Category Archives: Offseason camps

Couldn’t I just be Vernon Davis for 24 hours? The 49ers tight end leads such an action-packed and glamorous life, he must have a few premieres or ribbon cuttings to casually toss to the rest of us slobs.
Just check out a few of Davis’ Twitter posts from the past week.
10:33 p.m. Friday: “Thanks to Jim for letting me use his 30million dollar home tomorrow to for my fabulous pool party.”
10:00 a.m. Saturday: “Thanks to Porsche for giving me their new 4 door to drive around. I think I’m in love,”
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In the grand scheme of things, a 2-minute drill in June, with key players missing on both sides of the ball, is about as meaningful as a Battle of Gettysburg reenactment in Fresno. But to those of us starved for action during the NFL lean months, it was the climactic conclusion of Super Bowl XXIII all over again.
The 49ers ran the 2-minute drill twice at the end of practice today, moving the chains and the huddle down the field as they went.
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After the 49ers’ final organized team activity (read: voluntary practice) of the year, coach Mike Singletary said, “I thought the offense got better. I thought Alex (Smith) did a great job executing the offense.” But the defense may have won the day. Here are some notes and observations from today’s activity…
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Notes and observations from today’s voluntary practice in Santa Clara…
• RB Michael Robinson, absent Monday, was back at practice today. TE Vernon Davis remained elsewhere. He tweeted about running “the biggest hill in San Jose” and filming a movie. The other missing 49ers were the same ones we’ve gone without all offseason: NT Aubrayo Franklin, LB Manny Lawson and CBs Shawntae Spencer and Nate Clements.
• WR Brandon Jones (ankle) and T Matt Kopa (foot) did not practice. DL Kentwan Balmer and CB Will James were limited to position drills. After practice, LB Travis LaBoy and FB Brit Miller stretched while their teammates ran.
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Notes and observations from today’s voluntary practice in Santa Clara…
• NT Aubrayo Franklin, OLB Manny Lawson, and CBs Shawntae Spencer and Nate Clements continue to skip the voluntary OTAs. TE Vernon Davis and RB Michael Robinson were absent today, too. DL Kentwan Balmer took part in individual drills for the first time this offseason, while WR Brandon Jones (ankle), CB Will James (pelvic bone) and T Matt Kopa (foot) continue to rehab. Rookie RB Anthony Dixon did individual work but no team period. And the big news: LB Patrick Willis was back in team sessions for the first time this offseason.
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Karl Paymah has been a fixture at cornerback with the 49ers’ first team recently. Shawntae Spencer and Nate Clements have been avoiding voluntary practices, and Paymah has been one of the big beneficiaries.
I talked to Paymah during this last round of OTAs. If you read my piece on rookie LeRoy Vann, you got a glimpse of a brash young athlete (even the gold teeth seem to fit the picture). Paymah has a much quieter demeanor, but underneath he seems to be just as confident.
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Notes and observations from today’s voluntary practice in Santa Clara…
• Finally, the first intra-squad wrestling match of the spring, as OLB Parys Haralson scuffles with, I’m pretty sure, TE Delanie Walker. Other players jumped in before it escalated. Coach Mike Singletary was not the least bit amused. The whole team had to run lines for the transgression.
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Friday will not be remembered as the greatest day ever for the 49ers’ defense. Yesterday, the team ran 60 plays in red zone during team period and scored 3 touchdowns. Today, the offense scored 4 touchdowns in its first 20 plays.
But it wasn’t just the yardage or scoring. The defensive unit looked discombobulated.
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What a day it was for Taylor Mays, the rookie safety. He got a bunch of reps as the 49ers practiced nickel situations. He broke up a pass in the end zone, and got to chat with Hall of Fame defensive back Rod Woodson. And after all that, the main topic of the day was the sanctions handed down against the USC sports program.
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The 49ers moved one step closer to assembling the entire roster today. And no, Patrick Willis didn’t make a surprising recovery from knee surgery, nor did Manny Lawson decide he was happy after all. But another linebacker, rookie Keaton Kristick, finally entered the fold.
Kristick’s class graduated at Oregon State, meaning he could practice with his new team. He was the final 49ers rookie to take the field this offseason. He confirmed that it pretty much drove him crazy to follow his NFL team from afar for the past month.
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