SANTA CLARA – Michael Crabtree increased his practice participation on Tuesday, catching three passes from Alex Smith within the first ten minutes of team drills. Crabtree mostly watched from the sideline after those catches, but he looked like the best wide receiver on the team and Alex Smith’s favorite target when he was playing.
Ahmad Brooks is having the best offseason of his career according to the coaches, and he’s a stand out defender in training camp. Today, he beat right tackle Anthony Davis with an outside speed rush for a touch sack on Alex Smith, who kept playing despite the sack and hit Randy Moss in the middle of the end zone for touchdown.
Demarcus Dobbs beat backup left tackle Mike Person to sack Josh Johnson. Dobbs lined up at right defensive tackle, right next to Aldon Smith – the right end. They did a stunt – Smith ran inside and Dobbs looped around outside, catching Person by surprise and blowing right by him. Whenever Justin Smith took breathers during today’s practice, Dobbs substituted for him and played very well.
Scott Tolzien completed 10 of the 14 passes he threw, including a few deep passes and two touchdowns – one to Nathan Palmer and the other to Brian Tyms. Tolzien played the best of the four quarterbacks this afternoon.
A.J. Jenkins had his best day of training camp, making a few sprawling catches and a nice jumping catch on a deep pass down the middle from Tolzien. Jenkins was covered by Perrish Cox on that play, but Cox didn’t see the ball coming or challenge the catch.
Third-string left tackle and Rohnert Park native Al Netter won his three meetings with Aldon Smith today. Aldon Smith tried to beat Netter with a speed rush to the outside once, but Netter pushed him around the quarterback and out of the play. Later, Netter held his ground on a couple of Aldon Smith’s bull rushes.
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Can’t wait for Friday night.
G’head, Netter! I’ve had him as one of the underdogs I’m rooting for.
Brotha, Al’s a good kid from a nice family. I grew up and went to school with his older brother John. I’m right there with ya rootin for him to make it. From Grant’s perspective, he did well today. Friday can’t come soon enough!
“Crabtree….looked like the best wide receiver on the team and Alex Smith’s favorite target when he was playing.”
DS, Prime, Latino, FDM, Ribico, and the rest of the anti-Crabtree bunch, make sure you read that over and over again. Eventually maybe you all will get a clue when it comes to this guy. Listening to you all ramble on about him being a bust is like listening to Jordan and Bay talk about Alex Smith.
They will claim Grant wasnt’t observing properly or that he doesn’t know what he is talking about. There are a lot of excuses out there, they will find some.
MC prediction time. 1100 yards 8 TD’s and a huge playoff run.
Good stuff about Crabs, take notice haters
Another source has it differently.
“The best receiver today was A.J. Jenkins.”
http://www.examiner.com/article/49ers-training-camp-notes-day-10
We all see what we want to see, don’t we?
Jack Hammer – Niiiiice!
Jack I will base my opinion on Crabtree starting week one not because of what some reporter said or because you told me to!
#15 has a lot to prove this year and it starts week one. Until then lets take the wait and see approach and see how well he steps up.
Prime,
LOL! You can only deny reality for so long.
Would you care to put a little wager or this?
“Michael Crabtree increased his practice participation on Tuesday, catching three passes from Alex Smith within the first ten minutes of team drills. Crabtree mostly watched from the sideline after those catches, but he looked like the best wide receiver on the team and Alex Smith’s favorite target when he was playing.”
Calm down Grant. You dont want to start a riot here.
Go Scott!!
Yep, I am also pulling for Scotty!
Great to hear Netter is doing well. Playing against him back in HS, never would have thought he would be in the pro’s.
Where’d you play Adam? I’m a Rancho alum. Al played against my little bro.
@Sleeper….I’m a Rancho alum as well……the Netter boys weren’t at Newman yet (they might not have even been born)…Jerry Robinson was the star at CN then…inspite of JR, we did win consecutive (’71 & ’72)
league football titles…. I’m rooting for Netter as well..aside from being ‘home-grown’, he was one of those special student-athletes the excelled in the classroom and on the football field,,,,can’t have too many intelligent players on the roster.
@ 55Niner
Thanks for the info on Netter being a good student too; I hadn’t read that, and it is just another positive on his resume.
Question though 55: Are you the one who started “Canning” at The Ranch? LOL
@Tuna,
If I’m not mistaken, Al Netter was Academic All-American, Academic All-Conference….anyway, he’s damn smart! As far as the canning thing goes at Rancho, it was going strong when I got there in ’70..
I played at Rancho. 09 graduate. Who is your little brother?
Part of Crabree’s image problem comes from statements like the one he made earlier today regarding how he was “Just cruising through practice.” When you think of any great NFL player, this statement is just not congruent with their attitude (Justin Smith comes to mind). This is probably why he doesn’t talk to the media routinely. He also said something to the effect of: when I’m 100%, then I will go (practice). This sounds very Pau Gasol-ish to me, which always raises criticisms of european basketball players as soft. And as Crabtree eluded to, this is football, nobody is 100%. Then the issue becomes, is he avoiding practice, does he have a low opinion of practice, or does he think its unnecessary?
I certainly don’t want Crabtree to exacerbate an injury during practice, and he has definitely shown in his college and pro career that he will play through pain, and he is a willing blocker. So I don’t think questioning his toughness is a valid issue. I think once the season gets started and he starts making plays all of this criticism will go away. But it will just return everytime he gives off the impression that he isn’t absolutely working his butt off to get better, and coasting on his natural talents like…a…diva.
Dangle
What MC has to do is tell the world there isn’t a QB who he’d rather have (Like FG/VD have said) than AS and then pull a JT and not talk. Whenever he says something it is not good. Ilike your call on the JS thing. He isn’t a big media guy, but he manages to say good things and never bad things.
So you want Crabtree to lie?
“Just cruising through practice.”
Imagine the uproar if that came from the mouth of any other player?
@ribico
Not just any player, but the QB. MC doesn’t do anything or say anything to make me think he’s a real leader. And a leading WR needs to lead. VD does both. MC needs to become a leader. And leaders don’t “just cruise thru practice.” They look to get better and are their own worst critics. Has MC ever said “My fault.”? AS/FG/VD always do. Or anything critical of himself?
Well DS, as AES forever points out, MC was the 49ers “leading* receiver last season. Considering the other candidates were either on the IR, cut mid-season or brought up from the practice sqaud, that’s damnable praise. But whatever, we are all cruising through, right?
ribico
AES has issues with it. MC was the leading WR on a team which didn’t pass it a lot. Had their other 2 potential WR’s suffer season ending injury (BE/JM). Their other starter WR is such an impressive WR, nobody wanted him (TG) in FA.
And their best playmaker stank for much of the year, was held in to block a ton, yet still managed to end the season only 12 catches or so less than MC. Plus that whole playoff thing left no doubt in my mind that MC is the leading WR because he’s the best.
Prime has asked AES who else could have been the leading receiver. Yet somehow AES doesn’t see those posts or the one where I ask him to describe how he is “All in” when his reply to a post saying “AS is garbage..” was “BINGO”.
Somehow, he hasn’t seen those posts.
Byee Scott, Hello Josh.
Someone tell me why isn’t Tolzien our #2 QB. Im tired of hearing people say well he moved up in the draft for him. No we didn’t harbaugh wanted Dalton but he was picked at #35. Idk someone explain mroma.87@gmail.com FB <===€
Scott will be our #2 at least..give him reps with the #1 squad asap…..do you guys remember how he sliced our defense last pre season w/ da chargers? Yup definitely has what it takes…smith is always going to play scary especially if mike sing is on the same field..cant wait fir Friday
Tolzien went in the very late rounds if I’m not mistaken. What you may be getting confused about, is how Harbaugh came to like Scott. At the combines, the QB that was throwing to all WR’s that day was Scott Tolzien. Harbaugh was there to watch other players and the guy he’s paying most attention to is Tolzien. He planned to draft him late, but was barely beat to him by Chargers. Worked out in the end, we snatched him off waivers.
He will shock many and steal the #2, an incredibly important position when Alex is your starter. Deep routes aren’t for Alex and it holds this WC offense back.
Actually, I believe that Tolzien went undrafted and was then signed by the Chargers as a free agent…
“”Deep routes aren’t for Alex and it holds this WC offense back.”
I agree with you deep routes arent Alex s forte but in no way does it hold a WCO back. The philosophy of the WCO is short, safe, high percentage passes.
Undercenter,
it does hold the WCO back. If over time a QB shows the inability to stretch a field because he either ignores a deep route or throws it inaccurately, then the defense begins to creepy closer and closer to the line.
When a QB shows this tendency over an entire career you then face a stacked box the majority of the time. Our QB has faced stacked boxes and single coverages on the outside most of his career and has shown a reluctance to make a defense pay.
I know I know…. the wide receivers are never open…
“Scott tolzien looked like the best of all 4 QB’s?”…….. Maybe thats cause he is the best of the 4!
How did Nathan Palmer and Chris Owusu look today?
Palmer looked good, he caught a TD between a couple defenders in the end zone. He’s a tough player. Owusu had a quiet day.
NAPALM!!! I’m stoked about that guy. Hopefully he can prove that he’s more than a cool nickname and TC standout. We could have our own Victor Cruz situation to upstage Mario Manningham (and all the other wideouts). Nothing against MM, but it would be ironic if he left a team after getting upstaged by an Undrafted FA, to then get upstaged by another, plus that would mean great things for our team.
+1 Dangle. I’m hoping the Niners don’t try to place him on the practice squad because I believe he would disappear very, very quickly.
What defense was that against? The first, second, or third-stringers?
First stringers minus Justin Smith and Patrick Willis, I believe.
That’s pretty darn impressive. I’m beginning to believe that it would be on the team’s best interest to keep him on the roster no matter what. He could be our team’s version of Victor Cruz.
How did the first team o line look? Does Boone look like he is keeping his pad level low in the run game?
They played well. I’ll watch Boone’s pad level closely tomorrow. He’s been very effective in pass protection.
Thank you Grant. Your responses to all of our questions are appreciated.
I agree wholeheartedly Jack.
I love hearing that Boone has so far been effective on pass protection. That’s something that has been missing from the RG position for quite some time now.
Is there a contigency plan if Tolzien shines and leapfrogs either Johnson or Kaepernick? Do they stash Josh Johnson on practice squad?
Tolzein is only qb eligable for PS
Johnson won’t make the team. He’s not a very good QB…
I’m starting to agree with you. He’s had his chances in the past and never capitalized. Great athlete, fun to watch, but gets rattled under pressure easily. I think Tolzien beats him out. Just a guess.
Here’s another report on yesterday’s session:
http://www.examiner.com/article/49ers-training-camp-notes-day-10
So, in looking for some positives…..ahem..
> Baalke has a good record w/ talent evaluation. His enthusiasm for AJJ gives me huge confidence that the guy will succeed. Now we have a report of him having a fine day and making plays. Sometimes there’s a moment or series of moments when the light goes on for a player; I think its often an issue of confidence. I’m happy he’s had one of those.
> The “Winner Runs” scenario: Sure that’s true; Grant can’t make that up!
Not everybody would agree or like it, but here’s my list (for fun) of who might:
Jim Harbaugh (top of list)
USMC Drill Instructors
Wrestling Coaches
Jerry Rice
Roger Craig
Walter Payton (r.i.p.)
Justin Smith
Tri-atheletes
Nut cases (bless their hearts) who think running The Dipsea is recreation.
It was great to hear that AJ had a good day. And hopefully the “light” has come on as you mention Brotha. I am looking forward to see him play Friday.
ribico says:
August 8, 2012 at 9:37 am
“Well DS, as AES forever points out, MC was the 49ers “leading* receiver last season. Considering the other candidates were either on the IR, cut mid-season or brought up from the practice sqaud, that’s damnable praise. But whatever, we are all cruising through, right?”
@Ribico
Sounds like a forced MC endorsement especially throwing in all BS. But hey, even a forced and strained endorsement is better than hate (lol).
By mid-season you guys should be ready to hop on board with Crabtree as our Starter, and perhaps throw in a weak wimper of a cheer when he catches a TD (lol)!
“ALL IN!”
I sure hope it does not take Crabtree til mideseason to score a TD like last year in week 6 against the Browns!
It shouldn’t FDM. Remember that AS will need to prove that the Org made the right choice in bringing in RM, MM and drafting a WR with their pick.
Do you really think that AS has nothing to prove and will not be under the microscope?
Just like MC, AS will have to deliver. Do you really feel that Harbaugh is not taking notice of AS’ redzone low success rate in TC?
Be careful when putting all the pressure solely on MC to improve. If AS carries his redzone miscues into the season things may shake up around here.
C’mon FDM, have some coffee and wake up to reality (lol).
>>a weak wimper of a cheer
AES, you must be addressing Jordo on AS’s TD passses.
Myself, I cheer *mightily*, no matter what 49er cruises to a TD. For the record, this year I hope MC saves, in addition to Christmas – Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Kwannza.
Agreed. With one caveat; let’s hope he get’s more opportunities to make plays!
Good to have Crabtree back…just a minor bump in the road, this last injury. He and Alex should be a good combo this season. With Moss and Manningham taking much of the DB’s deep, ‘Tree should have plenty of room to work underneath. This should be his true breakout season.