments.

Odds are the 49ers will deploy Hyde as the workhorse back, with Bush coming in to spell him on occasion while also sparking the short passing game. Bush, entering his 10th season, still looks graceful with 9,758 all-purpose yards on his odometer.

"The offense has really started clicking and we're starting to find our identity as a team," said Bush, declining to elaborate on the identity's identity.

Bush added that there is "so much opportunity in this offense to go showcase my talent." Opportunities abound elsewhere, too.

Hunter, assuming his comeback remains on track, will be a change-of-pace back, if not more.

"It's coming, man," Hunter said of his knee. "When you're out there, you can't think; you just go. I've still got room to improve."

 

Davis, who's 5-foot-9 frame is similar to Gore's, is full of charisma and confidence. His learning process is understandable for any rookie, and working in his favor for a roster spot is a contract with nearly $500,000 guaranteed.

Hayne no longer sneaks notes into his shorts in practice as he's gained a better grasp on the offensive system. His hands and field vision seem solid, but he runs with his upper body way too high. Once Hayne experiences full contact, his prospects will be better known, even though his best contributions likely will come as a return specialist.

 

49ers RB Bush striving to be bailout option for Kaepernick

The 49ers have lost many "trusted agents" as they turn the page on the Jim Harbaugh era, but newcomer Reggie Bush is hoping to be just that for starting quarterback Colin Kaepernick. “I think we’re starting to develop a good relationship," Bush told the NFL Network on Thursday. Given that Bush's duties as a tailback revolve around running the football, the 10-year veteran elaborated on how he aims to help Kaepernick in their first season together. "Obviously, catching the ball out of the backfield and running routes as a receiver, all of those different things I’ve been doing my whole career. Hopefully we can start to develop that relationship to where he trusts me enough to if he gets in a jam, he can just check the ball down to me. Just little stuff like that. But we’ve been working on it and it’s going good so far.”

Story behind former 49er Andy Lee’s new number will break your heart

Former 49ers punter, traded Saturday to Browns, lost his eight-day-old daughter Madeline in February.

Kaepernick developing good relationship with offensive coordinator Geep Chryst

As the 49ers wrapped up minicamp Thursday, Colin Kaepernick stretched on the Levi's Stadium sideline and laughed out loud with offensive coordinator Geep Chryst. The franchise quarterback is definitely happy that Chryst still is around. He was elevated from quarterbacks coach while Jim Tomsula compiled his staff after Jim Harbaugh and many other assistants departed. Glimpses of Chryst's offensive philosophies have come to light in recent weeks of practices. One aspect is unmistakable: maximizing Kaepernick's dual-threat talent. "You start with the quarterback, right? That's pretty simple," Chryst said. "Having been around Kap, maybe that put us a little further ahead of where we were."

Minicamp report, Day 3: no major injuries ; Kaepernick-to-Smith gem; rookie WR shines

“I don’t have any wood to knock on," coach Jim Tomsula said upon considering that line. "Thrilled. Thrilled. Absolutely." >Instead, this offseason was more about how well players looked in their comeback bids, especially those from knee reconstruction, such as linebacker NaVorro Bowman, running back Kendall Hunter, cornerback Keith Reaser, wide receiver Chuck Jacobs and guard Brandon Thomas.

Hunter made a cut in Thursday's practice that put a lot of torque on his knee and he showed no hindrance whatsoever.

"It's coming, man," Hunter said. "When you're out there, you can't think, you just go. I still have room to improve and now I've got time off."

Bowman declined to comment Thursday, but he's spoken throughout the offseason about his encouraging process, and his play-making ability was on display throughout this week's minicamp, at least as much as possible in non-contact drills.

Players whose availability is in question for the start of training camp, while recovering from 2014 issues, include center Daniel Kilgore (ankle), defensive lineman Darnell Dockett (knee), nickel back Jimmie Ward (foot) and wide receiver DeAndre Smelter (knee).

Aldon Smith (toe) did not practice the past two days but the injury does not appear serious.

-- Vernon Davis, a 10th-year veteran, on being the longest-tenured 49ers: “I look at all the other guys I came in with and they’re all gone, and I’m still standing. Hopefully I continue to be here.”

Left tackle Joe Staley, a 2007 first-round pick, has the second-longest tenure, to which he said: “That happened fast.”

-- Play of the day (and perhaps offseason): Colin Kaepernick threw a 35-yard pass into Torrey Smith’s hands along the left sideline against Dontae Johnson’s tight coverage, for a would-be touchdown.

-- DeAndrew White, an undrafted rookie out of Alabama, capped his strong offseason with back-to-back catches Thrusday, including a touchdown pass from Blaine Gabbert.

 

Tomsula’s assistants finally talk, coordinators discuss their new approaches

As the 49ers wrapped up minicamp Thursday, Colin Kaepernick stretched on the Levi’s Sideline sideline and laughed out loud with offensive coordinator Geep Chryst.

The franchise quarterback is definitely happy to still have around Chryst, who was elevated from quarterbacks coach while Jim Tomsula patiently compiled his staff after Jim Harbaugh and many assistants departed.

Glimpses of Chryst’s offensive philosophies have come to light in recent weeks of practices. One aspect is unmistakable: maximizing Kaepernick’s dual-threat talent.

“You start with the quarterback, right? That’s pretty simple,” Chryst said. “Having been around Kap, maybe that put us a little further ahead of where we were.”

Thursday marked the first time Chryst and all other assistants spoke to the media since their hiring back in January and February.

“I know making us available now makes it feel late,” Chryst said, “but it feels good that we’ve got our work done first, instead of talking about what we may or may not do.”

Tomsula’s staff is incorporating an up-tempo approach with new schemes, or at least blending in new strategies to complement the ones that worked under Jim Harbaugh’s regime.

“This is one of the best offseasons we’ve had since I’ve been here,” ninth-year lineman Joe Staley said. “Everybody is very focused and excited. New coaching staff, new energy, new ideas -- I think that has something to do with it as well.”

Defensive players have raved about how aggressive and unpredicatable they’ll be under Eric Mangini, who was an offensive assistant the past two years before replacing defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.

“I couldn’t say it is going to be highly aggressive, or categorize it,” said Mangini, a former head coach of the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets. “We’re trying to build in flexibility. As a play caller, I’ve blitzed 30 times and I’ve blitzed three times. It’ll be week to week on that.”

The offense has been the 49ers’ weak link in recent years, however. Chryst’s job is to fix that.

Thus, the 49ers hope to recharge their rushing attack with the help of a zone-blocking scheme (without altogether ditching other blocking sets), and they’ve worked tirelessly on improving the passing game with deep threats, including newcomers Torrey Smith and Jerome Simpson.

Running back Kendall Hunter said of Chryst: “He’s been around and knows the players. We trust him.”

Another goal is to bring tight end Vernon Davis back into a play-making fold. “The first two weeks of practice, I was kind of surprised,” Davis said. “It’s been a while since I caught that many balls in practice. But it’s been like that the entire camp.”

Kaepernick’s importance is not understated. Chryst is moving him around in the pocket more, because: “That plays to Kap’s advantage. He’s always been good throwing both to his left and to his right.”

Kaepernick, however, got sacked a franchise-record 52 times last season, and Chryst attributed that to multiple factors.

“You always want to stay healthy on the offensive line for cohesiveness, and maybe for the first couple years, we weren’t,” Chryst said. “And you have to want to get the ball out. If you’re vulnerable, the defense will make you cry uncle. … Yeah, we’re trying to play to Kap’s strengths.”

Tomsula said of Chryst: "He’s done a tremendous job."

While Chryst will call plays from up in the coaches’ box, Mangini hasn’t decided if he also will, having typically run defenses from the sideline. The question on many minds is whether Mangini has enough defenders to run his ideal system, considering the departures of seven players who started last season, including the retirement of mainstays Justin Smith and Patrick Willis.

“We’ve got quite a few players that were here, some really talented guys,” countered Mangini. Among the first names Mangini listed off were Aldon Smith (“He can cause problems for anybody at any time”) and NaVorro Bowman (“He’s so much fun to watch when he plays”).

Tomsula seemed genuinely pleased with how his staff has come together, months after he scrambled to make hires. “We wanted to get the right people and I feel great about that right now,” Tomsula said.

Here are some other snippets from the coaching round table (all assistants sat at round tables, one or two coaches each, for an hour long session):

-- Running backs coach Tom Rathman walked into the media session invoking Marshawn Lynch's Super Bowl line: "I'm just here so I don't get fined." Rathman was joking; he's been one of the most gregarious and friendly (and astute) assistants over the years.

-- Defensive line coach Scott Brown doesn't think it will be a major issue that first-round pick Arik Armstead hasn't been part of the offseason program, aside from the rookie minicamp. League rules prevented Armstead from joining the 49ers until Friday because of Oregon's academic calendar.

"We've got to let him grow, develop and learn," Brown said. "He'll get through the process and we're not trying to put unrealistic expectations on him."

Brown spent the past three years as a 49ers scout, including the past two in the Big Ten region. He did not scout Armstead's two seasons at Oregon, and that work instead was done by Reggie Cobb, Ethan Waugh and general manager Trent Baalke.

 

"He has all the traits you're looking for," Brown said of Armstead. "Certainly for a man his height (6-foot-7), he's got unique flexibility. We see him as an instinctive player and he uses his hands well."

-- Wide receivers coach Adam Henry has been putting his corps through what he called "unique" drills, all in an effort to keep their hips low for leverage purposes. That should help them get off the line of scrimmage and create separation, which has been lacking in recent years. Helping Henry and fellow assistant Ronald Curry are veterans Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith.

"Having the two vets like Boldin and Smith to learn from, if I'm a young guy, I'm happy," said Henry, noting that the receivers all need thick skin because "we love to critique each other."

 

‘Everything is different’ under new 49ers OC Geep Chryst

Despite being the quarterbacks coach of the 49ers for four seasons prior to moving into the offensive coordinator role, Geep Chryst is putting a brand new stamp on San Francisco’s offense. That’s per the instructions of new head coach Jim Tomsula. “The first thing he wanted to do was not just bring in a playbook, slide out the first cover sheet and slide in the other one,” Chryst said on Thursday, as the 49ers wrapped up OTAs. “It forced us as a group of offensive coaches to kind of put it together from scratch. Bake the cake from scratch. I think that’s a good process to go through. You’re hitting the reset button.” “Everything is new. Everything is different,” Vernon Davis said. “It’s a totally different staff that we have, different players. The offense is just different in so many ways.”

49ers’ Anquan Boldin optimistic in 13th season

Anquan Boldin said he gave no thought of joining the 49ers retirement wave this offseason, instead returning for a 13th season with the same championship aspirations as ever.

Mariucci: Tomsula ‘has his work cut out for him’ with 49ers

I like Jim Tomsula and obviously the Niner organization does too; they gave him that job, they entrusted him after being just the defensive line coach with the head coaching job. Players respond to him. They are a different team than when he took it over... Jim has his work cut out for him. One of the things that he said when he addressed the team initially was that there are four phases of football: offense, defense, special teams and life. This guy preaches guys being good guys, good teammates, do the right thing on and off the field, and I think that’s where he’s starting. He’s trying to get a group of guys that buy in to everything that he’s preaching. They’ve got their work cut out for them because the other teams in the division simply got better and the Niners didn’t.

Tall task: Australian RB Hayne still learning to get low

Niners head coach Jim Tomsula said Australian running back project Jarryd Hayne is picking up football fast, with, perhaps, one notable exception: Hayne hasn’t picked up how to get down. That is, the 6-foot-2, 220-pound former rugby league star continues to run too upright. Today, Tomsula humorously suggested Hayne might fully grasp the health risks associated with running tall when the pads go on in training camp.

Jaquiski Tartt picks off Colin Kaepernick during 2-minute drill, plus more from 49ers minicamp

Jaquiski Tartt, free safety. The 49ers’ ended practice with a 2-minute drill – first-team offense vs. first-team defense, second-team offense versus second-team defense, etc. Each offense had 1:29 and one timeout to score from the defense’s 35-yard line. So, technically it was a one-minute-and-29-second drill.

Jim Tomsula calls RB Reggie Bush ‘a wonderful addition in all aspects’

Like Frank Gore before him, Reggie Bush is ready to dash through the NFL’s proverbial age barrier for running backs, that being a 30th birthday. Bush’s legs still look graceful, after nine seasons and 9,758 all-purpose yards. His receiving ability still looks polished, perhaps capable of solving a missing link in the 49ers offense. Advertisement His veteran presence is especially needed, after the 49ers lost so many key players this offseason. Claiming the starting role is not out of the question, though it is projected for Carlos Hyde. “Reggie’s really moving around,” coach Jim Tomsula said Wednesday. “You’re asking (about Bush) because you saw him moving around yesterday.

Jim Tomsula on the 49ers’ offensive play-calling: “We have cut down verbiage.”

“He got it stepped on. He had it stepped on earlier in OTAs. So, then he got banged again yesterday, that’s all. It’s aggravated. We’re not going to push it. He’s got the ice bags on and there’s really nothing else to do, just ice bag. But, he got stepped on. If it was something in the season, we’d play right through.” But, you won’t shut him down for this minicamp? “Yeah, well today, initially today, talking to Ferg [Vice President of Football Operations Jeff Ferguson], Ferg was talking about him doing some individidual. No. Right now, no.”

 

I saw LB Corey Lemonier and LB Eli Harold were getting a lot of reps because of that at that right outside linebacker spot. How have those guys done this offseason?

“Really good. I wouldn’t say because of that, they might have gotten a couple more of his. I would never say it was because of that. Those guys, particularly Corey, he’s really doing well and I’m excited for Corey, I am. Any young guy that works so hard too you know? He’s coming along. He’s doing a great job with knowing the defense and he’s bending and moving, you can see there. You’re watching the same thing I’m seeing. He can get off the rock.”

 

He didn’t do much dropping back into coverage in college and he’s having to do that? How is he doing with that?

“The movement-wise, we have to keep cleaning that up. But, the assignment-wise, he’s really grabbed. That’s what I’m talking about.”

 

You talked about G/T Alex Boone yesterday at right tackle, but he was actually at left guard quite a bit yesterday?

“Yes. You know what, [Vice President of Communications] Bob [Lange] said something to me about that. I hope I didn’t allude to the fact that he was, we have him slotted and working at left guard. That is the plan. [T Erik] Pears, I like Pears at right tackle. I got to tell you that. We’re not saying anything’s in stone right now, but I do like that guy at right tackle.”

 

What do you like about Boone at left guard as opposed to right?

“Well, again, we’re working him at the left guard position, and again, you start talking about creating some depth. The stance is the same if you did left tackle. So, having some depth there and your footwork’s the same. So, that’s what we’re looking at and he’s comfortable there. So, we’re getting some work there. And again, I don’t want anybody to hold us in stone that that’s where he’s staying. Boone can play the right guard, the right tackle position. And Boone is getting a little bit of work at the left guard position right now. Again, that’s more for the footwork and the stance and looking to create some depth at the left tackle spot.”

 

What are you seeing out of RB Reggie Bush on the field, what he’s brought to you?

“Reggie’s really moving around. You’re asking that because you saw him moving around yesterday. Reggie’s a spry guy. He has a lot of energy in his legs and in his body and his attitude. What a wonderful addition in all aspects. He’s another guy you’ve got to pull back. We’re definitely talking about rep counts on Reggie. But, he’s doing really well, he’s moving great and we love having him here.”

 

GC: It seems the offense is practicing a lot of roll out passes during team drills, more so than the past few years. Is that a fair assessment, fair observation?

“You’re absolutely right, yes. But again, yesterday we were working the boot game. So, when you start seeing these things come out in chunks, there are certain things that we’re emphasizing that day. You might see one period where it’s boots. We’re going against ourselves, so we’re looking to, defensively, ‘Hey, we got to work the edge a little bit here. Backside, inside zone and the boot off it.’ So, we’re working for those guys to get the visual of that defensively. And then offensively we want to work it, so we put that all in one period. I can’t say the whole practice, but you’re going to see chunks of that happen throughout the practice.”

 

GC: Is it more of an emphasis in this offense this year or do you not want to talk about scheme?

“I don’t believe we are talking about schematics. The bootleg is something that comes off if we’re going to run a zone scheme. We’re not solely a zone scheme, you all see that too. There’s no secret to that. That is something we’re working. And we can work it more. You work the gap scheme stuff with no shoulder pads on. Now you start getting piles, you start getting a bunch of clogged up stuff and a lot of bodies in it. You’re running the power and you’re running on the inside, the iso, those ones are predicated on getting movement. Without pads on, we’re trying to do a little bit more.”

 

GC: Does rollouts complement QB Colin Kaepernick’s skill set?

“Yeah, well, him moving his feet it does, yes. Again, I don’t want to make too much of it because in fairness, today and tomorrow you’re going to see more drop back, you’re going to see us in the pocket. That’s just the different phases that we’re working.”

 

I don’t think CB Tramaine Brock or CB Shareece Wright participated in team drills yesterday. What’s their status? Is there anything to that?

“No. They both were tight. Shareece was just a little tight. Legs were a little tight out of there. Brock has been in and out, we’ve been going back and forth there. Just making sure we’re bringing that full load back with his legs. But, Tramaine’s doing well. ”

 

Is he coming back slow because of maybe the toe injury last year?

“Well, yeah. The toe and the legs, just getting everything back on him. His offseason program with the running and the lifting has been really good. And there’s other guys we want to look at. There’s some other guys we really want to see.”

 

DT Darnell Dockett has talked a couple times about you and him would have midfield meetings after every game when he was with Arizona. Sounds like there was a lot of mutual respect between you two. Can you just talk about what you admired about him from afar?

“Yeah. And again, I can’t tell you I ever knew Darnell personally. My job, I watch a ton of film. And watching Darnell on tape, I’ve just always had a ton of respect for how hard he plays the game. That was it. He’s a talented individual. But, just how hard, how important you could tell it was to him or is to him. That’s my respect with that. Any time I see guys like that and you get an opportunity to tell them you admire what you see. That was just all it was, really. Now he’s here, but that’s where that all starts from.”

 

He was known as a real 49er antagonist. He’s a pretty loquacious guy and needling the 49ers–?

“In their minds and where he was he saw this as the great foe. And he was going at it. Some of that stuff, on the receiving end of it, you get kind of a kick out of it, listening to that stuff. It’s not the way we want to do business. But, yeah I heard bits and pieces of it. I hear the guys talking.”

 

Do you tell him when he comes here that this is how we do business?

“Yeah. We’re not into a lot of what we don’t do. We’re trying to spend a lot more time on what we do do and how we do it.”

 

What kind of communication have you and [defensive line coach] Scott Brown had with DL Arik Armstead? Is it permissible for you to call him?

“Yeah, everything within the rules. We have not touched, we are not going to mess around with the rules. We knew, when he was drafted we knew he was on the quarter system. You get an Oregon guy, you get a Stanford guy, their on the quarter system. That’s the rules. And we’re not going to, I’ll make that clear. There were some points there where you could Skype earlier on. We did some of that. But, we’re not going to do that. There’s no need to. That’s just the way it is and we’re going to play within the rules.”

 

What’s the biggest improvement you’ve seen in RB Jarryd Hayne in the short time that he’s been here?

“You know what, he’s starting to get it. Early on, you’re seeing him, again, especially yesterday, you saw him catching punts at the end. The guy’s a, he’s a world-class athlete. And when you come into our practices, it was a lot slower at the beginning. He’s getting the ball as a running back and he wasn’t moving as fast. Now you’re starting to see his speed show up. As he’s attacking the line, running his tracks and attacking the line and feeling more comfortable that way. Also, the pass protections. He’s never had to do any of that. When you take football, we’re crammed in more. He’s used to playing that wide open game. Now, it’s all crunched up. In there, that’s where you get used to the run game. And then pass protections, obviously, he’s never done anything like it. All that stuff is really good, he’s doing really well.”

 

You said one of the things obviously is his running style. He’s always been up high because of rugby, he needs to get lower. You say he’s doing better but–?

“We’re not hiding behind that now. I let him know there could be a play where you come through there and you’re tree-top tall and 53’s [LB NaVorro Bowman] going to hit you in your chest and I’d like you to listen know before you get the wind knocked out of you. We all know it, one of those is going to happen and we’ll be fine and we’ll get up. It’s just a little reinforcement.”

 

He seems like a natural on catching those punt returns, you were right in front of him yesterday. Does it seem like he’s made for that kind of duty and also will he do kickoff returns?

“Well, I mean, you saw. We are doing some of that. He is catching some kickoff. But, the punts right now, he’s been doing it all his life. And you can tell that. I know where that question is coming from because yesterday, he’s fielding those things. He and Reggie, really two guys that are really solid, really good at fielding that ball.”

 

You continue to emphasize tempo in these practices. Is that going to be kind of an identity of this offense or is this just something that you’re emphasizing now for when games slow down you guys will be better prepared?

“There’s no secret to it. We want to be able to move in the game offensively, you’re on offense, you’re on the offensive. You want to be able to do it on your terms. So, if we want to go faster, we want to be able to go faster. If we want to slow it down, we want to be able to slow it down. Right now, we’re more or less working the operation of it and giving different, 22 seconds we started at, now we want to go to 26, let’s get on the ball. I want to push it, I’ll say 30. We’re just trying to change just that idea of how we’re moving and operating from the thought of the play call, through that operation, to the quarterback’s ear, to the huddle. So, we’re trying to do that and we want to be able to. I think that’s all offenses, you want to be able to move at the speed in which you want to move for that particular time in the game or that situation and if we see a defense that’s struggling getting people on the field, can we speed up? That’s simply what we’re working on.”

 

GC: Are you cutting down the verbiage the quarterback says in the pocket so they can get out of the huddle quicker?

“We have cut down verbiage as we’ve installed. Again, I’m not comparing it to last year or anything like that. But, as we started it was longer and then as guys started understanding it and getting concepts, you can shrink that and it can go to five, six, seven words instead of starting off with 12, 13. So, that’s the intent.”

49ers’ CB Ward optimistic he’ll be ready for training camp

Ward, a 2014 first-round pick, re-broke his foot in a win against the Saints on Nov. 9 when a titanium screw that was inserted in March 2014 bent during the game. Ward, 23, suffered his first Jones fracture (fifth metatarsal) before he was drafted. It was discovered during a medical check at the combine and he subsequently underwent surgery.

49ers’ Colin Kaepernick embraces ‘cleaned-up’ offense

An excited Colin Kaepernick traced his optimism for the 49ers' coming season to a 'cleaned-up' offense. Specifically, Kaepernick credited the streamlined approach to new coordinator Geep Chryst and his replacement as quarterbacks coach, Steve Logan.

49ers minicamp Day 1: Boone goes inside; Aldon goes down

The 49ers wrapped up the first of their three minicamp practices inside Levi’s Stadium Tuesday evening with a number of interesting developments.

49ers notes: Taking every advantage; losing Davis, Lee, etc.

The 49ers have three practices this week for their mandatory minicamp, and all three workouts will take place on the field at Levi’s Stadium — not the adjoining practice field. “We’d like this stadium to feel like something old to us, so we’re going to practice in the stadium and take advantage of that,” Tomsula said. “Just being in that stadium — the wind, the sun — it’s good to be in our building.” “It’s always good to be as comfortable as possible on your home field,” Colin Kaepernick said. In addition, the 49ers are one of six teams starting their mandatory minicamp early, and according to Tomsula, it’s “by design.”

Now teammates, 49ers’ Boone, Dockett ‘squash all the beef’

If you’ve watched the 49ers and Cardinals rivalry develop over the past four years, you’ve seen Alex Boone and Darnell Dockett go to war in the trenches. Their on-field history has created an interesting dynamic as Dockett gets comfortable wearing the Red and Gold. “After all the battles we’ve had, I passed him like seven times before we spoke,” Dockett said Tuesday.

Joe Montana terms DeflateGate ‘funny’; explains allegiance to Steelers

Take heart, Tom Brady, your boyhood hero isn’t appalled by the thought of a quarterback deflating a football to gain an edge. In fact, Joe Montana said he would have considered doing the same thing during his Hall-of-Fame career.

Miller set to join 49ers workouts after plea

Bruce Miller will likely take a physical and meet with general manager Trent Baalke and coaches on Wednesday at the team’s offices in Santa Clara...

Baalke, 49ers hire Moody as regional scout

The 49ers on Tuesday announced the hiring of Darrell Moody as a regional scout to fill a spot that opened when Scott Brown was added as to Jim Tomsula’s staff as defensive line coach.

Kaepernick not expected to attend Harbaugh’s QB camp

It appears the upcoming reunion between the coach and the quarterback will be canceled. Niners quarterback Colin Kaepernick isn’t expected to serve as an instructor at Jim Harbaugh’s camp for high school quarterbacks on June 20 at the University of Michigan because of another commitment, a source said. Kaepernick is hosting his third annual youth football camp from June 20-21 at St. Ignatius College Preparatory in San Francisco. Kaepernick remains prominently featured on Michigan’s web site, which details the particulars of the camp billed as “Ann Arbor’s Aerial Assault Quarterback Training School.” Kaepernick is center stage on a promotional picture for the camp which also includes Jay Cutler (Bears), Jameis Winston (Buccaneers), 49ers backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert and former 49ers quarterback Josh Johnson (Bengals), who also played for Harbaugh at the University of San Diego.

49ers WR Jerome Simpson: ‘It’s no secret about my past’

Before the 49ers signed oft-troubled wide receiver Jerome Simpson in March, head coach Jim Tomsula placed a call to David Bennett. Bennett was Simpson’s head coach at Coastal Carolina and he also has strong ties to Tomsula: Bennett was the head coach at Tomsula’s alma mater, Catawba College, from 1997-2001 when Tomsula was an assistant […]

49ers Mailbag: O-line remains big question mark

There’s no question there are more unsettled issues with the offensive line than with any other position group on the team. And that is certainly not good news. The offensive line -- more than any position aon the team -- must have starters in place and working together to build chemistry. The 49ers’ offseason program has not gone well in that regard. It’s possible that only one of their eventual starters is lining up with the regulars and learning the system and techniques new line coach Chris Foerster is implementing this offseason.

#Kap’sPerfectStorm: 49ers’ Kaepernick learns social media lesson

The 49ers quarterback, who had drawn widespread praise for working with Kurt Warner and others on his throwing mechanics this offseason, found his way into the social media doghouse Tuesday when he sent a photo to his Instagram and Twitter followers of cars in Houston being overcome by flooding with the words "I told you the #7tormsComing !!! #Houston"

Smith’s retirement creates opportunity for 49ers’ Carradine

The retirement of Justin Smith has finally left the 49ers in the position they envisioned when they used a 2013 second-round draft pick on a defensive lineman. After two quiet seasons in the NFL, now it’s time to see what Tank Carradine has to offer. The 49ers selected Carradine, who was coming off ACL surgery did not suit up for a game in his rookie season, with the No. 40 overall pick. Last season, Carradine made a minimal impact while appearing in nine games. He finished with three sacks -- all coming in the final three games.

Effort issue? Arik Armstead addresses his much-discussed motor

Perhaps you’ve heard: Some draft analysts weren’t too revved up about Arik Armstead’s “motor.” One example: Nolan Nawrocki wrote in his draft guide that the former Oregon defensive tackle has “an intermittent motor and intensity.” Nawrocki also quoted an NFL scout saying, “I think his motor needs to go on a more consistent basis … I thought that was the missing factor.”

The Tomsula Transition: full speed ahead

Jim Tomsula patrolled the 49ers practice field Thursday as an orderly head coach, rather than an affable, defensive-line boss. Noticeable changes went beyond him in a black sweat suit instead of Jim Harbaugh’s preferred khaki pants. Tomsula hollered for perfection when back-to-back passes were dropped, and he supervised from different vantage points, often behind the offense. Most evident, he emphasized a fast-paced approach as the first week of organized team activities came to a close. Players, offensively and defensively, raved about that up-tempo emphasis.

“All I hear from him is, ‘Tempo. Tempo. Get on the ball. Let’s go!’ ” wide receiver Quinton Patton said.

“He doesn’t smile as much as he used to, and he does a little more yelling now,” nose tackle Ian Williams added. “But, nah, he’s doing a good job so far. He’s switched up a lot of things and tried to cut a lot of fat in how practices and meetings are.”

Tomsula served the past seven seasons as defensive line coach, working under Mike Nolan, Mike Singletary and Harbaugh. This is Tomsula’s first go-round as a NFL head coach, aside from his interim stint at the end of 2010 and his NFL Europe term with the 2006 Rhein Fire.

“I think it’s going good,” said Tomsula, deflecting credit to his “great” locker room and coaching staff. “It’s been enjoyable. But it’s a lot of work.”

The 49ers are seven weeks into their voluntary offseason workouts, with two weeks of OTAs remaining until the mandatory minicamp (June 9-11) before summer break.

Williams, a fifth-year veteran, says he can tell that Tomsula is “having fun” in his supervisorial role. Players are enjoying the transition, too.

“I love him, man,” safety Antoine Bethea said. “He’s charismatic. He’s one with the players. It’s going to be a good deal for us.”

What wasn’t so good the past few years was the 49ers clock management. Left tackle Joe Staley is pleased how that is being resolved by what he calls a cohesive coaching staff.

“There’s a definite emphasis on operating faster, substituting faster, getting the play calls out, getting lined up,” Staley said. “During game situations, we’d like to break that huddle at 22 or 24 seconds, so we have time to operate at the line of scrimmage.”

Tomsula’s intentions, he says, are to improve not only conditioning but how players handle stressful, fast-pace environments.

To describe Tomsula in a complimentary tone, Staley chose to paraphrase a quote Justin Smith said shortly after Smith retired Monday.

“The perception might be like he’s a meathead, D-line coach, but he’s not that at all,” Staley said of Tomsula. “He’s a very knowledgeable coach. He’s very involved. He knows what he’s talking about. And guys respect him, too.”

A lot of guys have departed, however, including a slew on defense: Smith, Patrick Willis, Chris Borland, Dan Skuta, Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox.

Did Tomsula tell those who remain to forget about the departures?

"Never spoke a word of it, to be honest with you," Tomsula responded. "Obviously some guys have retired and things, one near and dear with Justin recently.

"Justin Smith’s got me a pay raise. Let’s not hide the facts. The guy, he was just an unbelievable football player."

49ers RB Bush asks to be included in punt-return competition

Reggie Bush has gone the past three seasons without lining up deep to field a punt. When he came to the 49ers, he asked to be given that opportunity -- again. “It was my idea,” Bush said on Thursday after the 49ers wrapped up a practice at organized team activities. “I told the coaches I wanted to return punts again. And they were excited about it. We’re still working at it, still chipping away. And we look forward to being an all-around great special teams.”

OTA practice: up-tempo approach under Tomsula; Bowman off today; Hyde doesn’t practice

Linebacker NaVorro Bowman was among those not present at Thursday’s practice, but that was because of a routine day off after two days of practice, coach Jim Tomsula said. “He’s been doing a great job,” Tomsula said of Bowman, who is practicing this offseason for the first time since his January 2014 knee injury. — The 49ers cut practice nearly 30 minutes short, and that’s because of fast-pace approach that is being preached. Players were quick to the huddle, quick to the line of scrimmage. That is one way to alleviate the clock management issues from past years. — Also absent, as was the case in the voluntary minicamp, were wide receiver Anquan Boldin, fullback Bruce Miller, offensive linemen Alex Boone and Anthony Davis, punter Andy Lee and kicker Phil Dawson.

Right side of O-line skipping 49ers’ offseason program

The 49ers will be without two key veteran starters during the team's offseason program, as Anthony Davis and Alex Boone will skip workouts...

Jed York on NFL in Los Angeles; Carmen Policy’s new role

Colts owner Jim Irsay left the NFL Spring Meetings convinced at least one team will play in Los Angeles by 2017. “It’s not a matter of ‘if’ now, but ‘when,’” Irsay said. Niners CEO Jed York didn’t leave the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco quite as convinced, but he’s certainly not betting against Los Angeles after the owners were briefed on the latest developments regarding three in-flux teams: the Raiders, Chargers and Rams. “I don’t think they’re in the same position as Los Angeles,” York said to The Chronicle. “If I was going to handicap it, I think L.A. is much further along than any of the home markets at this point.” The Raiders and Chargers recently hired former 49ers executive Carmen Policy to spearhead their campaign to share a proposed $1.7 billion stadium in Carson. Policy, 72, has known since York since he was born, but he acknowledged in January he was miffed that he wasn’t included in the 49ers’ museum at Levi’s Stadium. Policy also led a campaign to have a stadium built in Hunter’s Point several years ago, while Y

Bush: 49ers throwing out of backfield ‘understatement’

Reggie Bush is one of the newest additions to the 49ers, and has quickly gotten into the mix, learning the new system and working with quarterback Colin Kaepernick. "We've been installing plays, getting the new offensive system down," Bush told KNBR on Wednesday, updating where the team is at. "And yeah, I've been working with [Colin] Kaepernick, and the offensive coordinator."

Smith transcript: ‘When you get on the bald tires’ … ‘it’s just time to go’

San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Justin Smith retired from professional football on Monday. Below is a transcript of his comments on a conference call with the media: I think former 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said late last season that even when you were nicked or injured in recent years, you were still better than most of the defensive linemen in the league. With that said, why walk away with a year remaining on your contract? “I mean, for me it’s just, you know, where I play on the right side, all my contact comes on my left shoulder and left side. And, I mean, it doesn’t respond like I want it to respond anymore. You know? You don’t have the tools, you can’t do the job, so it’s just time to go.” How has it been for you the last few years with that situation you just described? “I mean, it’s no fun. I mean, obviously, you always want everything to work the way you want it. But, you know, crap in one hand, wish in the other one and see what comes up first, you know. It ain't always going to be how you want it, and that was definitely my case the last couple years. I’ve had conversations with [49ers general manager] Trent [Baalke], you know, with [49ers head coach Jim Tomsula] Jimmy-T, even [former 49ers head coach Jim] Harbaugh and Vic, you know. They always want you to keep playing this and that, and I wanted to keep playing it as well, but when you get on the bald tires, you’re on the bald tires, you know.” Any thought of moving you to the right side?
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