Niner News Thread
- Thread starter Chree
- Start date
07.31.06 – Okay, another day, another practice.
Today was the first padded practice open to the public, and there was definitely a different kind of intensity in the air. In general, people were banging each other and colliding against one another like nothing else I’ve witnessed before at a TC. Lots of contact. You could hear the "POP!" all the way into the bleachers. It was very intense and very fun. You could tell that the players were loving their first real contact in front of fans, and put on a show from time to time.
- One of the players who lived on this mentality today, and the guy who really leaped out, was Vernon Davis. Remember those reports that questioned VD’s blocking ability? That was answered somewhat today, and the guy looks like he loves to block as much as he loves to go out and catch passes. And when I say loves to block, that’s an understatement. The intensity he showed, just by being out there and picking up blitzes from the LBs when the team was practicing that, was something I haven’t seen a player exhibit in quite a long time.
- Among the highlights of VDs blocking was when he went one on one with David Dixon (at least that’s who I believe this player was, as "#51" is unlisted on the official roster they hand out). Dixon earned a lot of attention himself today, as he had a real bullrusher mentality. Instead of fancy moves, the guy was just going toe to toe with blockers and running right at them, taking them off of their guard. When VD came along, Dixon was stopped in his tracks and owned. The two proceeded to wrestle a bit before VD showed off his triumph and raised up his arms, yelling. Even Jeff Ulbrich couldn’t get by Vernon Davis today.
- One guy who did manage to beat VD off his block was Manny Lawson, using pure speed.
- Delanie Walker did a solid job of blitz pick up today as well. He was stout, and while he didn’t really "OWN" anyone, he stood his ground and showed he’s more than capable. In fact, with pads on, bigger players like Walker showed their worth. Walker was very impressive today and made some nice catches out of the backfield and showed some power and stride in his runs. He stood out today moreso than any other day.
- Another guy that keeps making an impression is Corey Smith. This guy has a gnack to attack the QB. He’s so quick off the line on his initial rush, and comes out with a ton of momentum for blockers to handle.
- Staying on top of the LBs, another guy that showed a lot of aggression today was Derek Smith. He was really in the face of RBs and TEs trying to block him, and was going for the ball during coverage drills for the LBs. Good to see him show that side to him.
- If it’s any indication, TJ Slaughter is going to be a big hitter and a special teams contributor on our team. He really set the tone for practice today when he POPPED Brandon Williams and Williams was running down the sideline after making a catch. It was one of those "Hey rookie, welcome to the NFL" moments. He looked really good in LB blitzing drills as well, showing that same intensity and power.
- Brandon Williams stood out quite a bit today. He looks so nimble and quick, and when he’s in pads, he looks stout despite his 5’11 (that’s what they list him as) frame. He worked primarily as a slot WR, and was really using the lanes and getting open. Also, when he runs, he has this nice stride to him. He looks almost effortless running. I hate to be stereotypical and roll out the Steve Smith, Santana Moss, and any other small, successfull WR comparisons, but Brandon Williams looks like the slot WR we’ve been looking for.
- Michael Robinson showed a lot of toughness today. He was roughed up and hit on more than one occassion, but he still held on to the ball, made solid catches out of the backfield, and then went back into the huddle. He’s going to be a weapon there.
- Frank Gore showed the vision to find holes all day today. He also looked like the most explosive back on the roster, hitting that hold with authority. Gore was no slouch when it came to blitz pick up. He more than held his own against incoming LBs, giving up a great fight.
- His counterpart, Kevan Barlow, still doesn’t show a lot of explosion while hitting the hole. This is practice afterall, but Barlow didn’t seem to be going at full speed. He was impressive at blocking from the backfield though.
- Mike Rumph had a much better practice today. I believe that he picked off a pass, and he looked aggressive at hitting and jamming WRs when the pads came on. That said, he still didn’t show fluidity in his hips and overall quickness. He looks like he wants to hit the offensive players more than he wants to cover them.
- Call it cautious concern on my part, but Antonio Bryant dropped about 2-3 easily catchable balls today as well. One of these was on the 11-11 drills and was just a routine catch. The other was a deep throw from Alex Smith that was thrown perfectly and hit Bryant in stride. He just flat out dropped it. So it seems that those criticisms of Bryant, as one who will drop one or two every now and then, have some merit. However, he did make several grabs in practice. You’d just hope to see a bit more concentration out of him. He still displays the presence and playmaking ability that no other WR on our team has shown thus far.
- Practice started today with a reverse to Bryan Gilmore. Gilmore fooled the defense and made a ton of progression. In the process, he showed just how fast he is. In fact, with Battle only practicing one time everyday, Bryan Gilmore has really shown something and is really cementing himself as a dependable 3rd WR. No one made much of that signing during the off-season, but he’s drawing some attention and looking to stand out.
- It’s time to commend the fact that Norv Turner is our OC this year. Last year, I couldn’t remember our offense being as varied and exciting during practice as it was today. Not only are we working all parts of the field during our passing plays, but we’re also using a lot of formations and sets, and moving players around to make the most out of our personnel. For example, a lot of plays today saw Vernon Davis just roll out for a TE screen. But then, there were plays where VD was lined up as a fullback in a split back formation, who then went out and proceeded to fool the defense. The two TE set is also in the mix, and is looking really good, as Eric Johnson is making catches and getting open as a 2nd TE. I even saw VD line up as a slot WR today.
- There was a bit of a scuffle between the d-linemen and o-linemen during blocking drills with one another. It quickly dissolved and had Anthony Adams playfully hanging on to Jonas Jennings. Justin Smiley did look a bit angry, and some yelling proceeded. That’s when you know the team is really concentrating on football.
- Maurice Hicks didn’t look particularly great when asked to stay in and pick up blitzes from the LBs. He also relied a bit too heavily on his first move, rather than hitting the hole.
- Of some note, Larry Allen did not practice during the afternoon session. He was out there, he stretched, but he was only in shorts and his practice jersey, with no pads. He briefly talked with the trainer and walked around the field with the trainer, then went inside the locker room and came back towards the end of the practice. During autograph signings, I think he mentioned that he was perhaps bothered by an injury, but that it was nothing serious although I did not pick up on this conversation entirely.
- Alex Smith looked a lot better today than he did on Saturday. One thing I’m impressed with is his release timing. He does tend to get the ball out a lot quicker. He’s also throwing much harder passes (i.e. velocity wise) than I can remember. He had some very good throws, many targeted to Antonio Bryant who has emerged as his favorite target earlier on.
- Andy Lee is winning the punting battle. Tom Rouen gets a pretty hang time on his punts, but his distance is usually in the lower 40 yard range. Lee was booming punts today, against the wind.
- Shaun Hill, the QB battling for a roster spot against Jessie Palmer, looked A LOT better today than he did on Friday as well. He did have one instance where one of his passes was just thrown up in the air because he held on to the ball too long (coaches looked upset about this), and the ball was then intercepted. However, he made much more accurate throws on drills which is something he wasn’t doing the previous 2 days.
Today was the first padded practice open to the public, and there was definitely a different kind of intensity in the air. In general, people were banging each other and colliding against one another like nothing else I’ve witnessed before at a TC. Lots of contact. You could hear the "POP!" all the way into the bleachers. It was very intense and very fun. You could tell that the players were loving their first real contact in front of fans, and put on a show from time to time.
- One of the players who lived on this mentality today, and the guy who really leaped out, was Vernon Davis. Remember those reports that questioned VD’s blocking ability? That was answered somewhat today, and the guy looks like he loves to block as much as he loves to go out and catch passes. And when I say loves to block, that’s an understatement. The intensity he showed, just by being out there and picking up blitzes from the LBs when the team was practicing that, was something I haven’t seen a player exhibit in quite a long time.
- Among the highlights of VDs blocking was when he went one on one with David Dixon (at least that’s who I believe this player was, as "#51" is unlisted on the official roster they hand out). Dixon earned a lot of attention himself today, as he had a real bullrusher mentality. Instead of fancy moves, the guy was just going toe to toe with blockers and running right at them, taking them off of their guard. When VD came along, Dixon was stopped in his tracks and owned. The two proceeded to wrestle a bit before VD showed off his triumph and raised up his arms, yelling. Even Jeff Ulbrich couldn’t get by Vernon Davis today.
- One guy who did manage to beat VD off his block was Manny Lawson, using pure speed.
- Delanie Walker did a solid job of blitz pick up today as well. He was stout, and while he didn’t really "OWN" anyone, he stood his ground and showed he’s more than capable. In fact, with pads on, bigger players like Walker showed their worth. Walker was very impressive today and made some nice catches out of the backfield and showed some power and stride in his runs. He stood out today moreso than any other day.
- Another guy that keeps making an impression is Corey Smith. This guy has a gnack to attack the QB. He’s so quick off the line on his initial rush, and comes out with a ton of momentum for blockers to handle.
- Staying on top of the LBs, another guy that showed a lot of aggression today was Derek Smith. He was really in the face of RBs and TEs trying to block him, and was going for the ball during coverage drills for the LBs. Good to see him show that side to him.
- If it’s any indication, TJ Slaughter is going to be a big hitter and a special teams contributor on our team. He really set the tone for practice today when he POPPED Brandon Williams and Williams was running down the sideline after making a catch. It was one of those "Hey rookie, welcome to the NFL" moments. He looked really good in LB blitzing drills as well, showing that same intensity and power.
- Brandon Williams stood out quite a bit today. He looks so nimble and quick, and when he’s in pads, he looks stout despite his 5’11 (that’s what they list him as) frame. He worked primarily as a slot WR, and was really using the lanes and getting open. Also, when he runs, he has this nice stride to him. He looks almost effortless running. I hate to be stereotypical and roll out the Steve Smith, Santana Moss, and any other small, successfull WR comparisons, but Brandon Williams looks like the slot WR we’ve been looking for.
- Michael Robinson showed a lot of toughness today. He was roughed up and hit on more than one occassion, but he still held on to the ball, made solid catches out of the backfield, and then went back into the huddle. He’s going to be a weapon there.
- Frank Gore showed the vision to find holes all day today. He also looked like the most explosive back on the roster, hitting that hold with authority. Gore was no slouch when it came to blitz pick up. He more than held his own against incoming LBs, giving up a great fight.
- His counterpart, Kevan Barlow, still doesn’t show a lot of explosion while hitting the hole. This is practice afterall, but Barlow didn’t seem to be going at full speed. He was impressive at blocking from the backfield though.
- Mike Rumph had a much better practice today. I believe that he picked off a pass, and he looked aggressive at hitting and jamming WRs when the pads came on. That said, he still didn’t show fluidity in his hips and overall quickness. He looks like he wants to hit the offensive players more than he wants to cover them.
- Call it cautious concern on my part, but Antonio Bryant dropped about 2-3 easily catchable balls today as well. One of these was on the 11-11 drills and was just a routine catch. The other was a deep throw from Alex Smith that was thrown perfectly and hit Bryant in stride. He just flat out dropped it. So it seems that those criticisms of Bryant, as one who will drop one or two every now and then, have some merit. However, he did make several grabs in practice. You’d just hope to see a bit more concentration out of him. He still displays the presence and playmaking ability that no other WR on our team has shown thus far.
- Practice started today with a reverse to Bryan Gilmore. Gilmore fooled the defense and made a ton of progression. In the process, he showed just how fast he is. In fact, with Battle only practicing one time everyday, Bryan Gilmore has really shown something and is really cementing himself as a dependable 3rd WR. No one made much of that signing during the off-season, but he’s drawing some attention and looking to stand out.
- It’s time to commend the fact that Norv Turner is our OC this year. Last year, I couldn’t remember our offense being as varied and exciting during practice as it was today. Not only are we working all parts of the field during our passing plays, but we’re also using a lot of formations and sets, and moving players around to make the most out of our personnel. For example, a lot of plays today saw Vernon Davis just roll out for a TE screen. But then, there were plays where VD was lined up as a fullback in a split back formation, who then went out and proceeded to fool the defense. The two TE set is also in the mix, and is looking really good, as Eric Johnson is making catches and getting open as a 2nd TE. I even saw VD line up as a slot WR today.
- There was a bit of a scuffle between the d-linemen and o-linemen during blocking drills with one another. It quickly dissolved and had Anthony Adams playfully hanging on to Jonas Jennings. Justin Smiley did look a bit angry, and some yelling proceeded. That’s when you know the team is really concentrating on football.
- Maurice Hicks didn’t look particularly great when asked to stay in and pick up blitzes from the LBs. He also relied a bit too heavily on his first move, rather than hitting the hole.
- Of some note, Larry Allen did not practice during the afternoon session. He was out there, he stretched, but he was only in shorts and his practice jersey, with no pads. He briefly talked with the trainer and walked around the field with the trainer, then went inside the locker room and came back towards the end of the practice. During autograph signings, I think he mentioned that he was perhaps bothered by an injury, but that it was nothing serious although I did not pick up on this conversation entirely.
- Alex Smith looked a lot better today than he did on Saturday. One thing I’m impressed with is his release timing. He does tend to get the ball out a lot quicker. He’s also throwing much harder passes (i.e. velocity wise) than I can remember. He had some very good throws, many targeted to Antonio Bryant who has emerged as his favorite target earlier on.
- Andy Lee is winning the punting battle. Tom Rouen gets a pretty hang time on his punts, but his distance is usually in the lower 40 yard range. Lee was booming punts today, against the wind.
- Shaun Hill, the QB battling for a roster spot against Jessie Palmer, looked A LOT better today than he did on Friday as well. He did have one instance where one of his passes was just thrown up in the air because he held on to the ball too long (coaches looked upset about this), and the ball was then intercepted. However, he made much more accurate throws on drills which is something he wasn’t doing the previous 2 days.
49ers Release CB Bruce Thornton
The 49ers released cornerback Bruce Thornton, who started 11 games for San Francisco last season, on Tuesday.
Thornton, a waiver-wire pickup from the Dallas Cowboys last September, unexpectedly won a starting job in San Francisco, making two interceptions and 40 tackles. But the 49ers made moves to improve their secondary this season, and coach Mike Nolan wanted Thornton to have a chance to catch on with another team.
Thornton is the second 2005 starter in the defensive secondary to be released by the 49ers during training camp. Ben Emanuel, who started seven games at safety, was released Sunday when San Francisco signed Mark Roman.
“It says the competition is much better than we had a year ago,” Nolan said. “Both of them, I hope they get opportunities elsewhere. ... When you have competition, guys get better or they get pushed out of position. Both those guys got pushed out of position, I’d say.”
The 49ers released cornerback Bruce Thornton, who started 11 games for San Francisco last season, on Tuesday.
Thornton, a waiver-wire pickup from the Dallas Cowboys last September, unexpectedly won a starting job in San Francisco, making two interceptions and 40 tackles. But the 49ers made moves to improve their secondary this season, and coach Mike Nolan wanted Thornton to have a chance to catch on with another team.
Thornton is the second 2005 starter in the defensive secondary to be released by the 49ers during training camp. Ben Emanuel, who started seven games at safety, was released Sunday when San Francisco signed Mark Roman.
“It says the competition is much better than we had a year ago,” Nolan said. “Both of them, I hope they get opportunities elsewhere. ... When you have competition, guys get better or they get pushed out of position. Both those guys got pushed out of position, I’d say.”
It's `wide open' in 49ers' backfield
FOUR TAILBACKS; MORE SHIFTING IN SECONDARY
Coach Mike Nolan says he has not chosen his started running back yet.
Coach Mike Nolan on Tuesday described the competition for the 49ers' starting tailback job as ``wide open'' between Kevan Barlow and Frank Gore, and added that Maurice Hicks and rookie Michael Robinson also were making their presence felt.
``I want to see who that guy is,'' Nolan said. ``I'm wide open. I'm not closed at all. I have every reason not to be.''
Barlow, the team's starter the past two seasons, continues to take the first-team practice snaps, although Gore also works with some of the same personnel. Hicks and Robinson are getting their share of work with the second and third teams.
The outcome of the competition will help shape the identity of the 49ers' offense, which under new coordinator Norv Turner seeks to establish a power running game to complement a downfield passing game.
``Frank is pretty strong and he runs north-south all the time, hopefully a lot more north,'' Nolan said. ``Kevan is more of a shiftier back. He picks his holes a little differently than Frank does. All backs have their styles. There's good backs that do it either way.''
Gore and Barlow are at full strength after missing time in spring workouts while recovering from off-season operations. Gore had his shoulders repaired, and Barlow underwent arthroscopic knee surgery.
Gore was the first rookie to lead the team in rushing in 15 years last season, when he gained 608 yards. Barlow ran for 581 yards, missing four of the final five games because of a cyst on his knee. Gore, Barlow and Hicks each produced a 100-yard rushing game last season.
``I feel like I'm competing with every back out here because if you're not going out there hard and performing, the next guy will,'' Gore said.
Barlow has struggled since breaking through in 2003 with a 1,000-yard season. He said he has dropped about 10 pounds from last year's playing weight of 238. ``I tightened down my diet and watched what I ate a little bit more,'' he said. ``I want to be a little bit quicker, hit the hole a little bit faster.''
Barlow said he believes he is worthy of the starting role but also welcomes the competition.
``It's going to make me a better player, and it's going to make us a better team,'' he said. ``I feel like I should be the starter, no question. But I don't know what's written in ink and what is written in pencil. If Frank or Mo Hicks beats me out, then I know in my heart I gave 120 percent.''
• Cornerback Bruce Thornton, who started 11 games for the 49ers last season after he was claimed off waivers from Dallas, was released. Thornton was the second defensive back with significant starting experience to be let go in three days; safety Ben Emanuel, who played in place of an injured Tony Parrish the second half of last season, was released Sunday after the signing of free agent Mark Roman.
The 49ers still have 14 defensive backs in camp, though they left the roster spot from Thornton's release open for the time being.
Upgrades to the talent pool in the secondary prompted the release of Emanuel and Thornton, Nolan said. Free-agent acquisition Chad Williams moved ahead of Emanuel as the backup to Parrish, and B.J. Tucker and Sammy Davis stood in front of Thornton as reserve cornerbacks.
• Wide receiver Rashaun Woods has been released by the Chargers, three months after the 49ers traded him to San Diego for Davis in what amounted to a swap of first-round disappointments.
Nolan made it clear the 49ers had no interest in bringing Woods back.
``We won't claim him,'' the coach said, adding that the 49ers are happy with the outcome of the trade. ``Sammy is doing well. We're not going to put him on the waiver wire any time soon. Our end of the trade is still holding up.''
FOUR TAILBACKS; MORE SHIFTING IN SECONDARY
Coach Mike Nolan says he has not chosen his started running back yet.
Coach Mike Nolan on Tuesday described the competition for the 49ers' starting tailback job as ``wide open'' between Kevan Barlow and Frank Gore, and added that Maurice Hicks and rookie Michael Robinson also were making their presence felt.
``I want to see who that guy is,'' Nolan said. ``I'm wide open. I'm not closed at all. I have every reason not to be.''
Barlow, the team's starter the past two seasons, continues to take the first-team practice snaps, although Gore also works with some of the same personnel. Hicks and Robinson are getting their share of work with the second and third teams.
The outcome of the competition will help shape the identity of the 49ers' offense, which under new coordinator Norv Turner seeks to establish a power running game to complement a downfield passing game.
``Frank is pretty strong and he runs north-south all the time, hopefully a lot more north,'' Nolan said. ``Kevan is more of a shiftier back. He picks his holes a little differently than Frank does. All backs have their styles. There's good backs that do it either way.''
Gore and Barlow are at full strength after missing time in spring workouts while recovering from off-season operations. Gore had his shoulders repaired, and Barlow underwent arthroscopic knee surgery.
Gore was the first rookie to lead the team in rushing in 15 years last season, when he gained 608 yards. Barlow ran for 581 yards, missing four of the final five games because of a cyst on his knee. Gore, Barlow and Hicks each produced a 100-yard rushing game last season.
``I feel like I'm competing with every back out here because if you're not going out there hard and performing, the next guy will,'' Gore said.
Barlow has struggled since breaking through in 2003 with a 1,000-yard season. He said he has dropped about 10 pounds from last year's playing weight of 238. ``I tightened down my diet and watched what I ate a little bit more,'' he said. ``I want to be a little bit quicker, hit the hole a little bit faster.''
Barlow said he believes he is worthy of the starting role but also welcomes the competition.
``It's going to make me a better player, and it's going to make us a better team,'' he said. ``I feel like I should be the starter, no question. But I don't know what's written in ink and what is written in pencil. If Frank or Mo Hicks beats me out, then I know in my heart I gave 120 percent.''
• Cornerback Bruce Thornton, who started 11 games for the 49ers last season after he was claimed off waivers from Dallas, was released. Thornton was the second defensive back with significant starting experience to be let go in three days; safety Ben Emanuel, who played in place of an injured Tony Parrish the second half of last season, was released Sunday after the signing of free agent Mark Roman.
The 49ers still have 14 defensive backs in camp, though they left the roster spot from Thornton's release open for the time being.
Upgrades to the talent pool in the secondary prompted the release of Emanuel and Thornton, Nolan said. Free-agent acquisition Chad Williams moved ahead of Emanuel as the backup to Parrish, and B.J. Tucker and Sammy Davis stood in front of Thornton as reserve cornerbacks.
• Wide receiver Rashaun Woods has been released by the Chargers, three months after the 49ers traded him to San Diego for Davis in what amounted to a swap of first-round disappointments.
Nolan made it clear the 49ers had no interest in bringing Woods back.
``We won't claim him,'' the coach said, adding that the 49ers are happy with the outcome of the trade. ``Sammy is doing well. We're not going to put him on the waiver wire any time soon. Our end of the trade is still holding up.''
Day 5 Camp Notes
- After Monday’s padded practice, today’s practice was in shorts and thus the hitting and contact was minimal as expected.
- The intensity of practice; however, still remained high. Even in shorts, the defensive backs were very aggressive in their coverage of the WRs. We hired a new DBs coach in the off-season, who was with the Baltimore Ravens prior to us, I believe. His philosophy is showing. The DBs look to be bumping WRs and playing a more aggressive game.
- Sammy Davis has stood out the past few training camps and today was no exception. He had an INT, and has looked like a really solid nickle/dime option. He might not ever be a starter in the NFL as the Chargers used him, but he does give us an experienced corner who may end up being the 4th guy back there on situations. For that, he’s done well and has looked a lot better than Mike Rumph who still, to this day, hasn’t really made an impact during camp. At least not in the practices I’ve witnessed.
- Shawntae Spencer looked really good today. He picked off a pass from Alex Smith that was intended for either Antonio Bryant or Arnaz Battle. He also had a beautiful pass break up of a throw intended for Eric Johnson in the end zone. Spencer has been playing the part of our #1 CB all training camp long, and today, he really showed separation amongst all the other CBs out there. He also held his own against Antonio Bryant, which wasn’t the case 4 days ago.
- Speaking of the WRs, Antonio Bryant had a strong practice. He didn’t drop a pass (as I recall), and he made a spectacular grab on a deep throw from Alex Smith where he was able to obtain position over the DB and leap up to grab the pass. That’s the 3rd or 4th time I’ve seen him do that, so perhaps some fade routes in the end zone are in order for Bryant, who really uses his size to out position DBs.
- The surprise of camp continues to be Bryan Gilmore. There might be a battle (no pun intended) brewing between Gilmore and Battle for that #2 WR position. Arnaz Battle practiced today, but he’s been limited due to a knee injury. In that time, Gilmore has raised a lot of heads as he continues to look like a fast WR who can stretch the field and complement Antonio Bryant. He also makes fantastic catches, especially down the sideline. For example, today on a out route thrown a bit too far by Alex Smith, Gilmore made a beautiful catch and leaped over the chain guarding the field from the bleachers, and then went into the bleachers. But he took pride in making the catch, and he continues to do that on several throws to the outside. If Gilmore somehow became our #2 WR, it would not surprise me, as Battle was doing a lot from the inside, slot WR position today.
- Arnaz Battle had a solid practice though. As the slot WR on many instances, he caught a lot of underneath passes. He did have one drop on a routine catch, about 6-7 yards in the middle of the field. But he does seem more natural inside in the slot than he does as a #2 WR.
- CJ Brewer, an undrafted FA, had the catch of the afternoon when he was able to haul in Alex Smith’s throw down the sideline over a DB. He leaped out and made the catch. That’s nice to see and keeps him in the competition for the precious last WR spot, or maybe even the practice squad.
- While Marcus Maxwell has looked sharp so far in camp, today I did not recall seeing him catch a pass. The team was practicing a lot of underneath passes, such as screens and little dump offs, but Maxwell did not make much noise.
- I just read a report somewhere that Vernon Davis is having trouble learning the offense. If this is the case, it doesn’t seem apparent in how he conducts himself in practice. The guy has a presence and it really feels like he has been here for a lot longer than a few months. When the team was practicing throws into the end zone, he was chasing down passes without breaking his stride and even leapt up to catch a pass that was thrown semi-high. The team again chose to throw to him underneath on screen passes and such. Perhaps he’s behind with the offense, but in terms of attitude and competitiveness, he has looked like one of the best and most intimidating presences on our team thus far.
- Safety Marcus Hudson opened up practice by standing in the middle of a team huddle and pumping up the entire team by shouting and yelling. It was very intense and it was nice to see a rookie bring that kind of energy to the team.
- On the field, both Marcus Hudson and Vickiel Vaughn are standing out. Hudson displays a ton of versatility and has looked like a factor out there in the secondary. Vaughn, as a 7th round pick, is in the mix at safety quite a bit and has also competed and done some things. Neither has been really beat on coverage yet, so thus far, both of those two are hanging in there and that’s a nice sign since they have vetrans like Parrish, Chad Williams, and Mark Roman ahead of them.
- Kevan Barlow really hasn’t stood out in camp so far. While there wasn’t much contact in today’s practice, I could still see RBs like Gore and Hicks display quickness and a burst when hitting the hole. For Barlow, he still seems to be doing his Barry Sanders thing. He’s catching out of the backfield and looking to put moves on people. But when he runs, he just doesn’t look to have that burst that Gore displays, nor the speed and agility of Hicks. Couple this with the padded practice, where Barlow again struggled to get past the line of scrimmage, and Gore might be winning the RB battle for the feature back.
- Larry Allen continues to sit out afternoon practices, although it’s not an injury as I had feared on Monday. Nolan just gives certain vetrans the choice to practice. Bryant Young also did not practice in the afternoon.
- Joe Nedney was kicking field goals and also working on kickoffs today, with his competition named Andrew Jacas. Nedney’s leg is still in tact, which means he was hitting field goals which might have been good from anywhere up to 60 yards (against the wind). Jacas only had 2 tries at field goal, and made the first, but shanked the 2nd to the right. In terms of kickoffs, Nedney’s kicks either made it to the endzone or within the 5 yard line. Jacas…well, his weren’t nearly as consistent or long. So it’s safe to say, Nedney will win this battle.
- Alex Smith has really shown a gun the last few days at camp. It doesn’t necessarily equate to better decision making, as he did throw an INT today. However, the ball is definitely coming out quicker in practice, and his throws are harder and have more velocity than a year ago. But like I said, he still needs to work on his coverage reads and his accuracy, as some of those passes sometimes don’t hit the mark like they should. But there is an improvement in his mechanics and technique to some degree, which is nice to see.
- Jessie Palmer has had many oppurtunities to showcase himself with Dilfer typically sitting out the 2nd, afternoon practice. He’s looked so/so but he’s been largely inconsistent. Some of his throws, especially the deep passes, look beautiful. Other times, he just flat out misses.
- Shaun Hill switched his number to 13 today (at least that’s what I believe, as we had a #13 QB), but he faired about as well as the last guy who wore that number and played QB for us. Translation: While it’s nice to have the competition, Hill will likely have to hope for a practice squad position at best.
- Otis Amey failed to make any impression today, and is getting lost in the WR mix a tad bit.
- Jeff Ulbrich was very aggressive today. He brings a nice air of intensity to our defense and he and Smith have really caught on. You can tell he’s the workhorse of the defense, and on many occassions, he wasn’t afraid to drop back into coverage and play a TE like Eric Johnson without giving up much space at all, and making plays on the ball.
- With Larry Allen out, David Bass has seen some action inside the line. He’s looked really good, to the point where I’m very excited about our o-line depth. Bass might be groomed after Allen, and he’s certainly looked bigger and played well on that starting line in the abscence of the Big Man.
- Kwame Harris had a disappointing practice today. He kind of lugged around and when the team was working on screen pass drills, he never really showed any desire to lock up with the defender (a mock defender, as it was an offensive player wearing a yellow jersey) he was supposed to block. On one occassion, he completely missed the block and Vernon Davis had to handle the incoming rusher all by himself, when it was supposed to be a double team. It wasn’t a very fearsome drill, but you still expect a player to at least show some enthusiasm out there. I’d like to see some more meaness from Kwame Harris.
- After Monday’s padded practice, today’s practice was in shorts and thus the hitting and contact was minimal as expected.
- The intensity of practice; however, still remained high. Even in shorts, the defensive backs were very aggressive in their coverage of the WRs. We hired a new DBs coach in the off-season, who was with the Baltimore Ravens prior to us, I believe. His philosophy is showing. The DBs look to be bumping WRs and playing a more aggressive game.
- Sammy Davis has stood out the past few training camps and today was no exception. He had an INT, and has looked like a really solid nickle/dime option. He might not ever be a starter in the NFL as the Chargers used him, but he does give us an experienced corner who may end up being the 4th guy back there on situations. For that, he’s done well and has looked a lot better than Mike Rumph who still, to this day, hasn’t really made an impact during camp. At least not in the practices I’ve witnessed.
- Shawntae Spencer looked really good today. He picked off a pass from Alex Smith that was intended for either Antonio Bryant or Arnaz Battle. He also had a beautiful pass break up of a throw intended for Eric Johnson in the end zone. Spencer has been playing the part of our #1 CB all training camp long, and today, he really showed separation amongst all the other CBs out there. He also held his own against Antonio Bryant, which wasn’t the case 4 days ago.
- Speaking of the WRs, Antonio Bryant had a strong practice. He didn’t drop a pass (as I recall), and he made a spectacular grab on a deep throw from Alex Smith where he was able to obtain position over the DB and leap up to grab the pass. That’s the 3rd or 4th time I’ve seen him do that, so perhaps some fade routes in the end zone are in order for Bryant, who really uses his size to out position DBs.
- The surprise of camp continues to be Bryan Gilmore. There might be a battle (no pun intended) brewing between Gilmore and Battle for that #2 WR position. Arnaz Battle practiced today, but he’s been limited due to a knee injury. In that time, Gilmore has raised a lot of heads as he continues to look like a fast WR who can stretch the field and complement Antonio Bryant. He also makes fantastic catches, especially down the sideline. For example, today on a out route thrown a bit too far by Alex Smith, Gilmore made a beautiful catch and leaped over the chain guarding the field from the bleachers, and then went into the bleachers. But he took pride in making the catch, and he continues to do that on several throws to the outside. If Gilmore somehow became our #2 WR, it would not surprise me, as Battle was doing a lot from the inside, slot WR position today.
- Arnaz Battle had a solid practice though. As the slot WR on many instances, he caught a lot of underneath passes. He did have one drop on a routine catch, about 6-7 yards in the middle of the field. But he does seem more natural inside in the slot than he does as a #2 WR.
- CJ Brewer, an undrafted FA, had the catch of the afternoon when he was able to haul in Alex Smith’s throw down the sideline over a DB. He leaped out and made the catch. That’s nice to see and keeps him in the competition for the precious last WR spot, or maybe even the practice squad.
- While Marcus Maxwell has looked sharp so far in camp, today I did not recall seeing him catch a pass. The team was practicing a lot of underneath passes, such as screens and little dump offs, but Maxwell did not make much noise.
- I just read a report somewhere that Vernon Davis is having trouble learning the offense. If this is the case, it doesn’t seem apparent in how he conducts himself in practice. The guy has a presence and it really feels like he has been here for a lot longer than a few months. When the team was practicing throws into the end zone, he was chasing down passes without breaking his stride and even leapt up to catch a pass that was thrown semi-high. The team again chose to throw to him underneath on screen passes and such. Perhaps he’s behind with the offense, but in terms of attitude and competitiveness, he has looked like one of the best and most intimidating presences on our team thus far.
- Safety Marcus Hudson opened up practice by standing in the middle of a team huddle and pumping up the entire team by shouting and yelling. It was very intense and it was nice to see a rookie bring that kind of energy to the team.
- On the field, both Marcus Hudson and Vickiel Vaughn are standing out. Hudson displays a ton of versatility and has looked like a factor out there in the secondary. Vaughn, as a 7th round pick, is in the mix at safety quite a bit and has also competed and done some things. Neither has been really beat on coverage yet, so thus far, both of those two are hanging in there and that’s a nice sign since they have vetrans like Parrish, Chad Williams, and Mark Roman ahead of them.
- Kevan Barlow really hasn’t stood out in camp so far. While there wasn’t much contact in today’s practice, I could still see RBs like Gore and Hicks display quickness and a burst when hitting the hole. For Barlow, he still seems to be doing his Barry Sanders thing. He’s catching out of the backfield and looking to put moves on people. But when he runs, he just doesn’t look to have that burst that Gore displays, nor the speed and agility of Hicks. Couple this with the padded practice, where Barlow again struggled to get past the line of scrimmage, and Gore might be winning the RB battle for the feature back.
- Larry Allen continues to sit out afternoon practices, although it’s not an injury as I had feared on Monday. Nolan just gives certain vetrans the choice to practice. Bryant Young also did not practice in the afternoon.
- Joe Nedney was kicking field goals and also working on kickoffs today, with his competition named Andrew Jacas. Nedney’s leg is still in tact, which means he was hitting field goals which might have been good from anywhere up to 60 yards (against the wind). Jacas only had 2 tries at field goal, and made the first, but shanked the 2nd to the right. In terms of kickoffs, Nedney’s kicks either made it to the endzone or within the 5 yard line. Jacas…well, his weren’t nearly as consistent or long. So it’s safe to say, Nedney will win this battle.
- Alex Smith has really shown a gun the last few days at camp. It doesn’t necessarily equate to better decision making, as he did throw an INT today. However, the ball is definitely coming out quicker in practice, and his throws are harder and have more velocity than a year ago. But like I said, he still needs to work on his coverage reads and his accuracy, as some of those passes sometimes don’t hit the mark like they should. But there is an improvement in his mechanics and technique to some degree, which is nice to see.
- Jessie Palmer has had many oppurtunities to showcase himself with Dilfer typically sitting out the 2nd, afternoon practice. He’s looked so/so but he’s been largely inconsistent. Some of his throws, especially the deep passes, look beautiful. Other times, he just flat out misses.
- Shaun Hill switched his number to 13 today (at least that’s what I believe, as we had a #13 QB), but he faired about as well as the last guy who wore that number and played QB for us. Translation: While it’s nice to have the competition, Hill will likely have to hope for a practice squad position at best.
- Otis Amey failed to make any impression today, and is getting lost in the WR mix a tad bit.
- Jeff Ulbrich was very aggressive today. He brings a nice air of intensity to our defense and he and Smith have really caught on. You can tell he’s the workhorse of the defense, and on many occassions, he wasn’t afraid to drop back into coverage and play a TE like Eric Johnson without giving up much space at all, and making plays on the ball.
- With Larry Allen out, David Bass has seen some action inside the line. He’s looked really good, to the point where I’m very excited about our o-line depth. Bass might be groomed after Allen, and he’s certainly looked bigger and played well on that starting line in the abscence of the Big Man.
- Kwame Harris had a disappointing practice today. He kind of lugged around and when the team was working on screen pass drills, he never really showed any desire to lock up with the defender (a mock defender, as it was an offensive player wearing a yellow jersey) he was supposed to block. On one occassion, he completely missed the block and Vernon Davis had to handle the incoming rusher all by himself, when it was supposed to be a double team. It wasn’t a very fearsome drill, but you still expect a player to at least show some enthusiasm out there. I’d like to see some more meaness from Kwame Harris.
