Niner News Thread
- Thread starter Chree
- Start date
49ers unsigned franchised NT Aubrayo Franklin was a no-show for training camp check-in Saturday morning.
We don't blame him. Franklin won't face fines because he's yet to sign. He might as well wait until coach Mike Singletary finishes his infamous "Nutcracker" drills before risking an injury in a second straight contract year. Expect him to arrive once preseason action begins.
We don't blame him. Franklin won't face fines because he's yet to sign. He might as well wait until coach Mike Singletary finishes his infamous "Nutcracker" drills before risking an injury in a second straight contract year. Expect him to arrive once preseason action begins.
http://www.csnbayarea.com/08/01/10/...ting-Roles/landing&blockID=281610&feedID=5936
SANTA CLARA -- Coach Mike Singletary does not have a timetable for moving rookie offensive linemen Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati into the starting lineup. His eyes will be his gauge, he said.
"We'll know it when we see it," Singletary said Sunday evening after the 49ers held their first practice of training camp.
It didn't take long a year ago for the 49ers' first-round draft pick a year ago, receiver Michael Crabtree, to pass the test.
"Crabtree was in a situation last year when he came in that it was obvious," Singletary said. "I mean, he was head and shoulders (above the others). When he came in, looking at him, this kid is going to play."
Crabtree, entering his second professional season, and the rookies all went through their first practice Sunday in an NFL training camp. Crabtree and the 49ers engaged in a 71-day contract stalemate a year ago.
When Crabtree finally put on a 49ers uniform, the club had already played five regular-season games. Still, he was immediately inserted into the starting lineup, permanently bumping veteran Isaac Bruce out of that role.
Davis and Iupati, whom the 49ers selected with the Nos. 11 and 17 overall picks in the draft, opened camp Sunday working on the second-team offense behind incumbents. Davis lined up mostly with the second unit behind right tackle Adam Snyder, while Iupati was David Baas' backup at left guard.
"I just think it's very smart to allow David Baas and Snyder to understand if you come out here and work your tail off, we'll just have to see what happens," Singletary said. "I don't want to give anybody anything. I want the guys to work for it."
Crabtree stands to benefit immensely from his first training camp. Last summer, he would get the 49ers' practice schedule from his teammates, rise at 7 a.m. and go through double-day practices on his own in Tampa, Fla.
On his very first play with the 49ers, he made an incorrect adjustment on a route, causing quarterback Shaun Hill to take a sack. When Alex Smith became the 49ers' quarterback at halftime of that first game, the pair experienced ups and downs.
Crabtree caught 48 passes -- just one fewer than Jerry Rice's total as a rookie -- for 625 yards and two touchdowns. But there were also occasions in which they were not on the same page.
Building a better on-field rapport was one of the goals in the offseason, as Crabtree and Smith spent a lot of time together on the practice field.
"We need that chemistry, working with Alex and trying to get better," Crabtree said. "This offseason, we went hard. Me and Alex really clicked this summer and we're looking forward to really doing something in this training camp.
"He looks more confident in his eyes, and I'm ready to go with him," Crabtree said. "The more we practice, the better we get."
SANTA CLARA -- Coach Mike Singletary does not have a timetable for moving rookie offensive linemen Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati into the starting lineup. His eyes will be his gauge, he said.
"We'll know it when we see it," Singletary said Sunday evening after the 49ers held their first practice of training camp.
It didn't take long a year ago for the 49ers' first-round draft pick a year ago, receiver Michael Crabtree, to pass the test.
"Crabtree was in a situation last year when he came in that it was obvious," Singletary said. "I mean, he was head and shoulders (above the others). When he came in, looking at him, this kid is going to play."
Crabtree, entering his second professional season, and the rookies all went through their first practice Sunday in an NFL training camp. Crabtree and the 49ers engaged in a 71-day contract stalemate a year ago.
When Crabtree finally put on a 49ers uniform, the club had already played five regular-season games. Still, he was immediately inserted into the starting lineup, permanently bumping veteran Isaac Bruce out of that role.
Davis and Iupati, whom the 49ers selected with the Nos. 11 and 17 overall picks in the draft, opened camp Sunday working on the second-team offense behind incumbents. Davis lined up mostly with the second unit behind right tackle Adam Snyder, while Iupati was David Baas' backup at left guard.
"I just think it's very smart to allow David Baas and Snyder to understand if you come out here and work your tail off, we'll just have to see what happens," Singletary said. "I don't want to give anybody anything. I want the guys to work for it."
Crabtree stands to benefit immensely from his first training camp. Last summer, he would get the 49ers' practice schedule from his teammates, rise at 7 a.m. and go through double-day practices on his own in Tampa, Fla.
On his very first play with the 49ers, he made an incorrect adjustment on a route, causing quarterback Shaun Hill to take a sack. When Alex Smith became the 49ers' quarterback at halftime of that first game, the pair experienced ups and downs.
Crabtree caught 48 passes -- just one fewer than Jerry Rice's total as a rookie -- for 625 yards and two touchdowns. But there were also occasions in which they were not on the same page.
Building a better on-field rapport was one of the goals in the offseason, as Crabtree and Smith spent a lot of time together on the practice field.
"We need that chemistry, working with Alex and trying to get better," Crabtree said. "This offseason, we went hard. Me and Alex really clicked this summer and we're looking forward to really doing something in this training camp.
"He looks more confident in his eyes, and I'm ready to go with him," Crabtree said. "The more we practice, the better we get."
49ers do the “Nutcracker,” Iupati blasts away, and other training camp tid-bits
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/kawaka...akami-merc+(Talking+Points+with+Tim+Kawakami)
* Mike Singletary partial transcript included at bottom./
All in all, a fairly typical first full-hitting training camp practice fot the 49ers this morniing… other than it being quite long–almost three hours, even subtracting the warm-up and cool-down periods.
That’s a long practice. With another to go this evening.
-The defense swarmed the offense, especially in an early 11-on-11 blitz drill, when the offense could barely breathe, let alone move the ball downfield.
Alex Smith suggested*some offensive players*might’ve had their timing or focus*a little thrown off by the “Nutcracker” drill early in the session, an immediate immersion into full-contact, but said it’s up to the players to get past that.
(Of course, QBs do not participate in the ‘Cracker.)
-Starting LG David Baas suffered what Mike Singletary termed a “light
concussion” about mid-way through, which gave No. 1 pick Mike Iupati plenty of time with the first team OL.
-And oh yes, there was very famous “Nutcracker” drill very early on.
It was pared back just a bit from last year (shorter, quicker impact, no WRs, RBs or DBs) but still featuring the spotlight man vs. man thud that is the signature of*a Singletary Camp.
By the way, it does not appear that Baas’ sustained his injury in the ‘cracker–he went down in a pile during another drill, and stayed out.
In the drill, Iupati and other guards were matched against inside linebackers, and I surely would not have wanted to be Scott McKillop or Matt Wilhelm, who had to line up against Big No. 77.
Both are listed around 244 pounds–almost 90 pounds less than Iupati’s listed weight.
And Iupati isn’t just some load. He can move, he can drive, and he absolutely wiped those guys out a couple of times.
Iupati also looked very natural in the team drills, with no noticeable drop-off (and maybe an elevation) when he stepped in with the “1s” after Baas’ injury.
All I saw was the guy in the 77 jersey moving wherever he wanted to go, and running backs having plenty of space when they went in the same direction.
Anthony Davis, the OT taken ahead of Iupati, didn’t look as dominant or as smooth.
Which is understandable because he’s only 20, because, as a tackle, he lined up against DEs in the ‘Cracker, not LBs, and because I suspect Iupati is a natural and Davis is not.
-One other notable hit: Fullback Brit Miller blasting LB Parys Haralson so thoroughly that the whole team went ooooh.
Then DE Justin Smith looked at the media scrum nearby, laughed, and yelled “Don’t write that!” Laughing the whole time.
-Singletary and offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye took turns stopping the first-team offense and ordering them back into the huddle when they felt things weren’t running crisply.
“Are we getting tired? Somebody’s gotta raise the tempo!” Singletary bellowed at one point.
Yep, a regular 49ers training camp full-contact opener.
—–SINGLETARY, post-practice presser (some questions and answers edited for length and clarity)/
-Intro: Pretty decent practice this morning. Not great. Gotta continue to work on our fundamentals. Gotta continue to work on our technique, get our guys to understand exactly how we want to tackle, making sure our heads are up at all times, our feet are in the right place and our eyes are in the right place.
The Nutcracker drill, we will continue to work on that. We will continue to do different things with it. But I want our guys to understand the whole leverage point of football.
And once again, it’s about keeping your face up. You cannot play this game with your head down. A lot of times when you do that, that’s where the accidents happen, when your head is down.
When you’re going through a lot of our drills that we’re doing right now, it makes you hold your head up. So that’s the thing that’s we’re going to strive to do in these next few days.
-Q: Who stood out to you in the Nutcracker?
-SINGLETARY: There were a few guys. I’ve got to go back and look at the film.
[CUT]
-Q: You’re going to have different versions of the drill. What was the focus on today?
-SINGLETARY: Today was just being fundamentally sound. It is as simple as that. We’ve got a quick whistle. You make contact. Eyes up, butt down, back flat. Making sure your feet are shoulder-width apart.
So it’s a basic one-on-one, in terms of how to come off the ball and how to attack an offensive lineman or a tight end.
-Q: What are the other variations?
-SINGLETARY: The others will be… there will be some versions of it where there’s movement. Because a lot of times you look at a guy and he may be great going straight ahead. But once that line starts moving and they find a weakness there, they can go right or they can go left, it creates for our offensive line if we don’t work on it.
You play a 3-4 and you know that nose guard is going to be sitting there. Those ends are going to be sitting there. It makes a difference when you’re playing a 4-3 team, because that frontline is normally smaller and quicker. So now it’s a different game. You may beat the snot out of the noseguard one week and then the next week you’ve got to play against a smaller, quicker, more agile line and it’s going to look like you’re not very good.
If you don’t work on it, it’s not going to happen. It’s just every little thing we can do, some things that we had some issues with from time to time last year…
-Q: Khalif Mitchell seemed to do well in the drill. What is he showing you?
-SINGLETARY: He’s showing me he’s a very gifted young man who has to get under control. He’s one of the guys that we have that will put his head down and guys that put their heads down will have concussions from time to time.
So that’s the thing that we’re striving to do. That’s why we’re taking our time to do it, so that they understand.
[CUT]
-Q: Because you had so many injuries early in camp last year—not all attributed directly to that drill—but are those the adjustments you’ve made to the Nutcracker this year? To be more aware of technique?
-SINGLETARY: All we did was add on to it. I mean, we’re still doing the same thing that we did last year.
And the other thing that I want you to understand is if a guy gets hurt in the Nutcracker drill, the Nutcracker drill is… if we’re going 9 on 7, or if we’re going team, if you take that one guy and just put him over here and have him go against that guy, that’s all our Nutcracker is.
We don’t have any drills where guys just bang each other until the other one drops. We don’t have that.
When you say Nutcracker, when you say Oklahoma, people start talking, ‘oh man, they’re just going to beat each other to death.’ No, it’s not that.
What we’re trying to be is a fundamentally sound, technically sound team. Because that team is the team that’s going to win those tight games, those close games.
-Q: What happened to David Baas?
-SINGLETARY: Baas, from the early reports, I think he has a light concussion. A mild concussion. But I’ll find more out about that.
-Q: Can you talk about Alex Smith’s comfort zone right now?
-SINGLETARY: Well, I’m hoping he gets more comfortable as we go. I just think as we’re out here we just have to continue to allow him the snaps that he needs to continue to get better. But he has the control of the offense. It’s just a matter of taking time to really see the whole defense and maybe not sometimes just look at the safety.
-Q: Looked like your first team offense was struggling against the first team defense. Was that what you saw?
-SINGLETARY: I think right now if you were to go across the NFL, you would find that most defenses are going to dominate the offenses. Simply because on the defensive side of the ball there’s not as much detail that you have to understand.
On offense, that guard has to communicate every little thing he’s doing with that center. And that center has to communicate across the board. The quarterback. Everybody has to be on the same page on offense.
Normally the offense is going to be a little slower coming.
Defense, you get over there, you say hey, I want you to go get the guy. Let’s go. That’s a different deal.
-Q: Were you displeased with the offense today?
-SINGLETARY: Umm, at times. But at times I was displeased with our defense as well.
Right now the thing I want our guys to understand is this is a work in progress. We have to build each day, each practice that we come out here…
-Q: What are you impressions of Iupati and Anthony Davis?
-SINGLETARY: I think both of them, like most rookies, are just trying to learn the system. They’re just thinking about too many things. It’s tough to focus on technique and fundamentals when you’re thinking about, ‘where do I go on this play?’
Everybody else is moving really fast, and for you, the game is not that fast. I think for them, it’s just a matter of getting the repetitions like we’re doing right now. We’re working them in on the first team. We’re working them in on the second team. They’re just going to get as many reps as they possibly can.
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/kawaka...akami-merc+(Talking+Points+with+Tim+Kawakami)
* Mike Singletary partial transcript included at bottom./
All in all, a fairly typical first full-hitting training camp practice fot the 49ers this morniing… other than it being quite long–almost three hours, even subtracting the warm-up and cool-down periods.
That’s a long practice. With another to go this evening.
-The defense swarmed the offense, especially in an early 11-on-11 blitz drill, when the offense could barely breathe, let alone move the ball downfield.
Alex Smith suggested*some offensive players*might’ve had their timing or focus*a little thrown off by the “Nutcracker” drill early in the session, an immediate immersion into full-contact, but said it’s up to the players to get past that.
(Of course, QBs do not participate in the ‘Cracker.)
-Starting LG David Baas suffered what Mike Singletary termed a “light
concussion” about mid-way through, which gave No. 1 pick Mike Iupati plenty of time with the first team OL.
-And oh yes, there was very famous “Nutcracker” drill very early on.
It was pared back just a bit from last year (shorter, quicker impact, no WRs, RBs or DBs) but still featuring the spotlight man vs. man thud that is the signature of*a Singletary Camp.
By the way, it does not appear that Baas’ sustained his injury in the ‘cracker–he went down in a pile during another drill, and stayed out.
In the drill, Iupati and other guards were matched against inside linebackers, and I surely would not have wanted to be Scott McKillop or Matt Wilhelm, who had to line up against Big No. 77.
Both are listed around 244 pounds–almost 90 pounds less than Iupati’s listed weight.
And Iupati isn’t just some load. He can move, he can drive, and he absolutely wiped those guys out a couple of times.
Iupati also looked very natural in the team drills, with no noticeable drop-off (and maybe an elevation) when he stepped in with the “1s” after Baas’ injury.
All I saw was the guy in the 77 jersey moving wherever he wanted to go, and running backs having plenty of space when they went in the same direction.
Anthony Davis, the OT taken ahead of Iupati, didn’t look as dominant or as smooth.
Which is understandable because he’s only 20, because, as a tackle, he lined up against DEs in the ‘Cracker, not LBs, and because I suspect Iupati is a natural and Davis is not.
-One other notable hit: Fullback Brit Miller blasting LB Parys Haralson so thoroughly that the whole team went ooooh.
Then DE Justin Smith looked at the media scrum nearby, laughed, and yelled “Don’t write that!” Laughing the whole time.
-Singletary and offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye took turns stopping the first-team offense and ordering them back into the huddle when they felt things weren’t running crisply.
“Are we getting tired? Somebody’s gotta raise the tempo!” Singletary bellowed at one point.
Yep, a regular 49ers training camp full-contact opener.
—–SINGLETARY, post-practice presser (some questions and answers edited for length and clarity)/
-Intro: Pretty decent practice this morning. Not great. Gotta continue to work on our fundamentals. Gotta continue to work on our technique, get our guys to understand exactly how we want to tackle, making sure our heads are up at all times, our feet are in the right place and our eyes are in the right place.
The Nutcracker drill, we will continue to work on that. We will continue to do different things with it. But I want our guys to understand the whole leverage point of football.
And once again, it’s about keeping your face up. You cannot play this game with your head down. A lot of times when you do that, that’s where the accidents happen, when your head is down.
When you’re going through a lot of our drills that we’re doing right now, it makes you hold your head up. So that’s the thing that’s we’re going to strive to do in these next few days.
-Q: Who stood out to you in the Nutcracker?
-SINGLETARY: There were a few guys. I’ve got to go back and look at the film.
[CUT]
-Q: You’re going to have different versions of the drill. What was the focus on today?
-SINGLETARY: Today was just being fundamentally sound. It is as simple as that. We’ve got a quick whistle. You make contact. Eyes up, butt down, back flat. Making sure your feet are shoulder-width apart.
So it’s a basic one-on-one, in terms of how to come off the ball and how to attack an offensive lineman or a tight end.
-Q: What are the other variations?
-SINGLETARY: The others will be… there will be some versions of it where there’s movement. Because a lot of times you look at a guy and he may be great going straight ahead. But once that line starts moving and they find a weakness there, they can go right or they can go left, it creates for our offensive line if we don’t work on it.
You play a 3-4 and you know that nose guard is going to be sitting there. Those ends are going to be sitting there. It makes a difference when you’re playing a 4-3 team, because that frontline is normally smaller and quicker. So now it’s a different game. You may beat the snot out of the noseguard one week and then the next week you’ve got to play against a smaller, quicker, more agile line and it’s going to look like you’re not very good.
If you don’t work on it, it’s not going to happen. It’s just every little thing we can do, some things that we had some issues with from time to time last year…
-Q: Khalif Mitchell seemed to do well in the drill. What is he showing you?
-SINGLETARY: He’s showing me he’s a very gifted young man who has to get under control. He’s one of the guys that we have that will put his head down and guys that put their heads down will have concussions from time to time.
So that’s the thing that we’re striving to do. That’s why we’re taking our time to do it, so that they understand.
[CUT]
-Q: Because you had so many injuries early in camp last year—not all attributed directly to that drill—but are those the adjustments you’ve made to the Nutcracker this year? To be more aware of technique?
-SINGLETARY: All we did was add on to it. I mean, we’re still doing the same thing that we did last year.
And the other thing that I want you to understand is if a guy gets hurt in the Nutcracker drill, the Nutcracker drill is… if we’re going 9 on 7, or if we’re going team, if you take that one guy and just put him over here and have him go against that guy, that’s all our Nutcracker is.
We don’t have any drills where guys just bang each other until the other one drops. We don’t have that.
When you say Nutcracker, when you say Oklahoma, people start talking, ‘oh man, they’re just going to beat each other to death.’ No, it’s not that.
What we’re trying to be is a fundamentally sound, technically sound team. Because that team is the team that’s going to win those tight games, those close games.
-Q: What happened to David Baas?
-SINGLETARY: Baas, from the early reports, I think he has a light concussion. A mild concussion. But I’ll find more out about that.
-Q: Can you talk about Alex Smith’s comfort zone right now?
-SINGLETARY: Well, I’m hoping he gets more comfortable as we go. I just think as we’re out here we just have to continue to allow him the snaps that he needs to continue to get better. But he has the control of the offense. It’s just a matter of taking time to really see the whole defense and maybe not sometimes just look at the safety.
-Q: Looked like your first team offense was struggling against the first team defense. Was that what you saw?
-SINGLETARY: I think right now if you were to go across the NFL, you would find that most defenses are going to dominate the offenses. Simply because on the defensive side of the ball there’s not as much detail that you have to understand.
On offense, that guard has to communicate every little thing he’s doing with that center. And that center has to communicate across the board. The quarterback. Everybody has to be on the same page on offense.
Normally the offense is going to be a little slower coming.
Defense, you get over there, you say hey, I want you to go get the guy. Let’s go. That’s a different deal.
-Q: Were you displeased with the offense today?
-SINGLETARY: Umm, at times. But at times I was displeased with our defense as well.
Right now the thing I want our guys to understand is this is a work in progress. We have to build each day, each practice that we come out here…
-Q: What are you impressions of Iupati and Anthony Davis?
-SINGLETARY: I think both of them, like most rookies, are just trying to learn the system. They’re just thinking about too many things. It’s tough to focus on technique and fundamentals when you’re thinking about, ‘where do I go on this play?’
Everybody else is moving really fast, and for you, the game is not that fast. I think for them, it’s just a matter of getting the repetitions like we’re doing right now. We’re working them in on the first team. We’re working them in on the second team. They’re just going to get as many reps as they possibly can.
49ers' Rachal Collapses from Dehydration
http://www.csnbayarea.com/08/03/10/...ehydration/landing&blockID=283081&feedID=5936
SANTA CLARA -- Guard Chilo Rachal was diagnosed with dehydration after he collapsed on the 49ers practice field during practice Tuesday afternoon.
Rachal, a 6-foot-5, 323-pounder, had just taken part in a routine pass-rush drill one hour into practice. Shortly after offensive line coach Mike Solari complimented Rachal on his technique, Rachal's body went limp and he fell to the ground.
He remained motionless for about seven minutes, but coach Mike Singletary said Rachal did not lose consciousness.
"From the time I got over there, he was talking to Fergie (head athletic trainer Jeff Ferguson) right away," Singletary said.
Rachal, 24, a third-year professional, was taken back to the locker room in a cart. He received intravenous fluids, Singletary said.
"We're just going to continue to take it a step at a time, continue to talk with our trainers, our doctors and make sure everybody is where they need to be," Singletary said.
Left guard David Baas missed his first full day of practice Tuesday after sustaining a concussion Monday in a one-on-one pass-rush drill. The 49ers are following standard concussion testing, a club official said.
"Whatever that timetable is, we'll probably add another couple days to it," Singletary said.
http://www.csnbayarea.com/08/03/10/...ehydration/landing&blockID=283081&feedID=5936
SANTA CLARA -- Guard Chilo Rachal was diagnosed with dehydration after he collapsed on the 49ers practice field during practice Tuesday afternoon.
Rachal, a 6-foot-5, 323-pounder, had just taken part in a routine pass-rush drill one hour into practice. Shortly after offensive line coach Mike Solari complimented Rachal on his technique, Rachal's body went limp and he fell to the ground.
He remained motionless for about seven minutes, but coach Mike Singletary said Rachal did not lose consciousness.
"From the time I got over there, he was talking to Fergie (head athletic trainer Jeff Ferguson) right away," Singletary said.
Rachal, 24, a third-year professional, was taken back to the locker room in a cart. He received intravenous fluids, Singletary said.
"We're just going to continue to take it a step at a time, continue to talk with our trainers, our doctors and make sure everybody is where they need to be," Singletary said.
Left guard David Baas missed his first full day of practice Tuesday after sustaining a concussion Monday in a one-on-one pass-rush drill. The 49ers are following standard concussion testing, a club official said.
"Whatever that timetable is, we'll probably add another couple days to it," Singletary said.
Singletary's Notebook: Aug. 4
http://www.49ers.com/news-and-event...ok-Aug-4/6fa0d03b-2830-4039-b4c2-3b7ce2a50756
Opening Statement:
“Good practice today. The word I used after practice was competition. We competed offensively, defensively and on special teams. I think that we’re getting the pace that we need in order to build on. I like our offense right now. I really like that as I look at our offense, I’m seeing continuity. I’m seeing strings of plays being put together. I’m seeing the ball being spread around, I’m seeing the offensive line do a better job of knowing their assignments and being able to execute those assignments. Even the side of the ball on the back end, the communication is good, and that’s something that we really have to continue to do well, but overall I think good things are happening and we just have to continue to build on them each and every day.”
On C Eric Heitmann:
“Eric got a stinger early on, so we just – he could have practiced, but we just wanted to take him out and let somebody else work in the center position.”
On T/G Adam Snyder’s versatility:
“Not only does it help Snyder, it helps us. The fact is that he is a guy that can play up and down the offensive line, including at center. It gives us a lot of flexibility to be able to do some things that we’d like to be able to do. He helps himself and he also helps us. He does a good job, he’s got a good mind and he’s also able to jump into tackle and do a good job and communicate as a tackle. He’s able to play guard and do the same thing there. That’s extremely valuable when you have that.”
On how unusual it is to have a guy that can do both (tackle or guard):
“It’s a great point, because Adam (Snyder) is – he is an unusual guy. He’s a very cerebral type guy, but at the same time he can get physical and he’s a good athlete. You don’t find that too often in one guy, so I’m thankful that we have him. It’s a good situation to have.”
On G Mike Iupati and his progress in camp:
“He’s a guy that came to OTA’s, mini-camp and now training camp with the same mentality; he’s hungry. He wants to play, he wants to take advantage of every opportunity that he gets. He’s not complaining about anything, he’s not making any excuses about anything. That’s just a good thing to see. I think he’s very mature, so that’s – I’m liking what I’m seeing there.”
On what Defensive Coordinator Greg Manusky and Offensive Coordinator Jimmy Raye were frustrated about in practice:
“Well it’s basically the younger guys. Greg, Jimmy, they are going to have their frustrations when you have the younger guys in there and everybody knows it’s the same thing. You have a young group in there and they think they really know what they need to do, until things start moving around. If your offense comes out and they line up, all the young guys immediately think they know what that is. Once a guy goes in motion, it changes the whole call and it changes the whole nature of the defense. They have to be able to make those calls like that. What happens is that they aren’t able to transfer that knowledge that fast, and of course, most coaches are not very patient, particularly our two guys and particularly Greg.”
On CB Phillip Adams’ potential:
“He’s another guy that is really hungry and focused. He asks a lot of the right questions, spends a lot of time watching film and spends time with our coaches. He just continues to work at it. He knows what it’s all about and he’s another one of those mature kids that understands his situation and knows that when you’re a seventh round pick, you really have to work your tail off. It’s not like a first, second or third round pick. It’s a bit different. He understands that and he’s working his tail off making an impression.”
On his expectations of RB Anthony Dixon:
“I think across the board, when you look at a guy like Anthony Dixon or any of these young guys, it’s important to me that they are not only good football players, but that they continue to mature as a football player. When you’re a young guy and you come out of college, you come in on a little bit of a sorry note with the DUI that he had, and so when he came in, it’s just important that we grab those guys aside and we tell them, ‘look, we want you to compete; we want you to be the best that you can be. Help yourself by doing some of the right things off the field so that we can continue to grow. And if we can focus less on what’s happening outside of the football field, then we can help you be better as a football player.’ Anthony, I think, has a lot of ability. So he’s just going to have to continue to work at it and he knows that I’m challenging him to really compete with (RB) Glen Coffee, and every opportunity that he gets, you’ve got to compete to be that number two guy.”
On how RB Anthony Dixon and RB Glen Coffee are different in terms of their ability:
“Well first of all, the noticeable difference is in their size. Coffee is more of a 210, 215. Dixon is more of a 240 guy. Speed is about the same. In terms of toughness, they are both tough guys. So it’s just a matter of them really learning. When they look at our offense - Jimmy Raye has done a great job of really looking at our personnel and trying to make sure that he designed certain plays for those guys. With Glen, Glen is a tough guy and you like to be able to run him in between the tackles, but you have to watch that sometimes because he’s not as big a guy. Glen just has to work at continuing to raise his head up so that he can see and make cuts. On the other hand, Dixon is a bigger guy that sometimes runs like a smaller back. He’s got really good feet and he’s got good vision. So it’s just a matter of when we take a step back and Jimmy Raye looks at them, it’s adding that next piece to the offense and what packages do we want to run and which packages do they fit in.”
On whether he was satisfied with their short-yardage situation last season:
“No, no.”
On whether Dixon is a potential solution to the short yardage situation from last season:
“To me, those situations last year, the running back did not dictate that, our offensive line did. We were not good enough up front and it’s as simple as that.”
On if there is room in the scheme for all three running backs to have a role on game day:
“I think there’s room for three guys. I think Jimmy (Raye) will be creative enough to do those things, but that third guy is going to play more special teams; he’s going to be more of a special teams-focused guy. And with the second guy, it will be a little different. Of course, Frank, it depends on how we’re able to talk him out of not wanting to carry the ball every down and that will be hard to do.”
On the decision on the number two running back and if they want a change of pace guy or someone like Frank Gore:
“I think it’s good to have a change of pace guy. That’s the thing that creates different things for defenses. You want on the offensive side to have flexibility and at the same time if you have a running back that can do one thing really well, you bring in the next guy and he does the same thing, then the defense doesn’t really have to think any differently. It’s just kind of like having one quarterback that can really throw the ball deep and you want to put your deep guys in there. Your best cover guy. You’ve got a quarterback that maybe can’t throw as well, you’re going to load the box. It creates that kind of difference.”
On QB David Carr and what his role will be as a potential mentor to QB Alex Smith:
“I think the biggest thing is just the similarities in them both being the first pick, both having a tough time really getting their career started. From that standpoint I think there is a lot of common issues that they can talk about. In terms of the other, I just think that David Carr is a quiet, confident guy that’s continuing to grow in our system, and I’m sure that Alex can talk to him about some of the bumps along the way that are still in front of him. I think it’s good that they have each other and they just continue to work together. I think they have a good relationship.”
On assessing the last few days of training camp:
“I would say that we have had some practices that we can build on. Really to me, that is the most important thing, if each time we come out here we can get just get a little bit better, and not have the highs and lows - come out and be great one day and the energy is great and then the next day we’re flat and then the next day- I don’t want us to do that and our team doesn’t want to do that either. I think if we can continue to just get better, each day, from the very first day until the 30th day, then we’re going to be pretty good.”
On Assistant Offensive Line Coach Ray Brown:
“I think he’s a fantastic coach. Number one, he and (Offensive Line Coach) Mike Solari really complement each other very well. Mike has been coaching a long time and coached here with (Bobb) McKittrick and really learned some things there about the offensive line, and McKittrick was a tremendous offensive line coach. So when you look at Mike Solari, with a wealth of knowledge, he has a tremendous demand for excellence. So you get a guy like Ray Brown who has a tremendous history of playing in the game for about 20 years. So you get a guy with those kind of credentials that’s been there, and started as a guy that didn’t play very much all the way to a guy that’s gone to the Pro Bowl, so he can take a guy and talk about every step of the way. When you weren’t playing; when you weren’t dressing; when you went All-Pro; what it took to get there. So if you have that guy, it’s sort of like having your own dictionary as to how to get there. Whether you’re a free agent, whether you’re a first round draft choice, you can talk from A to Z and when you have that kind of information and you’re willing to share it, it makes a tremendous difference.”
On updates on T/G Chilo Rachal and G David Baas:
“David Baas is just going to continue to be a day-to-day thing. We are not going to rush it. Chilo, same thing, day-to-day. We just have to continue to talk to our players about hydrating. So, that’s really what that’s all about.”
On what it was like to play against Hall of Famer Jerry Rice:
“What was it like to play against Jerry? It was a headache. I would think that’s the best way to try to describe it. He was just the guy that you knew what you were going to get. He was consistent from the start of his career until the very end; a perfectionist. You knew that if he was going to run a route, he wasn’t a blazer, but extremely consistent and extremely detailed in his routes. When you find a guy that’s as dedicated as he was, and that’s just really tough to handle.”
On if he ever got a hit on Rice:
“Very rarely.”
On if CB Nate Clements will be the starting corner:
“Nate, our corners – I don’t even want to talk about him losing it. They are there, they have the experience, and they just have to continue to get better. Anybody that’s starting, it’s their job to lose.”
On why Barry Sims did not practice:
“Sims is a veteran courtesy (given the day off to rest).”
http://www.49ers.com/news-and-event...ok-Aug-4/6fa0d03b-2830-4039-b4c2-3b7ce2a50756
Opening Statement:
“Good practice today. The word I used after practice was competition. We competed offensively, defensively and on special teams. I think that we’re getting the pace that we need in order to build on. I like our offense right now. I really like that as I look at our offense, I’m seeing continuity. I’m seeing strings of plays being put together. I’m seeing the ball being spread around, I’m seeing the offensive line do a better job of knowing their assignments and being able to execute those assignments. Even the side of the ball on the back end, the communication is good, and that’s something that we really have to continue to do well, but overall I think good things are happening and we just have to continue to build on them each and every day.”
On C Eric Heitmann:
“Eric got a stinger early on, so we just – he could have practiced, but we just wanted to take him out and let somebody else work in the center position.”
On T/G Adam Snyder’s versatility:
“Not only does it help Snyder, it helps us. The fact is that he is a guy that can play up and down the offensive line, including at center. It gives us a lot of flexibility to be able to do some things that we’d like to be able to do. He helps himself and he also helps us. He does a good job, he’s got a good mind and he’s also able to jump into tackle and do a good job and communicate as a tackle. He’s able to play guard and do the same thing there. That’s extremely valuable when you have that.”
On how unusual it is to have a guy that can do both (tackle or guard):
“It’s a great point, because Adam (Snyder) is – he is an unusual guy. He’s a very cerebral type guy, but at the same time he can get physical and he’s a good athlete. You don’t find that too often in one guy, so I’m thankful that we have him. It’s a good situation to have.”
On G Mike Iupati and his progress in camp:
“He’s a guy that came to OTA’s, mini-camp and now training camp with the same mentality; he’s hungry. He wants to play, he wants to take advantage of every opportunity that he gets. He’s not complaining about anything, he’s not making any excuses about anything. That’s just a good thing to see. I think he’s very mature, so that’s – I’m liking what I’m seeing there.”
On what Defensive Coordinator Greg Manusky and Offensive Coordinator Jimmy Raye were frustrated about in practice:
“Well it’s basically the younger guys. Greg, Jimmy, they are going to have their frustrations when you have the younger guys in there and everybody knows it’s the same thing. You have a young group in there and they think they really know what they need to do, until things start moving around. If your offense comes out and they line up, all the young guys immediately think they know what that is. Once a guy goes in motion, it changes the whole call and it changes the whole nature of the defense. They have to be able to make those calls like that. What happens is that they aren’t able to transfer that knowledge that fast, and of course, most coaches are not very patient, particularly our two guys and particularly Greg.”
On CB Phillip Adams’ potential:
“He’s another guy that is really hungry and focused. He asks a lot of the right questions, spends a lot of time watching film and spends time with our coaches. He just continues to work at it. He knows what it’s all about and he’s another one of those mature kids that understands his situation and knows that when you’re a seventh round pick, you really have to work your tail off. It’s not like a first, second or third round pick. It’s a bit different. He understands that and he’s working his tail off making an impression.”
On his expectations of RB Anthony Dixon:
“I think across the board, when you look at a guy like Anthony Dixon or any of these young guys, it’s important to me that they are not only good football players, but that they continue to mature as a football player. When you’re a young guy and you come out of college, you come in on a little bit of a sorry note with the DUI that he had, and so when he came in, it’s just important that we grab those guys aside and we tell them, ‘look, we want you to compete; we want you to be the best that you can be. Help yourself by doing some of the right things off the field so that we can continue to grow. And if we can focus less on what’s happening outside of the football field, then we can help you be better as a football player.’ Anthony, I think, has a lot of ability. So he’s just going to have to continue to work at it and he knows that I’m challenging him to really compete with (RB) Glen Coffee, and every opportunity that he gets, you’ve got to compete to be that number two guy.”
On how RB Anthony Dixon and RB Glen Coffee are different in terms of their ability:
“Well first of all, the noticeable difference is in their size. Coffee is more of a 210, 215. Dixon is more of a 240 guy. Speed is about the same. In terms of toughness, they are both tough guys. So it’s just a matter of them really learning. When they look at our offense - Jimmy Raye has done a great job of really looking at our personnel and trying to make sure that he designed certain plays for those guys. With Glen, Glen is a tough guy and you like to be able to run him in between the tackles, but you have to watch that sometimes because he’s not as big a guy. Glen just has to work at continuing to raise his head up so that he can see and make cuts. On the other hand, Dixon is a bigger guy that sometimes runs like a smaller back. He’s got really good feet and he’s got good vision. So it’s just a matter of when we take a step back and Jimmy Raye looks at them, it’s adding that next piece to the offense and what packages do we want to run and which packages do they fit in.”
On whether he was satisfied with their short-yardage situation last season:
“No, no.”
On whether Dixon is a potential solution to the short yardage situation from last season:
“To me, those situations last year, the running back did not dictate that, our offensive line did. We were not good enough up front and it’s as simple as that.”
On if there is room in the scheme for all three running backs to have a role on game day:
“I think there’s room for three guys. I think Jimmy (Raye) will be creative enough to do those things, but that third guy is going to play more special teams; he’s going to be more of a special teams-focused guy. And with the second guy, it will be a little different. Of course, Frank, it depends on how we’re able to talk him out of not wanting to carry the ball every down and that will be hard to do.”
On the decision on the number two running back and if they want a change of pace guy or someone like Frank Gore:
“I think it’s good to have a change of pace guy. That’s the thing that creates different things for defenses. You want on the offensive side to have flexibility and at the same time if you have a running back that can do one thing really well, you bring in the next guy and he does the same thing, then the defense doesn’t really have to think any differently. It’s just kind of like having one quarterback that can really throw the ball deep and you want to put your deep guys in there. Your best cover guy. You’ve got a quarterback that maybe can’t throw as well, you’re going to load the box. It creates that kind of difference.”
On QB David Carr and what his role will be as a potential mentor to QB Alex Smith:
“I think the biggest thing is just the similarities in them both being the first pick, both having a tough time really getting their career started. From that standpoint I think there is a lot of common issues that they can talk about. In terms of the other, I just think that David Carr is a quiet, confident guy that’s continuing to grow in our system, and I’m sure that Alex can talk to him about some of the bumps along the way that are still in front of him. I think it’s good that they have each other and they just continue to work together. I think they have a good relationship.”
On assessing the last few days of training camp:
“I would say that we have had some practices that we can build on. Really to me, that is the most important thing, if each time we come out here we can get just get a little bit better, and not have the highs and lows - come out and be great one day and the energy is great and then the next day we’re flat and then the next day- I don’t want us to do that and our team doesn’t want to do that either. I think if we can continue to just get better, each day, from the very first day until the 30th day, then we’re going to be pretty good.”
On Assistant Offensive Line Coach Ray Brown:
“I think he’s a fantastic coach. Number one, he and (Offensive Line Coach) Mike Solari really complement each other very well. Mike has been coaching a long time and coached here with (Bobb) McKittrick and really learned some things there about the offensive line, and McKittrick was a tremendous offensive line coach. So when you look at Mike Solari, with a wealth of knowledge, he has a tremendous demand for excellence. So you get a guy like Ray Brown who has a tremendous history of playing in the game for about 20 years. So you get a guy with those kind of credentials that’s been there, and started as a guy that didn’t play very much all the way to a guy that’s gone to the Pro Bowl, so he can take a guy and talk about every step of the way. When you weren’t playing; when you weren’t dressing; when you went All-Pro; what it took to get there. So if you have that guy, it’s sort of like having your own dictionary as to how to get there. Whether you’re a free agent, whether you’re a first round draft choice, you can talk from A to Z and when you have that kind of information and you’re willing to share it, it makes a tremendous difference.”
On updates on T/G Chilo Rachal and G David Baas:
“David Baas is just going to continue to be a day-to-day thing. We are not going to rush it. Chilo, same thing, day-to-day. We just have to continue to talk to our players about hydrating. So, that’s really what that’s all about.”
On what it was like to play against Hall of Famer Jerry Rice:
“What was it like to play against Jerry? It was a headache. I would think that’s the best way to try to describe it. He was just the guy that you knew what you were going to get. He was consistent from the start of his career until the very end; a perfectionist. You knew that if he was going to run a route, he wasn’t a blazer, but extremely consistent and extremely detailed in his routes. When you find a guy that’s as dedicated as he was, and that’s just really tough to handle.”
On if he ever got a hit on Rice:
“Very rarely.”
On if CB Nate Clements will be the starting corner:
“Nate, our corners – I don’t even want to talk about him losing it. They are there, they have the experience, and they just have to continue to get better. Anybody that’s starting, it’s their job to lose.”
On why Barry Sims did not practice:
“Sims is a veteran courtesy (given the day off to rest).”
49ers Camp Report: Practice 6
http://www.csnbayarea.com/08/04/10/...Practice-6/landing&blockID=283713&feedID=5936
Wednesday, Aug. 4
Morning (practice No. 6)
Summary: One of the better sessions for the offense. Alex Smith looked particularly sharp. Singletary was pleased with the offense in particular as well mentioning in his post practice comments the improvement he's seeing on the offensive line in regards to players knowing their assignments and being able to execute them and continuity in the offense as a whole.
Plays of the day: Quarterback Alex Smith could not have thrown the deep ball better when he put four consecutive passes on the money during a passing drill. On consecutive go-routes against man coverage, Smith hit Brandon Jones, Michael Crabtree, Josh Morgan and Ted Ginn with perfect passes approximately 40 yards down field. Crabtree, however, dropped his pass.
Injury report: Guards Chilo Rachal (dehydration) and David Baas, and tight end Nate Byham (ankle) were held out of practice. Center Eric Heitmann suffered a stinger early in practice, but remained in pads the rest of the session and watched from the sideline.
Taking it easy: Tackle Barry Sims and cornerback Will James were held out as a so-called veteran courtesy.
Eye on reps: With Rachal out of action, right tackle Adam Snyder moved to right guard with the first-team offense. This allowed the 49ers to move rookie Anthony Davis to see his first extended action at right tackle with the first unit.
Coaching moment: Rookie guard Mike Iupati, who has been working with the first team with Baas out, got plenty of instruction during the individual sessions. Assistant line coach Ray Brown worked with Iupati on his technique. Veteran teammate Tony Wragge advised Iupati against getting his hands too high or too low on the defender. Later, line coach Mike Solari instructed Iupati to get lower to play with better leverage.
Notable: In 11-on-11 drills, the first team defense jumped offsides twice as a result of quarterback Alex Smith's cadence.
Quotable: Head coach Mike Singletary on the defensive coaches' frustration with the younger players as they struggled with the defensive schemes. "Most coaches are not that patient, particularly our two guys, particularly Greg."
On the sideline: Seven-time Emmy-Award winning writer-producer Peter Casey, a San Francisco native and diehard 49ers fan, made his annual camp visit. Casey, the co-creator Frasier, watched the morning practice with his brother, Mike, and fellow TV writer David Isaacs, whose lists of credits include episodes of M*A*S*H*, Cheers, Frasier and The Simpsons.
http://www.csnbayarea.com/08/04/10/...Practice-6/landing&blockID=283713&feedID=5936
Wednesday, Aug. 4
Morning (practice No. 6)
Summary: One of the better sessions for the offense. Alex Smith looked particularly sharp. Singletary was pleased with the offense in particular as well mentioning in his post practice comments the improvement he's seeing on the offensive line in regards to players knowing their assignments and being able to execute them and continuity in the offense as a whole.
Plays of the day: Quarterback Alex Smith could not have thrown the deep ball better when he put four consecutive passes on the money during a passing drill. On consecutive go-routes against man coverage, Smith hit Brandon Jones, Michael Crabtree, Josh Morgan and Ted Ginn with perfect passes approximately 40 yards down field. Crabtree, however, dropped his pass.
Injury report: Guards Chilo Rachal (dehydration) and David Baas, and tight end Nate Byham (ankle) were held out of practice. Center Eric Heitmann suffered a stinger early in practice, but remained in pads the rest of the session and watched from the sideline.
Taking it easy: Tackle Barry Sims and cornerback Will James were held out as a so-called veteran courtesy.
Eye on reps: With Rachal out of action, right tackle Adam Snyder moved to right guard with the first-team offense. This allowed the 49ers to move rookie Anthony Davis to see his first extended action at right tackle with the first unit.
Coaching moment: Rookie guard Mike Iupati, who has been working with the first team with Baas out, got plenty of instruction during the individual sessions. Assistant line coach Ray Brown worked with Iupati on his technique. Veteran teammate Tony Wragge advised Iupati against getting his hands too high or too low on the defender. Later, line coach Mike Solari instructed Iupati to get lower to play with better leverage.
Notable: In 11-on-11 drills, the first team defense jumped offsides twice as a result of quarterback Alex Smith's cadence.
Quotable: Head coach Mike Singletary on the defensive coaches' frustration with the younger players as they struggled with the defensive schemes. "Most coaches are not that patient, particularly our two guys, particularly Greg."
On the sideline: Seven-time Emmy-Award winning writer-producer Peter Casey, a San Francisco native and diehard 49ers fan, made his annual camp visit. Casey, the co-creator Frasier, watched the morning practice with his brother, Mike, and fellow TV writer David Isaacs, whose lists of credits include episodes of M*A*S*H*, Cheers, Frasier and The Simpsons.
McKillop carted off; Niners hit the road
http://blogs.sacbee.com/49ers/archives/2010/08/mckillop-carted.html
For the second straight afternoon, a 49er had to be carted off the field into the training room. This time it was inside linebacker Scott McKillop who leaped high for a pass to Josh Morgan in 7-on-7 drills and came down awkwardly on his leg. He immediately flipped onto his stomach and started punching the ground. Trainers put a sleeve on McKillop's left leg before taking him away. He was later diagnosed with a knee sprain and will be evaluated further.
Because Takeo Spikes already had been given the practice off, Matt Wilhelm filled in in the first-team defense. Several 49ers missed the afternoon session. The injured were Delanie Walker (concussion), guard Chris Patrick (shoulder sprain), David Baas (concussion) and Chilo Rachal (dehydration). Spikes, Nate Clements, Justin Smith, Michael Lewis and Travis LaBoy were given the afternoon off. Tarell Brown and Reggie Smith filled in for Clements and Lewis respectively. Rachal was carted away yesterday after collapsing from dehydration.
******************
The 49ers will take practice on the road tomorrow. The team made a last-minute decision to hold a practice at Cal-State Monterey's Otter Soccer Complex. It starts at 9:15 a.m. The 49ers will not be visiting Napa this summer to scrimmage the Raiders because they play the Raiders twice (one in the preseason and again Oct. 17). So this is their one chance to escape Santa Clara.
*****************
Quarterback Nate Davis is concretely the team's No. 3 quarterback right now. It seems that Davis' throws have been routinely high, and receivers have had to make leaping catches to snag them. Today, Davis threw an awkward pass that wobbled and was picked off by Ahmad Brooks. Davis, however, rebounded on the next play. Rolling to his right, he uncorked a deep pass to Brandon Jones, which Jones hauled in despite obvious pass interference from safety Chris Maragos. (The ball *may* have hit the ground). It was Davis' best throw of camp so far. Meanwhile, Jones is looking a lot like he did last year -- in a word, good -- before he broke his shoulder.
*****************
Earlier today, someone asked me what the difference was between the nutcracker drill and the one-on-one blocking drill, both of which the 49ers do every day. The nutcracker is more of a sumo-like situation where two players clash and try to push each other back. In the one-on-one, the defensive player is trying to get away from an offensive lineman to get the quarterback (or at least a staffer posing as the quarterback). With that in mind, I paid close attention to this morning's one-on-one blocking. Here were the matchups:
1. NT Ricky Jean Francois vs. C Tony Wragge. The two battled to a draw on the first one, but RJF shoved the center backward a few feet on the second. Verdict: RJF
2. DE Justin Smith vs. G Mike Iupati. There was only one battle. Verdict: Draw
3. LB Manny Lawson vs. OT Joe Staley. On the first, Lawson tried an inside move that Staley stonewalled. On the second, Staley did a good job of riding Lawson around the outside. Verdict: Staley
4. LB Diyral Briggs vs. OT Matt Kopa. Kopa rode Briggs out of the play the first time. In the second, Briggs was too quick around the outside. Verdict: Draw.
5. DE Khalif Mitchell vs. G Chris Patrick. Mitchell shoved him back a few feet. Verdict: Mitchell
6. NT Jean Francois vs. center Cody Wallace. RJF blasts the center backward on snap one. On snap two, he beats Wallace to Wallace's left. Verdict: RJF
7. DE Kentwan Balmer vs. Brian de la Puente. The two tangle for a moment but BdlP puts Balmer on his backside. Verdict: de la Puente
8. DE Mitchell vs. de la Pueunte. Mitchell scoots him back a few feet. Verdict: Mitchell.
9. OT Alex Boone vs. OLB Ahmad Brooks. This was the marquee event. On the first snap, Boone rode Brooks out of the play. "I can tell you that was one of your better ones," a happy Mike Solari told Boone after. On snap two, however, Brooks started outside but then tore inside with an impressive move that would have crushed the quarterback. Somebody yelled for a tiebreaker, so the two lined up for a rare third battle. That one, sadly, turned out to be a stalemate. Verdict: Draw.
http://blogs.sacbee.com/49ers/archives/2010/08/mckillop-carted.html
For the second straight afternoon, a 49er had to be carted off the field into the training room. This time it was inside linebacker Scott McKillop who leaped high for a pass to Josh Morgan in 7-on-7 drills and came down awkwardly on his leg. He immediately flipped onto his stomach and started punching the ground. Trainers put a sleeve on McKillop's left leg before taking him away. He was later diagnosed with a knee sprain and will be evaluated further.
Because Takeo Spikes already had been given the practice off, Matt Wilhelm filled in in the first-team defense. Several 49ers missed the afternoon session. The injured were Delanie Walker (concussion), guard Chris Patrick (shoulder sprain), David Baas (concussion) and Chilo Rachal (dehydration). Spikes, Nate Clements, Justin Smith, Michael Lewis and Travis LaBoy were given the afternoon off. Tarell Brown and Reggie Smith filled in for Clements and Lewis respectively. Rachal was carted away yesterday after collapsing from dehydration.
******************
The 49ers will take practice on the road tomorrow. The team made a last-minute decision to hold a practice at Cal-State Monterey's Otter Soccer Complex. It starts at 9:15 a.m. The 49ers will not be visiting Napa this summer to scrimmage the Raiders because they play the Raiders twice (one in the preseason and again Oct. 17). So this is their one chance to escape Santa Clara.
*****************
Quarterback Nate Davis is concretely the team's No. 3 quarterback right now. It seems that Davis' throws have been routinely high, and receivers have had to make leaping catches to snag them. Today, Davis threw an awkward pass that wobbled and was picked off by Ahmad Brooks. Davis, however, rebounded on the next play. Rolling to his right, he uncorked a deep pass to Brandon Jones, which Jones hauled in despite obvious pass interference from safety Chris Maragos. (The ball *may* have hit the ground). It was Davis' best throw of camp so far. Meanwhile, Jones is looking a lot like he did last year -- in a word, good -- before he broke his shoulder.
*****************
Earlier today, someone asked me what the difference was between the nutcracker drill and the one-on-one blocking drill, both of which the 49ers do every day. The nutcracker is more of a sumo-like situation where two players clash and try to push each other back. In the one-on-one, the defensive player is trying to get away from an offensive lineman to get the quarterback (or at least a staffer posing as the quarterback). With that in mind, I paid close attention to this morning's one-on-one blocking. Here were the matchups:
1. NT Ricky Jean Francois vs. C Tony Wragge. The two battled to a draw on the first one, but RJF shoved the center backward a few feet on the second. Verdict: RJF
2. DE Justin Smith vs. G Mike Iupati. There was only one battle. Verdict: Draw
3. LB Manny Lawson vs. OT Joe Staley. On the first, Lawson tried an inside move that Staley stonewalled. On the second, Staley did a good job of riding Lawson around the outside. Verdict: Staley
4. LB Diyral Briggs vs. OT Matt Kopa. Kopa rode Briggs out of the play the first time. In the second, Briggs was too quick around the outside. Verdict: Draw.
5. DE Khalif Mitchell vs. G Chris Patrick. Mitchell shoved him back a few feet. Verdict: Mitchell
6. NT Jean Francois vs. center Cody Wallace. RJF blasts the center backward on snap one. On snap two, he beats Wallace to Wallace's left. Verdict: RJF
7. DE Kentwan Balmer vs. Brian de la Puente. The two tangle for a moment but BdlP puts Balmer on his backside. Verdict: de la Puente
8. DE Mitchell vs. de la Pueunte. Mitchell scoots him back a few feet. Verdict: Mitchell.
9. OT Alex Boone vs. OLB Ahmad Brooks. This was the marquee event. On the first snap, Boone rode Brooks out of the play. "I can tell you that was one of your better ones," a happy Mike Solari told Boone after. On snap two, however, Brooks started outside but then tore inside with an impressive move that would have crushed the quarterback. Somebody yelled for a tiebreaker, so the two lined up for a rare third battle. That one, sadly, turned out to be a stalemate. Verdict: Draw.
49ers' Scott McKillop has knee surgery
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp10/news/story?id=5443203&campaign=rss&source=NFLHeadlines
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- San Francisco 49ers linebacker Scott McKillop has undergone surgery on his left knee to repair a torn patellar tendon and torn anterior cruciate ligament.
McKillop, a backup inside linebacker who was hurt in Wednesday afternoon's practice, underwent surgery Friday morning at nearby Stanford Medical Center.
The 49ers provided no timetable for his return, if he comes back this season at all. He most likely will be placed on the season-ending injured reserve list considering the severity and healing time for the injury. Recovery for both injuries is typically six to nine months.
McKillop, a fifth-round draft pick last year out of Pittsburgh, played all 16 games as a rookie in 2009, primarily on special teams.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp10/news/story?id=5443203&campaign=rss&source=NFLHeadlines
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- San Francisco 49ers linebacker Scott McKillop has undergone surgery on his left knee to repair a torn patellar tendon and torn anterior cruciate ligament.
McKillop, a backup inside linebacker who was hurt in Wednesday afternoon's practice, underwent surgery Friday morning at nearby Stanford Medical Center.
The 49ers provided no timetable for his return, if he comes back this season at all. He most likely will be placed on the season-ending injured reserve list considering the severity and healing time for the injury. Recovery for both injuries is typically six to nine months.
McKillop, a fifth-round draft pick last year out of Pittsburgh, played all 16 games as a rookie in 2009, primarily on special teams.