Niner News Thread
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Gore a Happy Man
http://www.49ers.com/blog49/?p=32
Frank Gore was today’s media darling, speaking 12 minutes to local reporters on the record prior to the 49ers Tuesday practice.
Frank has been doing a diary for me this camp, and a lot of what he said are things he’s touched on in his diary. Frank is a much happier person these days – on and off the field. I think this camp has been drastically different for Frank than a year ago when his hand was broke and his mother was ill. These days, the 49ers back is usually seen with an ear to ear smile on his face.
Frank is also extremely excited about this offense and what Coach Mike Martz brings to the table. Here’s what he had to say about Martz during today’s session.
What I love about coach Martz is no matter what you did he still makes you feel like you still have to prove yourself. That makes a player really want to play even harder. I had a couple great years here but still if I’m messing up, he’s going to get on me. That’s what I like about him, he treats everybody the same no matter what you did in the week. I feel like when he does that he makes you a better player.
Early-on last season team’s crowded the box and neutralized the 49ers Pro Bowl back. Gore doesn’t see that as being an issue in the upcoming year.
“You can’t do that anymore,” he said. “Even when we played Chicago, you saw other guys getting open and making plays. That’s a good thing. We didn’t even have our starting receivers. That’s going to help our offense out a whole lot. “
Gore said he believes this offense will be way better than it was when he set a single season rushing record for the 49ers with 1,695 yards in 2006.
http://www.49ers.com/blog49/?p=32
Frank Gore was today’s media darling, speaking 12 minutes to local reporters on the record prior to the 49ers Tuesday practice.
Frank has been doing a diary for me this camp, and a lot of what he said are things he’s touched on in his diary. Frank is a much happier person these days – on and off the field. I think this camp has been drastically different for Frank than a year ago when his hand was broke and his mother was ill. These days, the 49ers back is usually seen with an ear to ear smile on his face.
Frank is also extremely excited about this offense and what Coach Mike Martz brings to the table. Here’s what he had to say about Martz during today’s session.
What I love about coach Martz is no matter what you did he still makes you feel like you still have to prove yourself. That makes a player really want to play even harder. I had a couple great years here but still if I’m messing up, he’s going to get on me. That’s what I like about him, he treats everybody the same no matter what you did in the week. I feel like when he does that he makes you a better player.
Early-on last season team’s crowded the box and neutralized the 49ers Pro Bowl back. Gore doesn’t see that as being an issue in the upcoming year.
“You can’t do that anymore,” he said. “Even when we played Chicago, you saw other guys getting open and making plays. That’s a good thing. We didn’t even have our starting receivers. That’s going to help our offense out a whole lot. “
Gore said he believes this offense will be way better than it was when he set a single season rushing record for the 49ers with 1,695 yards in 2006.
WR Johnson Back in Action
http://www.49ers.com/blog49/?p=33
Wide receiver Bryant Johnson returned to practice for the first time since pulling his hamstring back when the 49ers traveled to Napa in early August to work against the Oakland Raiders.
Johnson did all of the individual work, and even got some plays in during the 7-on-7 and team periods. He ended the last portion with a pair of catches from J.T. O’Sullivan and a downfield block to help Frank Gore get up the sidelines on a pass play. Let me just interject my opinion here…already seeing what the offense has done the last few weeks, it was fairly impressive today to see Arnaz Battle, Isaac Bruce, Vernon Davis, Frank Gore and Bryant Johnson all running routes on the same play. Jason Hill and Ashley Lelie also saw their fair share of reps. The timing seems to still be just a bit off between Lelie and O’Sullivan on the deep ball, but Lelie is getting open. Bottom line, fun to watch.
David Baas took full part in the padded practice, working over at left guard in place of Adam Snyder. That left Tony Wragge to stay at right guard, where he’s worked all of camp.
Coach Nolan said the plan is to get Baas about 15-20 snaps in the game, starting over at left guard.
Guard Brian de la Puente returned to work after sitting out Monday with an arm injury.
Linebacker Dontarrious Thomas missed practice due to a shoulder sprain.
T Jonas Jennings, RS Allen Rossum, and G Adam Snyder remain out with their injuries, while safety Keith Lewis and Josh Morgan remain out due to illness.
http://www.49ers.com/blog49/?p=33
Wide receiver Bryant Johnson returned to practice for the first time since pulling his hamstring back when the 49ers traveled to Napa in early August to work against the Oakland Raiders.
Johnson did all of the individual work, and even got some plays in during the 7-on-7 and team periods. He ended the last portion with a pair of catches from J.T. O’Sullivan and a downfield block to help Frank Gore get up the sidelines on a pass play. Let me just interject my opinion here…already seeing what the offense has done the last few weeks, it was fairly impressive today to see Arnaz Battle, Isaac Bruce, Vernon Davis, Frank Gore and Bryant Johnson all running routes on the same play. Jason Hill and Ashley Lelie also saw their fair share of reps. The timing seems to still be just a bit off between Lelie and O’Sullivan on the deep ball, but Lelie is getting open. Bottom line, fun to watch.
David Baas took full part in the padded practice, working over at left guard in place of Adam Snyder. That left Tony Wragge to stay at right guard, where he’s worked all of camp.
Coach Nolan said the plan is to get Baas about 15-20 snaps in the game, starting over at left guard.
Guard Brian de la Puente returned to work after sitting out Monday with an arm injury.
Linebacker Dontarrious Thomas missed practice due to a shoulder sprain.
T Jonas Jennings, RS Allen Rossum, and G Adam Snyder remain out with their injuries, while safety Keith Lewis and Josh Morgan remain out due to illness.
SI's King responds to Nolan's gripe
http://49ers.pressdemocrat.com/default.asp?item=2255780
After 49ers coach Mike Nolan objected to the quote attributed to him yesterday on the Sports Illustrated Web site, I placed a call to Peter King in hopes of getting his side of the story. King did not respond to my call, but he did address this issue today at si.com.
Nolan appeared to take a mighty jab at Alex Smith when he was quoted as saying, "Thus far, J.T.'s been better than the other two, and there hasn't really been much of a gray area. His play's been better at the position than what we've had at any point in the last three years."
That quote seemed to fit, considering Nolan praised J.T. O'Sullivan in the first sentence as clearly winning the starting job over Smith and Shaun Hill.
However, Nolan said the second part of the quote should have read in a way that he was complimenting all three 49ers quarterbacks. He said he told King that the 49ers' QB situation, as a whole, is better now than it's been during any time since he's been head coach in 2005.
Here's what King wrote today:
"Nolan and I spoke this morning. When I interviewed him, I was at Cleveland Browns' camp, in a noisy place. Could I have misheard him and written down "his play's been better'' instead of "their play's been better'' in his comments? I doubt it, but amidst the hubbub where I was, it is possible. The bigger point is that, in our conversation, he was complimentary toward Smith. His comments were not about how great O'Sullivan was and how bad Smith was -- not at all. He told me he likes how Smith has played this summer. If I have any regret, especially given the hypersensitivity of the story in the Bay Area -- Smith, after all, was the first pick in the draft three years ago and has had a disappointing start to his career, to put it mildly -- it is that I should have conveyed that this was not a case of Smith losing the job, but rather a case of O'Sullivan winning it, and backing that up with Nolan saying good things about Smith.
"There's no question the pick of Smith, in hindsight, looks like a terrible one. Especially since the first pick in the draft gets beaten out by sixth-round pick from UC-Davis. But for this year, the bottom line is Nolan thinks Sullivan backed up by Smith and Hill gives him the best quarterback situation he's had since he's been the coach there."
Obviously, Nolan has reason to feel better about the team's starting QB this year than he has in the past. After all, O'Sullivan beat out the team's incumbent - and "there hasn't really been much of a gray area."
* * *
Just wrote an article for tomorrow's newspaper on long-shot running back Thomas Clayton, who is "making the most of his chances."
When I asked Clayton in what he thought he performed well Thursday against the Bears, he answered, "Awareness, quickness, decisiveness, and just playing with a determination not to be stopped."
* * *
Straight from Chrissy Mauck's blog at the 49ers (since I did not attend practice today): WR Bryant Johnson was back at practice after missing every workout since Aug. 4 with a hamstring strain. Also, interesting to note that David Baas worked out at left guard today (in place of Adam Snyder), while Tony Wragge remained at right guard. Hmmmmm.
http://49ers.pressdemocrat.com/default.asp?item=2255780
After 49ers coach Mike Nolan objected to the quote attributed to him yesterday on the Sports Illustrated Web site, I placed a call to Peter King in hopes of getting his side of the story. King did not respond to my call, but he did address this issue today at si.com.
Nolan appeared to take a mighty jab at Alex Smith when he was quoted as saying, "Thus far, J.T.'s been better than the other two, and there hasn't really been much of a gray area. His play's been better at the position than what we've had at any point in the last three years."
That quote seemed to fit, considering Nolan praised J.T. O'Sullivan in the first sentence as clearly winning the starting job over Smith and Shaun Hill.
However, Nolan said the second part of the quote should have read in a way that he was complimenting all three 49ers quarterbacks. He said he told King that the 49ers' QB situation, as a whole, is better now than it's been during any time since he's been head coach in 2005.
Here's what King wrote today:
"Nolan and I spoke this morning. When I interviewed him, I was at Cleveland Browns' camp, in a noisy place. Could I have misheard him and written down "his play's been better'' instead of "their play's been better'' in his comments? I doubt it, but amidst the hubbub where I was, it is possible. The bigger point is that, in our conversation, he was complimentary toward Smith. His comments were not about how great O'Sullivan was and how bad Smith was -- not at all. He told me he likes how Smith has played this summer. If I have any regret, especially given the hypersensitivity of the story in the Bay Area -- Smith, after all, was the first pick in the draft three years ago and has had a disappointing start to his career, to put it mildly -- it is that I should have conveyed that this was not a case of Smith losing the job, but rather a case of O'Sullivan winning it, and backing that up with Nolan saying good things about Smith.
"There's no question the pick of Smith, in hindsight, looks like a terrible one. Especially since the first pick in the draft gets beaten out by sixth-round pick from UC-Davis. But for this year, the bottom line is Nolan thinks Sullivan backed up by Smith and Hill gives him the best quarterback situation he's had since he's been the coach there."
Obviously, Nolan has reason to feel better about the team's starting QB this year than he has in the past. After all, O'Sullivan beat out the team's incumbent - and "there hasn't really been much of a gray area."
* * *
Just wrote an article for tomorrow's newspaper on long-shot running back Thomas Clayton, who is "making the most of his chances."
When I asked Clayton in what he thought he performed well Thursday against the Bears, he answered, "Awareness, quickness, decisiveness, and just playing with a determination not to be stopped."
* * *
Straight from Chrissy Mauck's blog at the 49ers (since I did not attend practice today): WR Bryant Johnson was back at practice after missing every workout since Aug. 4 with a hamstring strain. Also, interesting to note that David Baas worked out at left guard today (in place of Adam Snyder), while Tony Wragge remained at right guard. Hmmmmm.
Nolan's Notebook: August 26
http://www.49ers.com/pressbox/news_detail.php?PRKey=4533§ion=PR News
RE: What are the chances Bryant Johnson will play in the San Diego game?
“He did a good job. Went through the individual today. Took a couple of the other plays, so we’ll see how he is. [Jeff Ferguson] just spoke to him, so we’ll see how he is inside. That would be a good thing if he was able to.”
RE: Is it looking more like David Baas is going to play?
“I hope so. He took some reps today. If we can get him15-20 snaps or so in the game, that’d be really good.”
RE: You said tomorrow will be the telling day about how he holds up. Did you notice anything that stood out about Baas today?
“Not really. I can’t answer that.”
RE: So is that what you think you would go with? Put Baas at left guard?
“Yes.”
RE: How much do you see Frank Gore just out there having a good time?
“He looks like he’s enjoying himself. That’s good. I know he’s excited about the offense. He’s had real good communication with Mike Martz about his role in the offense way back from the time I even hired Mike. I think it’s one thing to communicate about it, it’s another when all of a sudden you see that it’s happening. I think that pleases Frank, and, obviously, that pleases us all because he’s a real key, integral part of what we do. I think that’s why you see him bubbly like he is.”
RE: What’s the situation with Dontarrious Thomas?
“He should be back at practice tomorrow.”
RE: Have you watched Alex Smith’s demeanor since you’ve named J.T. O’Sullivan as the starter? Does Alex have a good demeanor as the No. 2?
“I haven’t noticed any difference. I haven’t noticed anything. He’s been very positive throughout training camp. I think he recognizes that he’s getting better. The communication’s been good, not only with me, but with Mike [Martz] as well.”
RE: Is the quarterback situation a week-to-week situation or is it something broader than that, with regard to the starting role?
“I’m not looking to get into … the quarterback needs to believe he’s the quarterback. Without question. The other guys need to be ready at all times because you never know. The other guy could be out getting a shoelace fixed. So, they have to be ready to go in. But, other than that, we’ve named our starter. And that’s that. Everyone, including our backup quarterbacks I’m hopeful, are pulling for him to do a great job because the better he does the better we are. But, again, everybody has to stay ready.”
RE: If you had to start the season right now, who would start as the Ted linebacker?
“Right now [Jeff] Ulbrich’s working with the first group. Takeo [Spikes] is doing a real good job. Right now, we’ve got about two or three different packages of defense, whether it’s 3-4, 4-3 or the sub package. So there’s a little bit to learn for Takeo. When a guy holds out, if he goes back to the place he was at, it’s an easy transistion for an older player, but obviously he’s got a little catching up to do because he held out of camp. He’s making real good progress. He’s going to contribute in one way or another, I’m not sure what it will be yet.”
RE: We talk about Alex Smith improving. Is he better now than he was, say, midseason two years ago?
“I’d have to go back and look at the film. I can’t answer that right on the money. I like what I see with where he’s at right now. I do. He’s a more mature person. Naturally, all of us would be after a couple of years. It’s hard to answer that question.”
RE: I’d like to ask a big-picture question for a second. What would you say, at this point, are your biggest areas of improvement over last year?
“Right now I would say right now, the one that comes to mind would be the offense. Obviously, I’m just going off of preseason. If I compare preseason this preseason to last year’s preseason, and be specific with that because the regular season is a-whole-nother game, then we are much improved there. Last year I know we struggled throughout the preseason offensively. This year, we’ve made some plays. We’ve had our share of not-so-good plays, but we’ve made a lot of good plays. So, that would be the area. Other than that, there’s really none that I would comment on.”
RE: Anything on the defense you think is better?
“The maturity of that group is getting better, yeah. Obviously Justin Smith – on an individual basis not on a collective basis, talking about an individual – Justin Smith is going to help us. I have confidence in that. Other than that, the maturity of that group is really what I notice more than anything else. Last week we didn’t play as well in the back-end, in the secondary, as we should. They recognized that. That’s an experienced group and a group that’s a strength of our team. I’ll say it again. We don’t need to change the problem, so that group needs to stay consistently good.
RE: I realize you’ve had a lot of injuries at the wide receiver position, but at this point would you say as a group you think you are going to be better than you had last year?
“I would hope so, thus far in preseason, again comparing them to preseason a year ago, although they’ve been banged up, they have done a better job than last year’s group. I can’t remember if we we’re banged up in the preseason or not as far as that position goes. Banged up or not the group has done a good job.”
RE: When are you generally determining where Justin [Smith] is going to line up, whether he’s down left, down right, up left, is it strictly matchups, is it schemes, what do you think when you put him in a certain spot?
“I think it’s always player on player first. Matchups would be first and then the second thing would obviously be the scheme that could entail coverage, it could entail rush.”
RE: Where do you think [Justin Smith] gets his best pass rush?
“That’s a good question. We’re still in the process of learning that. What I like is his style of play is the same wherever he is. He’s very physical and he’s very good. I wouldn’t call him a finesse edge rusher, like some guys are but those kind of guys also can’t do the other things that he does so well. They don’t the run typically as well as he does either. So right now I think he can rush both inside and outside and that’s what we’ve been doing with him.”
RE: The pass rush would be the No. 1 matchup beating that left tackle versus that right tackle…
“If you’ve got somebody that takes a down off, which everybody’s got a breaking point—Justin’s breaking point has been not nearly as frequent as some guys.”
RE: You’ll find that guy?
“We’ll try to, but at the same time, like I said, we’ll move him around as you already mentioned.”
RE: Mike, with [Ashley] Lelie full-go, how much is he catching up and much does he need to catch up?
“I don’t know if he’s full-go. Obviously, you’re talking about a physical thing, nothing else. I would like to get him some play this week. He needs to play when it comes to him, that’s really what I’m thinking about more than anything else. He’ll play some.”
RE: Frank [Gore] made a comment today that it took you a whole half last season to get past the 50-yard line, that’s probably a little bit of an exaggeration, but that kind of underscores the feeling last year. Do you think those days are behind this offense for good now?
“Like I said, we are in a preseason guys. I don’t want to jump ahead. We’ve got San Diego this week and that’s all we are going to talk about and we aren’t going to talk about anything else. It’s a short term focus for us completely and I don’t want to get way out there. That’s a mistake.”
RE: Are you doing prep for San Diego right now or is it something else?
“San Diego is very similar. They are a 3-4 team. So there’s an awful lot of similarities so we’ve been basically working against each other this week and tomorrow will curtail some things in the short goal line area for the opponent, but other than that we’ve done a lot of work this week against one another.”
RE: How close is Tony Wragge to getting a starting position for the season opener somewhere on the left?
“Well, if it started today he’d be the guy so we’ll see where he is in a week, but today he would.”
RE: At right guard or left guard?
“We’d have him at right.”
RE: Is it definite that Alex [Smith] will be on this team Week 1?
“Yes, we’ve had zero discussions about Alex not being on this football team.”
RE: It’s a large salary for a backup quarterback:
“Yeah, it is. You make a lot of money too, they don’t talk about getting rid of you are they? There’s been no talk.”
RE: On Alex Smith:
“Let’s not deal with the hypothetical. I’m confident. I know this much. You need quarterbacks to win games. Not just one, you need a number of them and I’m confident in all three of the guys. It’d make me nervous to lose a guy if that’s the case but again, we have had no discussions.”
RE: Did you have Shaun [Hill] working with the threes?
“Right now Shaun is working in the third group, but again that doesn’t mean I have less confidence in Shaun. I was there last year and you guys were there too and he did a real nice job. So that’s good.”
RE: Could you see weeks where Shaun is the two?
“Could I see weeks? Tell me how it’s going to happen. Right now, they kind of are set how they are. We’ll work from there.”
Please submit your questions via email to [email protected] and then check back next Friday to see if your question was selected!
http://www.49ers.com/pressbox/news_detail.php?PRKey=4533§ion=PR News
RE: What are the chances Bryant Johnson will play in the San Diego game?
“He did a good job. Went through the individual today. Took a couple of the other plays, so we’ll see how he is. [Jeff Ferguson] just spoke to him, so we’ll see how he is inside. That would be a good thing if he was able to.”
RE: Is it looking more like David Baas is going to play?
“I hope so. He took some reps today. If we can get him15-20 snaps or so in the game, that’d be really good.”
RE: You said tomorrow will be the telling day about how he holds up. Did you notice anything that stood out about Baas today?
“Not really. I can’t answer that.”
RE: So is that what you think you would go with? Put Baas at left guard?
“Yes.”
RE: How much do you see Frank Gore just out there having a good time?
“He looks like he’s enjoying himself. That’s good. I know he’s excited about the offense. He’s had real good communication with Mike Martz about his role in the offense way back from the time I even hired Mike. I think it’s one thing to communicate about it, it’s another when all of a sudden you see that it’s happening. I think that pleases Frank, and, obviously, that pleases us all because he’s a real key, integral part of what we do. I think that’s why you see him bubbly like he is.”
RE: What’s the situation with Dontarrious Thomas?
“He should be back at practice tomorrow.”
RE: Have you watched Alex Smith’s demeanor since you’ve named J.T. O’Sullivan as the starter? Does Alex have a good demeanor as the No. 2?
“I haven’t noticed any difference. I haven’t noticed anything. He’s been very positive throughout training camp. I think he recognizes that he’s getting better. The communication’s been good, not only with me, but with Mike [Martz] as well.”
RE: Is the quarterback situation a week-to-week situation or is it something broader than that, with regard to the starting role?
“I’m not looking to get into … the quarterback needs to believe he’s the quarterback. Without question. The other guys need to be ready at all times because you never know. The other guy could be out getting a shoelace fixed. So, they have to be ready to go in. But, other than that, we’ve named our starter. And that’s that. Everyone, including our backup quarterbacks I’m hopeful, are pulling for him to do a great job because the better he does the better we are. But, again, everybody has to stay ready.”
RE: If you had to start the season right now, who would start as the Ted linebacker?
“Right now [Jeff] Ulbrich’s working with the first group. Takeo [Spikes] is doing a real good job. Right now, we’ve got about two or three different packages of defense, whether it’s 3-4, 4-3 or the sub package. So there’s a little bit to learn for Takeo. When a guy holds out, if he goes back to the place he was at, it’s an easy transistion for an older player, but obviously he’s got a little catching up to do because he held out of camp. He’s making real good progress. He’s going to contribute in one way or another, I’m not sure what it will be yet.”
RE: We talk about Alex Smith improving. Is he better now than he was, say, midseason two years ago?
“I’d have to go back and look at the film. I can’t answer that right on the money. I like what I see with where he’s at right now. I do. He’s a more mature person. Naturally, all of us would be after a couple of years. It’s hard to answer that question.”
RE: I’d like to ask a big-picture question for a second. What would you say, at this point, are your biggest areas of improvement over last year?
“Right now I would say right now, the one that comes to mind would be the offense. Obviously, I’m just going off of preseason. If I compare preseason this preseason to last year’s preseason, and be specific with that because the regular season is a-whole-nother game, then we are much improved there. Last year I know we struggled throughout the preseason offensively. This year, we’ve made some plays. We’ve had our share of not-so-good plays, but we’ve made a lot of good plays. So, that would be the area. Other than that, there’s really none that I would comment on.”
RE: Anything on the defense you think is better?
“The maturity of that group is getting better, yeah. Obviously Justin Smith – on an individual basis not on a collective basis, talking about an individual – Justin Smith is going to help us. I have confidence in that. Other than that, the maturity of that group is really what I notice more than anything else. Last week we didn’t play as well in the back-end, in the secondary, as we should. They recognized that. That’s an experienced group and a group that’s a strength of our team. I’ll say it again. We don’t need to change the problem, so that group needs to stay consistently good.
RE: I realize you’ve had a lot of injuries at the wide receiver position, but at this point would you say as a group you think you are going to be better than you had last year?
“I would hope so, thus far in preseason, again comparing them to preseason a year ago, although they’ve been banged up, they have done a better job than last year’s group. I can’t remember if we we’re banged up in the preseason or not as far as that position goes. Banged up or not the group has done a good job.”
RE: When are you generally determining where Justin [Smith] is going to line up, whether he’s down left, down right, up left, is it strictly matchups, is it schemes, what do you think when you put him in a certain spot?
“I think it’s always player on player first. Matchups would be first and then the second thing would obviously be the scheme that could entail coverage, it could entail rush.”
RE: Where do you think [Justin Smith] gets his best pass rush?
“That’s a good question. We’re still in the process of learning that. What I like is his style of play is the same wherever he is. He’s very physical and he’s very good. I wouldn’t call him a finesse edge rusher, like some guys are but those kind of guys also can’t do the other things that he does so well. They don’t the run typically as well as he does either. So right now I think he can rush both inside and outside and that’s what we’ve been doing with him.”
RE: The pass rush would be the No. 1 matchup beating that left tackle versus that right tackle…
“If you’ve got somebody that takes a down off, which everybody’s got a breaking point—Justin’s breaking point has been not nearly as frequent as some guys.”
RE: You’ll find that guy?
“We’ll try to, but at the same time, like I said, we’ll move him around as you already mentioned.”
RE: Mike, with [Ashley] Lelie full-go, how much is he catching up and much does he need to catch up?
“I don’t know if he’s full-go. Obviously, you’re talking about a physical thing, nothing else. I would like to get him some play this week. He needs to play when it comes to him, that’s really what I’m thinking about more than anything else. He’ll play some.”
RE: Frank [Gore] made a comment today that it took you a whole half last season to get past the 50-yard line, that’s probably a little bit of an exaggeration, but that kind of underscores the feeling last year. Do you think those days are behind this offense for good now?
“Like I said, we are in a preseason guys. I don’t want to jump ahead. We’ve got San Diego this week and that’s all we are going to talk about and we aren’t going to talk about anything else. It’s a short term focus for us completely and I don’t want to get way out there. That’s a mistake.”
RE: Are you doing prep for San Diego right now or is it something else?
“San Diego is very similar. They are a 3-4 team. So there’s an awful lot of similarities so we’ve been basically working against each other this week and tomorrow will curtail some things in the short goal line area for the opponent, but other than that we’ve done a lot of work this week against one another.”
RE: How close is Tony Wragge to getting a starting position for the season opener somewhere on the left?
“Well, if it started today he’d be the guy so we’ll see where he is in a week, but today he would.”
RE: At right guard or left guard?
“We’d have him at right.”
RE: Is it definite that Alex [Smith] will be on this team Week 1?
“Yes, we’ve had zero discussions about Alex not being on this football team.”
RE: It’s a large salary for a backup quarterback:
“Yeah, it is. You make a lot of money too, they don’t talk about getting rid of you are they? There’s been no talk.”
RE: On Alex Smith:
“Let’s not deal with the hypothetical. I’m confident. I know this much. You need quarterbacks to win games. Not just one, you need a number of them and I’m confident in all three of the guys. It’d make me nervous to lose a guy if that’s the case but again, we have had no discussions.”
RE: Did you have Shaun [Hill] working with the threes?
“Right now Shaun is working in the third group, but again that doesn’t mean I have less confidence in Shaun. I was there last year and you guys were there too and he did a real nice job. So that’s good.”
RE: Could you see weeks where Shaun is the two?
“Could I see weeks? Tell me how it’s going to happen. Right now, they kind of are set how they are. We’ll work from there.”
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WR Johnson Makes his Return
http://www.49ers.com/pressbox/news_detail.php?PRKey=4532§ion=PR News
Wide receiver Bryant Johnson returned to practice for the first time since pulling his hamstring back in early August when the 49ers traveled to Napa to work against the Oakland Raiders.
Johnson did all of the individual work on Tuesday, and even got some plays in during the 7-on-7 and team periods. He ended the last team portion with a pair of catches from J.T. O’Sullivan and a downfield block to help Frank Gore get up the sidelines on a pass play.
“It felt real good to be back out there on the field with the guys and to get in there and make a couple of plays,” said Johnson. “I didn’t feel too rusty, but I was kind of anxious to be back out there and to get in a situation to make plays so that I could test my body out.”
The sixth-year NFL veteran said he stayed in his playbook during his rehab and felt at ease back in the lineup when it came to knowing his assignments. There didn’t seem to be any miscues between him and the 49ers quarterbacks, most notably starter J.T. O’Sullivan.
“The offense is based on trust. The quarterbacks trust that we are going to be at the right place at the right time and as receivers we have to trust that the quarterback is going to get the ball where it needs to be,” said Johnson. “Regardless of who is back there, the trust factor is the same for me. It’s just my job to be where I’m supposed to be.”
The 49ers have been without rookie sensation Josh Morgan this week due to an illness, but it’s otherwise been an upbeat week for a receiving corps that had already welcomed back Arnaz Battle and Ashley Lelie.
“There are definitely a lot of weapons and through training camp, we’ve done nothing but gotten better,” said Johnson. “Guys are getting back this week and coming into this last week, it’s just a matter of really tuning in and fixing the last little mistakes so that we are ready for week one. “
Johnson said he hopes to get at least a few plays in this week against the Chargers. Head coach Mike Nolan indicated that Johnson’s availability would depend on how he responded to the practice workload.
Offensive lineman David Baas took full part in the padded practice, working over at left guard in place of Adam Snyder. That left Tony Wragge to stay at right guard, where he’s worked all of camp.
“I was rusty, especially going from right guard to left guard,” said Baas. “I just had to change a few things in my head and the footwork was a little different. It’s to be expected, I know I did a few good things, but I just have to keep working on it. With the arm strength coming along, my feet will get better.”
Baas said he quickly received a refresher course on the proper technique while working against veteran defensive end Justin Smith.
“Justin Smith blew me up on one play and I was kind of like, ‘I need to keep my pads lower,’” said Baas.
Coach Nolan said the plan is to get Baas about 15-20 snaps in the game, starting over at left guard.
Guard Brian de la Puente returned to work after sitting out Monday with an arm injury.
Linebacker Dontarrious Thomas missed practice due to a shoulder sprain.
T Jonas Jennings, RS Allen Rossum, and G Adam Snyder remain out with their injuries, while safety Keith Lewis and Josh Morgan remain out due to illness.
Seen & Overheard
Tight end Vernon Davis found an open area in the 49ers defense, caught the ball, and turned it up field for an explosive gain, but cornerback Nate Clements came through for the D and did one of his signature moves and popped the ball out. Clements and Davis fought over the ball for a few added seconds with Davis eventually sliding and falling on top of it.
One of the officials continued to shout, “Play is over, let it go. Play is over.”
It must have been a new official because play being over is something you’ll never get the 49ers coaching staff to be okay with. Players are coached to work on their fumble recoveries every chance they get, and secondary coaches Vance Joseph and Johnnie Lynn record “scoops.”
http://www.49ers.com/pressbox/news_detail.php?PRKey=4532§ion=PR News
Wide receiver Bryant Johnson returned to practice for the first time since pulling his hamstring back in early August when the 49ers traveled to Napa to work against the Oakland Raiders.
Johnson did all of the individual work on Tuesday, and even got some plays in during the 7-on-7 and team periods. He ended the last team portion with a pair of catches from J.T. O’Sullivan and a downfield block to help Frank Gore get up the sidelines on a pass play.
“It felt real good to be back out there on the field with the guys and to get in there and make a couple of plays,” said Johnson. “I didn’t feel too rusty, but I was kind of anxious to be back out there and to get in a situation to make plays so that I could test my body out.”
The sixth-year NFL veteran said he stayed in his playbook during his rehab and felt at ease back in the lineup when it came to knowing his assignments. There didn’t seem to be any miscues between him and the 49ers quarterbacks, most notably starter J.T. O’Sullivan.
“The offense is based on trust. The quarterbacks trust that we are going to be at the right place at the right time and as receivers we have to trust that the quarterback is going to get the ball where it needs to be,” said Johnson. “Regardless of who is back there, the trust factor is the same for me. It’s just my job to be where I’m supposed to be.”
The 49ers have been without rookie sensation Josh Morgan this week due to an illness, but it’s otherwise been an upbeat week for a receiving corps that had already welcomed back Arnaz Battle and Ashley Lelie.
“There are definitely a lot of weapons and through training camp, we’ve done nothing but gotten better,” said Johnson. “Guys are getting back this week and coming into this last week, it’s just a matter of really tuning in and fixing the last little mistakes so that we are ready for week one. “
Johnson said he hopes to get at least a few plays in this week against the Chargers. Head coach Mike Nolan indicated that Johnson’s availability would depend on how he responded to the practice workload.
Offensive lineman David Baas took full part in the padded practice, working over at left guard in place of Adam Snyder. That left Tony Wragge to stay at right guard, where he’s worked all of camp.
“I was rusty, especially going from right guard to left guard,” said Baas. “I just had to change a few things in my head and the footwork was a little different. It’s to be expected, I know I did a few good things, but I just have to keep working on it. With the arm strength coming along, my feet will get better.”
Baas said he quickly received a refresher course on the proper technique while working against veteran defensive end Justin Smith.
“Justin Smith blew me up on one play and I was kind of like, ‘I need to keep my pads lower,’” said Baas.
Coach Nolan said the plan is to get Baas about 15-20 snaps in the game, starting over at left guard.
Guard Brian de la Puente returned to work after sitting out Monday with an arm injury.
Linebacker Dontarrious Thomas missed practice due to a shoulder sprain.
T Jonas Jennings, RS Allen Rossum, and G Adam Snyder remain out with their injuries, while safety Keith Lewis and Josh Morgan remain out due to illness.
Seen & Overheard
Tight end Vernon Davis found an open area in the 49ers defense, caught the ball, and turned it up field for an explosive gain, but cornerback Nate Clements came through for the D and did one of his signature moves and popped the ball out. Clements and Davis fought over the ball for a few added seconds with Davis eventually sliding and falling on top of it.
One of the officials continued to shout, “Play is over, let it go. Play is over.”
It must have been a new official because play being over is something you’ll never get the 49ers coaching staff to be okay with. Players are coached to work on their fumble recoveries every chance they get, and secondary coaches Vance Joseph and Johnnie Lynn record “scoops.”
49ers' offensive line doing fine in preseason
http://www.mercurynews.com/49ersheadlines/49ers/ci_10310884
There is still a stall for Larry Allen in the 49ers' locker room. It sits between the lockers for Eric Heitmann and Joe Staley with a nameplate marked "LA." It's still full of stuff, too, just in case the left guard decides at the last second he wants to play for the 49ers again.
So far, the offensive line is getting by just fine without him. Entering Friday night against the San Diego Chargers, the 49ers have yielded just two sacks over the first three exhibition games.
That's surprising for two reasons:
1. The 49ers surrendered a team-record 55 sacks last year.
2. Offensive coordinator Mike Martz brings a reputation for exposing his quarterback. His Detroit Lions gave up 63 sacks in 2006 and 54 in '07.
Somehow, though, 49ers quarterbacks are staying upright. The O-line is playing well despite injuries of varying severity to David Baas (pectoral), Jonas Jennings (hand) and Adam Snyder (ankle).
"You can't say enough about the pass protection this preseason,'' quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan said. "The one sack against Chicago was more of a coverage sack than anything else. If I had to do it all over again, I probably could have thrown the ball away."
Staley, the left tackle, said his linemates have simply responded to the challenges inherent in Martz's system. The offensive coordinator frequently employs five-man routes, leaving the O-line little room for error.
"I personally like it,'' Staley said. "I find myself on an island a lot, but when you put pressure on me like that, it raises my game. I know that's true for everybody else, too."
Guard Tony Wragge said: "I would say (Martz's) system is simplistically complex. It has answers for any problem we're going to see in front of us."
Baas' comeback will begin with 15-20 snaps against San Diego. He will play left guard with Snyder out. Wragge will play right guard, with a chance of winning the starting job. Barry Sims is expected to start at right tackle in place of Jennings.
Coach Mike Nolan said if the season started today, Jeff Ulbrich would start at the strong inside linebacker spot. Recent acquisition Takeo Spikes is still learning. "He's got a little catching up to do,'' Nolan said. "He's making good progress. He's going to contribute one way or another. I'm not sure what it will be yet."
Receiver Bryant Johnson practiced for the first time since suffering a hamstring strain Aug. 4. The 49ers are holding off before deciding how much he'll play Friday.
Linebacker Dontarrious Thomas suffered a sprained shoulder but is expected back at practice today.
http://www.mercurynews.com/49ersheadlines/49ers/ci_10310884
There is still a stall for Larry Allen in the 49ers' locker room. It sits between the lockers for Eric Heitmann and Joe Staley with a nameplate marked "LA." It's still full of stuff, too, just in case the left guard decides at the last second he wants to play for the 49ers again.
So far, the offensive line is getting by just fine without him. Entering Friday night against the San Diego Chargers, the 49ers have yielded just two sacks over the first three exhibition games.
That's surprising for two reasons:
1. The 49ers surrendered a team-record 55 sacks last year.
2. Offensive coordinator Mike Martz brings a reputation for exposing his quarterback. His Detroit Lions gave up 63 sacks in 2006 and 54 in '07.
Somehow, though, 49ers quarterbacks are staying upright. The O-line is playing well despite injuries of varying severity to David Baas (pectoral), Jonas Jennings (hand) and Adam Snyder (ankle).
"You can't say enough about the pass protection this preseason,'' quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan said. "The one sack against Chicago was more of a coverage sack than anything else. If I had to do it all over again, I probably could have thrown the ball away."
Staley, the left tackle, said his linemates have simply responded to the challenges inherent in Martz's system. The offensive coordinator frequently employs five-man routes, leaving the O-line little room for error.
"I personally like it,'' Staley said. "I find myself on an island a lot, but when you put pressure on me like that, it raises my game. I know that's true for everybody else, too."
Guard Tony Wragge said: "I would say (Martz's) system is simplistically complex. It has answers for any problem we're going to see in front of us."
Baas' comeback will begin with 15-20 snaps against San Diego. He will play left guard with Snyder out. Wragge will play right guard, with a chance of winning the starting job. Barry Sims is expected to start at right tackle in place of Jennings.
Coach Mike Nolan said if the season started today, Jeff Ulbrich would start at the strong inside linebacker spot. Recent acquisition Takeo Spikes is still learning. "He's got a little catching up to do,'' Nolan said. "He's making good progress. He's going to contribute one way or another. I'm not sure what it will be yet."
Receiver Bryant Johnson practiced for the first time since suffering a hamstring strain Aug. 4. The 49ers are holding off before deciding how much he'll play Friday.
Linebacker Dontarrious Thomas suffered a sprained shoulder but is expected back at practice today.
O'Sullivan kept faith during starting search
http://sfo.scout.com/2/783402.html
Before his first practice as the official starting quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers last week, SFI asked J.T. O'Sullivan if he could talk about what a long, strange journey it has been to finally arrive at that much sought-after destination. "I mean, what part?" the usually stoic O'Sullivan replied with a hint of a grin. "You know, that's a serious conversation." And so it is.
It's a conversation that would cover the better part of seven years and spread over two continents and eight NFL organizations since O'Sullivan's professional career began when he was drafted in the sixth round by the New Orleans Saints in 2002.
Not a lot of quarterbacks ever have been through the labyrinthine process O'Sullivan has endured to finally ascend to starting status at the most important position in the game. But O’Sullivan’s faith never wavered during his long, strange journey to the top of San Francisco’s depth chart.
And now, when Sept. 7 finally rolls around, and the 49ers open the season at home against the Arizona Cardinals, O'Sullivan finally will have reached the summit of that laborious climb.
After wearing the colors of the Saints, Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, Carolina Panthers and Detroit Lions, O’Sullivan – who turned 29 on Monday – will make the first regular-season start of his career wearing the red-and-gold of the 49ers.
It represents a coming full circle for O'Sullivan, who cheered on the 49ers as a youngster growing up in Sacramento, where he was a star quarterback for one of the local prep powerhouses before taking his game to nearby UC-Davis. He enjoyed an All-American career at the Division II college, where he was a three-year starter and set numerous school records for passing and total offense.
It also was there O'Sullivan caught the eyes of NFL scouts and personnel types who recognized his potential despite the lower level of competition at which he was playing.
Those scouts and personnel types have been looking at O'Sullivan in a multitude of different ways ever since. How else to explain how he could bounce around from team to team - spending time on practice squads, spending the spring of 2007 in NFL Europa - without somebody recognizing his potential as a starter or giving him an opportunity in the role?
"I always thought I could play," O'Sullivan said. "That didn't waver when one GM or one personnel guy or one coach told me that I wasn't good enough for that team. It was like, 'Alright, that's your opinion.'"
And then O'Sullivan would pack his well-worn bags and move on, looking for the next opportunity to do better. There always seemed to be another opportunity waiting.
During one particularly eventful stretch, O'Sullivan spent time on the rosters of four different NFL teams during a 366-day span
http://sfo.scout.com/2/783402.html
Before his first practice as the official starting quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers last week, SFI asked J.T. O'Sullivan if he could talk about what a long, strange journey it has been to finally arrive at that much sought-after destination. "I mean, what part?" the usually stoic O'Sullivan replied with a hint of a grin. "You know, that's a serious conversation." And so it is.
It's a conversation that would cover the better part of seven years and spread over two continents and eight NFL organizations since O'Sullivan's professional career began when he was drafted in the sixth round by the New Orleans Saints in 2002.
Not a lot of quarterbacks ever have been through the labyrinthine process O'Sullivan has endured to finally ascend to starting status at the most important position in the game. But O’Sullivan’s faith never wavered during his long, strange journey to the top of San Francisco’s depth chart.
And now, when Sept. 7 finally rolls around, and the 49ers open the season at home against the Arizona Cardinals, O'Sullivan finally will have reached the summit of that laborious climb.
After wearing the colors of the Saints, Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, Carolina Panthers and Detroit Lions, O’Sullivan – who turned 29 on Monday – will make the first regular-season start of his career wearing the red-and-gold of the 49ers.
It represents a coming full circle for O'Sullivan, who cheered on the 49ers as a youngster growing up in Sacramento, where he was a star quarterback for one of the local prep powerhouses before taking his game to nearby UC-Davis. He enjoyed an All-American career at the Division II college, where he was a three-year starter and set numerous school records for passing and total offense.
It also was there O'Sullivan caught the eyes of NFL scouts and personnel types who recognized his potential despite the lower level of competition at which he was playing.
Those scouts and personnel types have been looking at O'Sullivan in a multitude of different ways ever since. How else to explain how he could bounce around from team to team - spending time on practice squads, spending the spring of 2007 in NFL Europa - without somebody recognizing his potential as a starter or giving him an opportunity in the role?
"I always thought I could play," O'Sullivan said. "That didn't waver when one GM or one personnel guy or one coach told me that I wasn't good enough for that team. It was like, 'Alright, that's your opinion.'"
And then O'Sullivan would pack his well-worn bags and move on, looking for the next opportunity to do better. There always seemed to be another opportunity waiting.
During one particularly eventful stretch, O'Sullivan spent time on the rosters of four different NFL teams during a 366-day span
O'Sullivan kept faith during starting search
http://sfo.scout.com/2/783402.html
Before his first practice as the official starting quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers last week, SFI asked J.T. O'Sullivan if he could talk about what a long, strange journey it has been to finally arrive at that much sought-after destination. "I mean, what part?" the usually stoic O'Sullivan replied with a hint of a grin. "You know, that's a serious conversation." And so it is.
It's a conversation that would cover the better part of seven years and spread over two continents and eight NFL organizations since O'Sullivan's professional career began when he was drafted in the sixth round by the New Orleans Saints in 2002.
Not a lot of quarterbacks ever have been through the labyrinthine process O'Sullivan has endured to finally ascend to starting status at the most important position in the game. But O’Sullivan’s faith never wavered during his long, strange journey to the top of San Francisco’s depth chart.
And now, when Sept. 7 finally rolls around, and the 49ers open the season at home against the Arizona Cardinals, O'Sullivan finally will have reached the summit of that laborious climb.
After wearing the colors of the Saints, Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, Carolina Panthers and Detroit Lions, O’Sullivan – who turned 29 on Monday – will make the first regular-season start of his career wearing the red-and-gold of the 49ers.
It represents a coming full circle for O'Sullivan, who cheered on the 49ers as a youngster growing up in Sacramento, where he was a star quarterback for one of the local prep powerhouses before taking his game to nearby UC-Davis. He enjoyed an All-American career at the Division II college, where he was a three-year starter and set numerous school records for passing and total offense.
It also was there O'Sullivan caught the eyes of NFL scouts and personnel types who recognized his potential despite the lower level of competition at which he was playing.
Those scouts and personnel types have been looking at O'Sullivan in a multitude of different ways ever since. How else to explain how he could bounce around from team to team - spending time on practice squads, spending the spring of 2007 in NFL Europa - without somebody recognizing his potential as a starter or giving him an opportunity in the role?
"I always thought I could play," O'Sullivan said. "That didn't waver when one GM or one personnel guy or one coach told me that I wasn't good enough for that team. It was like, 'Alright, that's your opinion.'"
And then O'Sullivan would pack his well-worn bags and move on, looking for the next opportunity to do better. There always seemed to be another opportunity waiting.
During one particularly eventful stretch, O'Sullivan spent time on the rosters of four different NFL teams during a 366-day span
"The longer I went along, the more I focused and realized it was about me playing well," O'Sullivan said. "If I were able to put everything aside and just control the things that I could control - my performance, my preparation - I think that I would have been more happy with the journey."
But O'Sullivan took each rejection personally, and a chip began to build on his shoulder. But he didn't lose confidence in himself. And he didn't give up on himself or give himself a ceiling, a time limit for making it the NFL.
He looked at the careers of other quarterbacks who took different paths to starting positions, quarterbacks who also had to make several stops along the way. It didn't necessarily make it easier, but it did offer some perspective.
"There were different circumstances in each of the places, but I flat out didn't agree with their decisions, so that's why I'm playing today," O'Sullivan said. "Obviously, when things don't go well, when you're sitting at home and you have no other choice, you look at other people's paths to play in this league in this position. And there's not a whole lot of smooth stories, there just isn't.
"Once you realize that this is your story, at some point you have to take this on yourself to realize that you're not going to be given an opportunity or nobody is going to hand you an opportunity to play, you're going to have to claw and scratch just to stay in the league. You're going to have to do everything you can to have the opportunity to make a team, and once you get that opportunity to make a team, to show them that you can play."
O'Sullivan kept scratching and clawing. And, finally, the opportunity came.
After being waived by Chicago in July of last year, O'Sullivan signed with the Detroit Lions, where Mike Martz was in his second season as offensive coordinator.
O'Sullivan's quick release and pinpoint passes were a perfect fit for the detailed Martz system, and he also showed that he had the wherewithal and smarts necessary to run the offense. To the resistance of some in the Detroit organization who were not enthused with O'Sullivan's pedigree, O'Sullivan was elevated to backup status behind starter Jon Kitna during his first season with the team.
O'Sullivan played in four games for the Lions, throwing the first regular-season passes of his NFL career. Martz liked what he saw, and when he became San Francisco's offensive coordinator in January, he intimated to coach Mike Nolan that the team need look no further than O'Sullivan for the veteran quarterback it wanted to bring in to join Alex Smith and Shaun Hill at the position.
The 49ers signed O'Sullivan to a one-year contract for the veteran's minimum salary of $645,000 on the first day of NFL free agency on Feb. 29, and he has gradually been rising to central prominence in the San Francisco offense ever since.
Some NFL observers are surprised by that development. Others are not. One former NFL scout, now a prominent analyst covering the league, told SFI that O’Sullivan has everything a quarterback needs to succeed in the Martz system.
"I think what it is with J.T. is, he can play the part," he said. "He's super intelligent. He's never going to make a mental mistake. Nowadays in the NFL, above the shoulders is way more important than below the shoulders.
"The big thing for O'Sullivan is he can make the throws that Mike Martz's offense requires. It says something that Martz brought him in. O'Sullivan is an accurate quarterback and he can nail that 18-yard dig (pattern) that is the staple of that offense. If he can do that, he's going to have a legitimate chance to be the guy. Physically, he's probably a notch below the other guys. But mentally, he's probably ahead of them. I think O'Sullivan's intelligence and competency in this offense is huge and it gives him a legitimate chance. Is he the long-term solution? No. But can he win in there for a year? It's possible.”
O’Sullivan is now in there as a starter – finally – and his rise to the position was accelerated earlier this month after O'Sullivan had watched from the sidelines as Smith and Hill took every snap in 11-on-11 team drills during the first seven days of training camp in July.
But when Smith and Hill struggled to pick up the offense, O'Sullivan got his shot with the first unit. Nobody knew it at the time, but the competition was essentially over. Nobody besides O'Sullivan worked with the first unit again this summer, and he clinched the job with strong performance as the starter the team’s first three exhibition games.
The 49ers have quickly come around to their new man behind center.
“The leadership and qualities he has just makes you kind of want to latch onto it and follow a guy like that,” rookie wide receiver Josh Morgan said. “J.T. knows the offense and he gets in there and takes command of the huddle. He goes out there and makes plays and gives us his all every time, and that’s what you want in a quarterback.”
O'Sullivan exhibited big-play ability during the preseason, hooking up with Morgan on a 59-yard touchdown pass to spark a 34-6 victory over Green Bay. The next week, he displayed ability to make plays on the move, scrambling to the sideline before unloading a 37-yard touchdown pass to receiver Jason Hill to put the 49ers ahead in a 37-30 victory at Chicago.
O'Sullivan was 7 of 8 passing for 126 yards and had a perfect quarterback rating of 158.3 in that game. He was named San Francisco's regular starter by Nolan the next day.
"That was a hell of a play by J.T. scrambling out and taking a hit,” Hill said of their touchdown collaboration. “I’ve got a lot of confidence in him. He comes in the huddle and he commands our attention. It means a lot that (O’Sullivan’s the starter), just because it’s good for team morale and we can rally around J.T. now and let him know we have the confidence in him to get the job done.”
Those words sound sweet to O'Sullivan, who certainly took the long way around to put himself in this position. But he's one guy that's definitely not about to suggest that he's arrived.
"I don't know if I'd classify it as that," O'Sullivan said. "I don't know if I'd be saying that's the greatest thing in the world. I'm worried now about going out there and playing, you know? But this is obviously the step that you need to take to play, so I'm definitely excited about that opportunity."
And with the way he’s moved the offense this summer, O’Sullivan is getting others excited, too.
http://sfo.scout.com/2/783402.html
Before his first practice as the official starting quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers last week, SFI asked J.T. O'Sullivan if he could talk about what a long, strange journey it has been to finally arrive at that much sought-after destination. "I mean, what part?" the usually stoic O'Sullivan replied with a hint of a grin. "You know, that's a serious conversation." And so it is.
It's a conversation that would cover the better part of seven years and spread over two continents and eight NFL organizations since O'Sullivan's professional career began when he was drafted in the sixth round by the New Orleans Saints in 2002.
Not a lot of quarterbacks ever have been through the labyrinthine process O'Sullivan has endured to finally ascend to starting status at the most important position in the game. But O’Sullivan’s faith never wavered during his long, strange journey to the top of San Francisco’s depth chart.
And now, when Sept. 7 finally rolls around, and the 49ers open the season at home against the Arizona Cardinals, O'Sullivan finally will have reached the summit of that laborious climb.
After wearing the colors of the Saints, Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, Carolina Panthers and Detroit Lions, O’Sullivan – who turned 29 on Monday – will make the first regular-season start of his career wearing the red-and-gold of the 49ers.
It represents a coming full circle for O'Sullivan, who cheered on the 49ers as a youngster growing up in Sacramento, where he was a star quarterback for one of the local prep powerhouses before taking his game to nearby UC-Davis. He enjoyed an All-American career at the Division II college, where he was a three-year starter and set numerous school records for passing and total offense.
It also was there O'Sullivan caught the eyes of NFL scouts and personnel types who recognized his potential despite the lower level of competition at which he was playing.
Those scouts and personnel types have been looking at O'Sullivan in a multitude of different ways ever since. How else to explain how he could bounce around from team to team - spending time on practice squads, spending the spring of 2007 in NFL Europa - without somebody recognizing his potential as a starter or giving him an opportunity in the role?
"I always thought I could play," O'Sullivan said. "That didn't waver when one GM or one personnel guy or one coach told me that I wasn't good enough for that team. It was like, 'Alright, that's your opinion.'"
And then O'Sullivan would pack his well-worn bags and move on, looking for the next opportunity to do better. There always seemed to be another opportunity waiting.
During one particularly eventful stretch, O'Sullivan spent time on the rosters of four different NFL teams during a 366-day span
"The longer I went along, the more I focused and realized it was about me playing well," O'Sullivan said. "If I were able to put everything aside and just control the things that I could control - my performance, my preparation - I think that I would have been more happy with the journey."
But O'Sullivan took each rejection personally, and a chip began to build on his shoulder. But he didn't lose confidence in himself. And he didn't give up on himself or give himself a ceiling, a time limit for making it the NFL.
He looked at the careers of other quarterbacks who took different paths to starting positions, quarterbacks who also had to make several stops along the way. It didn't necessarily make it easier, but it did offer some perspective.
"There were different circumstances in each of the places, but I flat out didn't agree with their decisions, so that's why I'm playing today," O'Sullivan said. "Obviously, when things don't go well, when you're sitting at home and you have no other choice, you look at other people's paths to play in this league in this position. And there's not a whole lot of smooth stories, there just isn't.
"Once you realize that this is your story, at some point you have to take this on yourself to realize that you're not going to be given an opportunity or nobody is going to hand you an opportunity to play, you're going to have to claw and scratch just to stay in the league. You're going to have to do everything you can to have the opportunity to make a team, and once you get that opportunity to make a team, to show them that you can play."
O'Sullivan kept scratching and clawing. And, finally, the opportunity came.
After being waived by Chicago in July of last year, O'Sullivan signed with the Detroit Lions, where Mike Martz was in his second season as offensive coordinator.
O'Sullivan's quick release and pinpoint passes were a perfect fit for the detailed Martz system, and he also showed that he had the wherewithal and smarts necessary to run the offense. To the resistance of some in the Detroit organization who were not enthused with O'Sullivan's pedigree, O'Sullivan was elevated to backup status behind starter Jon Kitna during his first season with the team.
O'Sullivan played in four games for the Lions, throwing the first regular-season passes of his NFL career. Martz liked what he saw, and when he became San Francisco's offensive coordinator in January, he intimated to coach Mike Nolan that the team need look no further than O'Sullivan for the veteran quarterback it wanted to bring in to join Alex Smith and Shaun Hill at the position.
The 49ers signed O'Sullivan to a one-year contract for the veteran's minimum salary of $645,000 on the first day of NFL free agency on Feb. 29, and he has gradually been rising to central prominence in the San Francisco offense ever since.
Some NFL observers are surprised by that development. Others are not. One former NFL scout, now a prominent analyst covering the league, told SFI that O’Sullivan has everything a quarterback needs to succeed in the Martz system.
"I think what it is with J.T. is, he can play the part," he said. "He's super intelligent. He's never going to make a mental mistake. Nowadays in the NFL, above the shoulders is way more important than below the shoulders.
"The big thing for O'Sullivan is he can make the throws that Mike Martz's offense requires. It says something that Martz brought him in. O'Sullivan is an accurate quarterback and he can nail that 18-yard dig (pattern) that is the staple of that offense. If he can do that, he's going to have a legitimate chance to be the guy. Physically, he's probably a notch below the other guys. But mentally, he's probably ahead of them. I think O'Sullivan's intelligence and competency in this offense is huge and it gives him a legitimate chance. Is he the long-term solution? No. But can he win in there for a year? It's possible.”
O’Sullivan is now in there as a starter – finally – and his rise to the position was accelerated earlier this month after O'Sullivan had watched from the sidelines as Smith and Hill took every snap in 11-on-11 team drills during the first seven days of training camp in July.
But when Smith and Hill struggled to pick up the offense, O'Sullivan got his shot with the first unit. Nobody knew it at the time, but the competition was essentially over. Nobody besides O'Sullivan worked with the first unit again this summer, and he clinched the job with strong performance as the starter the team’s first three exhibition games.
The 49ers have quickly come around to their new man behind center.
“The leadership and qualities he has just makes you kind of want to latch onto it and follow a guy like that,” rookie wide receiver Josh Morgan said. “J.T. knows the offense and he gets in there and takes command of the huddle. He goes out there and makes plays and gives us his all every time, and that’s what you want in a quarterback.”
O'Sullivan exhibited big-play ability during the preseason, hooking up with Morgan on a 59-yard touchdown pass to spark a 34-6 victory over Green Bay. The next week, he displayed ability to make plays on the move, scrambling to the sideline before unloading a 37-yard touchdown pass to receiver Jason Hill to put the 49ers ahead in a 37-30 victory at Chicago.
O'Sullivan was 7 of 8 passing for 126 yards and had a perfect quarterback rating of 158.3 in that game. He was named San Francisco's regular starter by Nolan the next day.
"That was a hell of a play by J.T. scrambling out and taking a hit,” Hill said of their touchdown collaboration. “I’ve got a lot of confidence in him. He comes in the huddle and he commands our attention. It means a lot that (O’Sullivan’s the starter), just because it’s good for team morale and we can rally around J.T. now and let him know we have the confidence in him to get the job done.”
Those words sound sweet to O'Sullivan, who certainly took the long way around to put himself in this position. But he's one guy that's definitely not about to suggest that he's arrived.
"I don't know if I'd classify it as that," O'Sullivan said. "I don't know if I'd be saying that's the greatest thing in the world. I'm worried now about going out there and playing, you know? But this is obviously the step that you need to take to play, so I'm definitely excited about that opportunity."
And with the way he’s moved the offense this summer, O’Sullivan is getting others excited, too.
Route 53: WR Zeigler
http://www.49ers.com/pressbox/news_detail.php?PRKey=4534§ion=PR News
80 players are allowed to be on NFL rosters at the start of training camp (81 for the 49ers since they have an international player), and the goal for everyone is to earn their way onto the final 53.
Throughout training camp, 49ers.com will highlight some of our newcomers and their Route to the 53.
Here’s the final installment of Route 53 with 49ers wide receiver Dominique Zeigler.
He considers himself a fan of the game. So much so that when the 49ers signed veteran wide receiver Isaac Bruce this offseason, he was full of anxiety about meeting one of the greatest players to ever play his position.
So naturally, 49ers wide receiver Dominique Zeigler took a wait and see approach when the veteran Bruce arrived in March as a free agent.
“You never know how he’s going to act or what type of person he is,” Zeigler said. “You don’t want to run up on him and ask him this and that. Once he started feeling his way around here and I saw what type of guy he was, I saw that he was a real good guy. Talking to him is an opportunity to learn from one of the best.”
Zeigler was especially nervous the first time he was in the same car as Bruce.
“I’m young, so every time I see somebody I’m like, ‘Man that’s so and so,’” Zeigler said. “I remember when I gave him a ride to the hotel I was just sitting there thinking, ‘Man, Isaac Bruce is in my car.’”
Zeigler tried to act like it was routine drive down the block, but he couldn’t help but feel star-struck.
“It’s kind of weird. He’s on your team and you have to look at it like that, but still I’m a fan,” Zeigler said. “I didn’t even turn the music on. I just sat there and talked to him. He’s a real good guy.”
Once Zeigler spent enough time around Bruce, he quickly got over his initial trepidation and started to soak up as much knowledge as he could from the receiver with the third most receiving yards in the history of the National Football League.
“Being able to play with a guy like that, that’s something that I never would have dreamed of,” Zeigler said.
“Growing up as a receiver, you watch those types of great players and you always want to mimic what they do. It’s just a blessing to watch him in practice and see the way he does it. If he gives you a pointer or something, you have to take that and do what he says, because obviously it has been working for him.”
Things have been working well for Zeigler too this camp. With the 49ers coaching staff resting Bruce by design, along with injuries to Arnaz Battle, Bryant Johnson and Ashley Lelie, Zeigler has made the most of his ample opportunities.
After three weeks of preseason play, Zeigler has 14 catches for 148 yards and a touchdown. He’s second in the NFL in catches, eighth in receiving yards and is tied for first with ten catches for first downs.
Last week against the Chicago Bears, Zeigler posted his best stats of the preseason, catching six passes for 61 yards and a 12-yard touchdown pass from Alex Smith.
“I got a chance to go in there and make plays,” Zeigler said. “I just ran what the play was called and as long as you do that in this offense, anyone can make plays.”
Zeigler credited his confidence for allowing him to haul in every pass thrown in his direction.
“When your number is called you have to go in there and make plays,” he said. “I have always believed in myself. Yeah, I might not be the biggest or I might not be the fastest guy, but I know I can make plays in this league. When my number is called, I’m going to catch the ball.”
Zeigler has that confidence because he’s built it during the many hours spent working with the juggs machine during his collegiate career at Baylor University. Zeigler would use the machine to practice catching passes overhead and to both sides of his body.
“We would catch a lot of balls different ways and I’m pretty lanky and limber so I can move a little bit different,” Zeigler remembered of his individual drills in college. “Some people say I move in awkward ways, but it helps to my advantage.”
Currently listed behind Bruce and Battle as the 49ers third “Z” receiver, Zeigler has been able to work with all three quarterbacks during training camp and has caught passes from both Smith and third string quarterback Shaun Hill in the games.
“It doesn’t really matter what quarterback it is, or what line is in, as long as everyone knows what they’re supposed to do you can get your job done and that was exactly what we were doing against the Bears,” Zeigler said. “Mike Martz’s offense has been known to put up points as long as you execute and that’s what we’ve been doing.”
Zeigler praised Martz’s offense for being wide open and said it reminded him of the big play potential offense he played in at Harker Heights High School in Killeen, Texas, where he once threw for 338 yards and five touchdowns in a game.
“I’ve always liked that type of offense. I ran something similar to that in high school, but I was the quarterback. It’s always a fun opportunity to attack people downfield. If you want action, this is the type of offense you want to play in,” Zeigler said.
Zeigler first earned a reputation for making spectacular catches with the 49ers last season when he played on the team’s practice squad. Although he came short of his goal of making the 53-man roster, Zeigler was pleased to have been able to improve his skills for an entire season.
“It was a lot to learn. I got a chance to go against the number one defense every day,” Zeigler said. “You’re going up against guys like Walt Harris and Nate Clements. I took that as a learning experience because those are some veteran corners.”
For the 2007 season, Zeigler continued to work on his skills, though it was hard not being able to play in the games.
“It was my first year not playing football since third grade because I didn’t redshirt in college. I just took it as a learning experience and I just tried to craft my skills,” Zeigler said.
With one game left on the preseason schedule, Zeigler knows Friday’s contest against the San Diego Chargers will be extremely important in determining whether he makes it on the final roster this go-around, or potentially returns to the practice squad.
“I’m going to go out there, run crisp routes and catch everything that’s thrown my way,” Zeigler said. “I don’t like dropping balls, even the hard ones. That’s just the type of person I am, I hate dropping balls. Any ball that’s thrown to me I feel like I can catch it. I’m just going to go out there and make plays.”
And that’s all the 49ers organization could ask for.
http://www.49ers.com/pressbox/news_detail.php?PRKey=4534§ion=PR News
80 players are allowed to be on NFL rosters at the start of training camp (81 for the 49ers since they have an international player), and the goal for everyone is to earn their way onto the final 53.
Throughout training camp, 49ers.com will highlight some of our newcomers and their Route to the 53.
Here’s the final installment of Route 53 with 49ers wide receiver Dominique Zeigler.
He considers himself a fan of the game. So much so that when the 49ers signed veteran wide receiver Isaac Bruce this offseason, he was full of anxiety about meeting one of the greatest players to ever play his position.
So naturally, 49ers wide receiver Dominique Zeigler took a wait and see approach when the veteran Bruce arrived in March as a free agent.
“You never know how he’s going to act or what type of person he is,” Zeigler said. “You don’t want to run up on him and ask him this and that. Once he started feeling his way around here and I saw what type of guy he was, I saw that he was a real good guy. Talking to him is an opportunity to learn from one of the best.”
Zeigler was especially nervous the first time he was in the same car as Bruce.
“I’m young, so every time I see somebody I’m like, ‘Man that’s so and so,’” Zeigler said. “I remember when I gave him a ride to the hotel I was just sitting there thinking, ‘Man, Isaac Bruce is in my car.’”
Zeigler tried to act like it was routine drive down the block, but he couldn’t help but feel star-struck.
“It’s kind of weird. He’s on your team and you have to look at it like that, but still I’m a fan,” Zeigler said. “I didn’t even turn the music on. I just sat there and talked to him. He’s a real good guy.”
Once Zeigler spent enough time around Bruce, he quickly got over his initial trepidation and started to soak up as much knowledge as he could from the receiver with the third most receiving yards in the history of the National Football League.
“Being able to play with a guy like that, that’s something that I never would have dreamed of,” Zeigler said.
“Growing up as a receiver, you watch those types of great players and you always want to mimic what they do. It’s just a blessing to watch him in practice and see the way he does it. If he gives you a pointer or something, you have to take that and do what he says, because obviously it has been working for him.”
Things have been working well for Zeigler too this camp. With the 49ers coaching staff resting Bruce by design, along with injuries to Arnaz Battle, Bryant Johnson and Ashley Lelie, Zeigler has made the most of his ample opportunities.
After three weeks of preseason play, Zeigler has 14 catches for 148 yards and a touchdown. He’s second in the NFL in catches, eighth in receiving yards and is tied for first with ten catches for first downs.
Last week against the Chicago Bears, Zeigler posted his best stats of the preseason, catching six passes for 61 yards and a 12-yard touchdown pass from Alex Smith.
“I got a chance to go in there and make plays,” Zeigler said. “I just ran what the play was called and as long as you do that in this offense, anyone can make plays.”
Zeigler credited his confidence for allowing him to haul in every pass thrown in his direction.
“When your number is called you have to go in there and make plays,” he said. “I have always believed in myself. Yeah, I might not be the biggest or I might not be the fastest guy, but I know I can make plays in this league. When my number is called, I’m going to catch the ball.”
Zeigler has that confidence because he’s built it during the many hours spent working with the juggs machine during his collegiate career at Baylor University. Zeigler would use the machine to practice catching passes overhead and to both sides of his body.
“We would catch a lot of balls different ways and I’m pretty lanky and limber so I can move a little bit different,” Zeigler remembered of his individual drills in college. “Some people say I move in awkward ways, but it helps to my advantage.”
Currently listed behind Bruce and Battle as the 49ers third “Z” receiver, Zeigler has been able to work with all three quarterbacks during training camp and has caught passes from both Smith and third string quarterback Shaun Hill in the games.
“It doesn’t really matter what quarterback it is, or what line is in, as long as everyone knows what they’re supposed to do you can get your job done and that was exactly what we were doing against the Bears,” Zeigler said. “Mike Martz’s offense has been known to put up points as long as you execute and that’s what we’ve been doing.”
Zeigler praised Martz’s offense for being wide open and said it reminded him of the big play potential offense he played in at Harker Heights High School in Killeen, Texas, where he once threw for 338 yards and five touchdowns in a game.
“I’ve always liked that type of offense. I ran something similar to that in high school, but I was the quarterback. It’s always a fun opportunity to attack people downfield. If you want action, this is the type of offense you want to play in,” Zeigler said.
Zeigler first earned a reputation for making spectacular catches with the 49ers last season when he played on the team’s practice squad. Although he came short of his goal of making the 53-man roster, Zeigler was pleased to have been able to improve his skills for an entire season.
“It was a lot to learn. I got a chance to go against the number one defense every day,” Zeigler said. “You’re going up against guys like Walt Harris and Nate Clements. I took that as a learning experience because those are some veteran corners.”
For the 2007 season, Zeigler continued to work on his skills, though it was hard not being able to play in the games.
“It was my first year not playing football since third grade because I didn’t redshirt in college. I just took it as a learning experience and I just tried to craft my skills,” Zeigler said.
With one game left on the preseason schedule, Zeigler knows Friday’s contest against the San Diego Chargers will be extremely important in determining whether he makes it on the final roster this go-around, or potentially returns to the practice squad.
“I’m going to go out there, run crisp routes and catch everything that’s thrown my way,” Zeigler said. “I don’t like dropping balls, even the hard ones. That’s just the type of person I am, I hate dropping balls. Any ball that’s thrown to me I feel like I can catch it. I’m just going to go out there and make plays.”
And that’s all the 49ers organization could ask for.