Jaquiski Tartt picks off Colin Kaepernick during 2-minute drill, plus more from 49ers minicamp

SANTA CLARA

Here are the highlights from Day 2 of the 49ers’ minicamp.

THE GOOD

1. Jaquiski Tartt, free safety. The 49ers’ ended practice with a 2-minute drill – first-team offense vs. first-team defense, second-team offense versus second-team defense, etc. Each offense had 1:29 and one timeout to score from the defense’s 35-yard line. So, technically it was a one-minute-and-29-second drill.

Jaquiski Tartt, not Eric Reid, was the free safety for the first-team defense during this drill. On second-and-10 from the defense’s 23-yard line, Kaepernick dropped back and looked toward Torrey Smith, who was running deep. Tartt read Kaepernick’s eyes, broke early on the pass and easily picked it off in the end zone. If Tartt hadn’t made the interception, Chris Cook probably would have – he was right there.

2. Vernon Davis, tight end. Outran Antoine Bethea and Michael Wilhoite down the seam for a 50-yard touchdown catch on the first play of 7-on-7 drills. Also outran Nick Moody and Kenneth Acker down the seam for a 40-yard touchdown during 11-on-11’s.

3. Blake Bell, tight end. Beat Reid over the middle for a 20-yard touchdown on third-and-10 during the “2-minute” drill. Blaine Gabbert threw the pass, which hit Bell in stride.

4. DiAndre Campbell, wide receiver. Beat Acker down the right sideline for a 20-yard touchdown on fourth-and-9 during the “two minute” drill. Rookie Dylan Thompson threw the pass. Earlier in practice, Gabbert completed a 20-yarder to Campbell, who had beaten Marcus Cromartie on a post route.

5. Corey Lemonier, outside linebacker. The starting right outside linebacker while Aldon Smith sat out practice with a bruised toe. Once during 11-on-11’s, Lemonier and Tank Carradine executed a perfect T-E stunt, just like Aldon and Justin Smith used to. Carradine tied up two blockers, Lemonier looped to the inside, slipped past starting center Joe Looney and tagged Kaepernick for the sack.

6. Eli Harold, outside linebacker. Exploded past third-string left tackle Chris Martin to sack Dylan Thompson during the “two-minute” drill. Harold got off so quickly, for a second I thought he was Aldon Smith.

7. Colin Kaepernick’s touch on short passes. The theme of practice was short passes in the flat. The Niners’ quarterbacks must have thrown 25 of them during team drills. Kaepernick didn’t miss any of these passes. He threw his short passes accurately and with touch.

THE NOT SO GOOD

1. Colin Kaepernick in crunch time. Kaepernick had 1:29 and one timeout to score from the defense’s 35-yard line at the end of practice. Here’s the play by play:

First and 10 from the 35: Kaepernick completes a pass in the flat to Carlos Hyde. Gain of five.

Second and 5 from the 30: Kaepernick scrambles to his left for seven yards and a first down.

First and 10 from the 23: Kaepernick throws a back-shoulder fade to Torrey Smith running down the left sideline. The pass flies out of bounds 10 yards behind Smith skips across the wet grass. Maybe the ball slipped out of Kaepernick’s hand.

Second and 10 from the 23: Kaepernick stands calmly in a perfect pocket, staring down Torrey Smith as he runs deep. Then Kaepernick lofts a pass to Smith who is double-covered by Chris Cook and Jaquiski Tartt in the end zone. Tartt intercepts the pass. That was Kaepernick’s final throw of the day.

This article has 176 Comments

  1. … Harold got off so quickly, for a second I thought he was Aldon Smith.
    ———-
    No but he might be next year.

    1. Your prediction about Harold certainly isn’t looking too shabby at the moment.

      1. There wasn’t much question that he had a strong speed rush but the day Grant says “Harold faked the speed rush to the outside and put a swim move on the defender to move inside that would make Phelps envious” that’s when I’ll feel good about my prediction.

        That speed rush will only take him so far, as we’ve both eluded to in previous discussions, and it’ll take expanding that repertoire of moves before he’ll have any consistent success against NFL starters. Well unless he ever faces Jonathan Martin.

        1. Hey Scooter after re-reading my response it sounded like I was arguing with your compliment, should have just agreed with ya.

          1. No no, I knew you weren’t disagreeing/ arguing, just tempering expectations a little – maybe hedging your bets in case he doesn’t dominate this year ;-)

            1. maybe hedging your bets in case he doesn’t dominate this year
              —————-
              Learned from the best, thanks Grant.

  2. “He threw his short passes accurately and with touch.” This was one of CK’s shortcomings, glad to read that he was accurate with touch, at least for today.

    1. It’s not like he’s never thrown with accuracy and touch before. It’s a percentage thing.

      1. Htwaits- Good point! The thing is that more practice should create better consistency. How often did they run those sort of plays in practice before this year? They sure didn’t run them in games.

  3. Vernon Davis, tight end. Outran Antoine Bethea and Michael Wilhoite down the seam for a 50-yard touchdown catch

    Blake Bell, tight end. Beat Reid over the middle for a 20-yard touchdown

    DiAndre Campbell, wide receiver. Beat Acker down the right sideline for a 20-yard touchdown on fourth-and-9 during the “two minute” drill.
    —————————-
    I’m really looking forward to our secondary pass defense this year.

    1. Without pads and no hitting, I imagine pass coverage would be a lot harder. At this time of year we are usually hearing about how the receivers are beating the DBs, so I’m not too worried… yet.

    2. You cant have it both ways, someone has to win.
      If it were all INT’s, it would be:
      “I’m really looking forward to our wide receiver corps this year.”

  4. Grant,
    Thank for the updates.
    Btw, who threw the 40 and 50 yrd TD’s?

    Happy to hear that CK is showing some touch on his passes. Not to excited about Kaep telegraphing his pass to TSmith that went for an Int. especially to a rookie.
    CK has to learn to take what the defense gives him rather than try to force a pass.

    Acker seemed to be on the short end on defense today. Bell continues to make a case for himself. And Harold will get his numbered called more than a few times this season.

      1. “Colin Kaepernick connected with Vernon Davis on completions of 40 and 50 yards to highlight Wednesday’s offensive showing at mandatory minicamp.” … Barrows

        Did Grant mention this?

        1. Because it didn’t fit with Tuesday’s analysis. How can Grant keep saying Kap can’t throw from the pocket if he actually points out the times he does.

          1. Grant aside, there were many times during the 2014 season that Kaepernick threw with great accuracy and touch. He needs more of those and a lot fewer of those “what was that” throws.

          2. Those were good throws from the pocket. The first one came against the second-team defense and the second throw came in 7-on-7s with no pass rush.

      2. Inman is always watching the 49ers through rose colored glasses. Not saying Grant sees them clearly, but Inman is always reporting primarily on the good – and lets hope there’s always good to find. Grant looks at the 49ers through a magnafying glass, always looking for something bad/negative. I try to read both and believe reality is somewhere in between.

        1. Lotstosay,
          This is not a case of how a certain writer wants to put his personal twist on a story. This is about reporting unbiased facts.

          Grant did not mention that it was Kaep that threw the 40, and 50 yrd TD passes to VD, only that Vernon was on the receiving end of them. Look at Grant’ point #2 and see for yourself.

          Grant was quick to point out CK in his “the not so good” section. Failing to note Kaep’ 40, and 50 yrd TD’s in his “the good” section smacks of unbalanced reporting imo.

  5. This is extremely premature as there are no pads right now, but if this team is having a difficulty covering its own TE’s, I wonder what the defensive plan is against Graham twice this season.

  6. Kaepernick dropped back and looked toward Torrey Smith, who was running deep. Tartt read Kaepernick’s eyes, broke early on the pass and easily picked it off in the end zone.
    —————
    Thank God we have a deep threat receiver now.

    1. I’m just picturing Reggie Bush wide open underneath, throwing his hands in the air and shaking his head as Kaep decides to throw to Smith… I’m sure that didn’t happen, but its what I’m picturing :-)

        1. My squadron basketball team was missing our other scorers, so in the fourth quarter I came to a 21 year old’s stupid conclusion that we needed a miracle to win the game. Something like making 17 shots in a row should be enough.

          I started forcing jump shots and I set a personal record by missing 17 shots in a row.

          I had no trouble breaking that one time tendency. Kaepernick has the disadvantage of sometimes pulling of an occasional miracle. His tendency will be much harder to break

          1. htwaits- Again you make a good point. I would however like to add something to that observation. That point was discussed on a thread last year.

            For example- Hail Mary passes are usually thrown in times of desperation. Sometimes they work but more often than not they end up in an interception. Players make those types of plays because they think they have too. Problem is there is a risk factor involved. In the last two season the offense has not been very explosive and lacked play makers except for Davis in 2013 when he was not injured. Kaep has been functioning with the mind set that he has to constantly make plays. When they are not there he looks to create them and that’s when the percentages catch up with him. With more explosive playmakers it should allow him the opportunity to change that mindset.

            Another thing- This is an early season practice. QB’s might be apt to take more risks in establishing a connection and timing with a new receiver. It’s ok to make mistakes in practice. The thing is that as someone mentioned it is also the perfect time to practice things like looking off receivers. This team has a lot of new pieces and a new offense. Lets just wait a bit before coming to major conclusions. When certain patterns begin to constantly repeat themselves down the line then it will be time to worry.

    2. The non Grant reports mentioned a long TD connection between Kap and Smith as well. Work in progress.

      1. “2. Vernon Davis, tight end. Outran Antoine Bethea and Michael Wilhoite down the seam for a 50-yard touchdown catch on the first play of 7-on-7 drills. Also outran Nick Moody and Kenneth Acker down the seam for a 40-yard touchdown during 11-on-11’s.”
        ~ Grant

        rocket,
        I’m sure Grant just forgot to mention that it was Kaep who threw those long TD passes.
        After all, one would think that Grant has an agenda with CK ;- )

      2. Kap did not complete a long pass to Smith in today’s practice. Barrows wrote that Smith caught one of two long passes from Kaepernick, but Davis caught both of them. Kap and Smith connected twice on short passes, but Kaepernick missed five passes intended for Smith.

        1. Grant: Which validates my other post that it appears that Kaep is at the stage of establishing timing with Smith on his routes and that might be one reason he is focusing on Smith during his routes to get a sense of the timing and not looking him off.

          In any type of analysis one has to consider all the variables and possibilities in order to come to a valid conclusion. Agenda’s create predetermined conclusions. If your not looking for other possibles you won’t ever see them even if you had the ability to recognize them. Grant some of your other articles have shown that you do have the ability to do very effective analysis, so we have to lay this on agenda.

    1. I agree with everything you say here. Boone shifting to LG makes sense as its the harder OG position to play. That is usually the side where the better interior pass rusher comes from and as you say, the LG is usually the one that does the most pulling in the run game. It will also get him used to playing the left side so he can shift to LT if Staley gets hurt.

      It will also allow the 49ers to put the less experienced Thomas or Martin at the easier RG position, let them get used to playing in the NFL.

      Pears at RT also makes sense. They could shift Boone there, but that would put two newbies at the OG positions or mean Pears needs to shift to OG. Makes more sense to keep Pears at RT though as that is where he’s played most of his football. Brown probably won’t beat out the vets for the job this offseason, even though he has shown some promise.

      1. If Boone plays well at LG and backs up Staley, does he get the money he’s looking for?

        1. Boone will get his pay day next year. Just highly unlikely it will be by the 49ers.

            1. Not necessarily, but I guess it depends on what he does expect. If he expects to be paid like one of the best OTs in the NFL then yeah, he’ll be disappointed. But you can get good coin as a FA OG, especially if you can play some OT as well. Mike Iupati is just an OG and he got $8M a season.

              Guys that can be effective starting OTs are always in high demand, so Boone will have an extra string to his bow than Iupati (though that will be tempered by Boone not being as dominant an OG as Iupati at his best). Teams will know Boone can play OT as well as OG, regardless of where he plays this year. He’s played some OT for the 49ers in the past in fill-in duty and done it well. Its possible he may even be better off playing LG (assuming he plays it well) and not playing any OT this year, because that way teams will get to see him play the more difficult OG position and will only have good tape on him as an OT in the NFL.

              I expect if Boone plays well this year, no matter which position he plays, he will be in for a nice pay day.

      2. I’m not getting all the “love” for Pears. I don’t have access to PFF, but I’m sure I’ve seen several times that he had quite a negative rating last year. In OTAs with no pads, how can we possibly assume that he will be a good option at right tackle. Now, maybe what people are saying is that he is the best option available. I’m thinking maybe we should use some of that new found cap space on an OL (admittedly, I can’t offer up any names).

        1. I understand your reticence regarding Pears. He’s never been anything more than a questionable starter. But regarding his PFF rating last year it is worth noting he was playing RG, not RT. RT is where he’s played most of his career (albeit with not a lot more success than his stint at RG!).

          I wouldn’t try and convince you he’s a good RT, he’s not. But he may well be the best option for the position unless one of the young guys really impresses and wins the job.

          1. JimT seems to like him as a RT, and maybe even string-less Baalke likes him too. Maybe it’s coincidental that the coach and the coach’s boss both like a veteran RT that’s never impressed at his position in eight years and played poorly last year at RG.

            1. Don’t imagine they would have signed him if they didn’t think he was worth having. You are making more of this than there is. When they say they like him at RT it seems pretty clear they mean that is the position they believe he is best at. Time will tell as to whether he is also the best RT option on the team.

              1. I’d hate to think it was spite that’s putting Boone at LG. I’m hoping for a true competition for RT. If its Pears, it means he beat out Boone, Thomas, Brown for the job.

                Summer’s the official optimism season of the NFL, but Tomsula did indicate Pears was looking strong, fast and “in the best shape of his life.”

        2. I was coming to basically say the same thing. He was a dumpster fire last year as a RG with a grade of -25. However his previous seasons at RT although still not exctly pretty aren’t even close to as bad as he was at guard. So although not an ideal option he’s still a better choice then Martin.

          Scooter and I have offered a couple of names that would be decent options, certainly better then Pears; Anthony Collins and Gabe Carimi. Collins would come cheap because he just had a terrible year in Tampa but ya know…Tampa. He grades out quite well and had earned the big contract that the Bucs gave him but seemed to fall apart on a horrible team. Becuase the Bucs are poorly managed that cut Collins after only one season. Could be our gain. Carimi has been a solid option at tackle and would almost certainly come at the vet minimum.

      3. I’m starting to like the idea of Boone at LG, but if that end up being the case I’d rather see Martin and Thomas round out the right side. However, that would leave an abundance of inexperience, albeit talented inexperience.

        That makes me think Pears gets the nod at RT, at least in the short term.

        1. I think we are reading too much into this. Boone was taking snaps with the second team at LG. It’s a case of wanting to make sure he can play anywhere they need him to play. One thing Boone is, is versatile, and they are going to take advantage of that to get the best 5 on the field at the same time. Pears at RT doesn’t excite me at all, but they don’t have a lot of options right now. The Davis retirement was a real blow.

          Honestly, I’m more confused by Andrew Tiller playing LG with the first team. I know they are just plugging guys in to see what they can do, but for him to be playing ahead of Thomas is a bit concerning. It’s early though, so we’ll see how they line up in TC.

    2. That seems to be the way they are leaning but Pears in a starting role is not ideal. I’m really hoping the youngsters (Martin,Thomas) step up and force their way Into the lineup.

        1. I think Tackle is more natural to him, so yes I think he could play it and I think he’d be a better option than Pears on the right side. The question becomes: are they better overall with Boone playing RT? Ultimately they have to get the 5 guys they think are best on the field and if Pears is one of those guys, better to have him at Tackle than Guard.

          1. Conventional wisdom says RT is easier then LT, but Boone might be better at LT. He’s subbed for Staley in the past, but I don’t remember if he subbed for Davis. (did he?)

            The combination of Looney RG, Boone RT seemed alot better then Boone RG, Jonathan Martin RT. I was surprised he wasn’t moved out to RT last year when Davis went down.

            Staley might not be a “swing tackle”, but rather a solid LT that happens to be behind Staley in the depth chart.

  7. Those undrafted free agent wide receives have me intrigued. Sounds like Anderson and White are doing very well. Maybe one or both will be turn out to be diamonds in the rough. How many wide receivers can we realistically keep – 6? Some will have to double on special teams. Both Anderson and White were getting work at kick returner according to 49ers.com. Let’s see: Boldin, Smith, Simpson, Patton, Ellington, Anderson, White plus several others. It’s gonna be a painful cutdown process.

  8. Boone wanted tackle money last year and he is a free agent in 2016. Look like this “plan” is another push toward it being his last year no matter how “smart” it is to play him a LG this year.

    This “plan” if it is a “plan” negates the JimT “story” two days ago about cycling all the OL through various positions. There’s nothing wrong with JimT being a little devious. In fact I hope he is as devious as Ol’ Casey.

    1. I’m not seeing how any of what Grant says runs counter to what Jimmy T has been saying… or how shifting Boone to LG this season would signal the 49ers intent to let him go at the end of the year (though they most likely will – just don’t see how any of this is a sign of intent).

      The only way it would run counter to what Jimmy T said is if they have already decided that is what they are going to do, and from here on out that is the way they line up. I highly doubt that.

  9. The consternation about the problem the team has regarding how to find a spot for all of these starter caliber UDFA receivers reminds me of, Nathan Palmer.

    1. Coffee; Perhaps the glut of Wr this year is an example of the “Seinfeld” things evening themselves out syndrome. We might also be due for some injury free seasons like during the 2011 season.

      1. Probability is always the same regardless of recent experience. The “odds” don’t change because of a good or bad run of events.

  10. I met a guy today and he introduced himself as Robert Paulson and without even thinking I blurted out “His name is Robert Paulson!” The furrowed brows and wtf expressions told me I was alone in appreciating my quip.

      1. This is my day for old old stories. I was in the Air Force with a young LT who’s name was Robert Taylor(look it up). We were stationed at a SAC base just outside Rapid City. Every time I was in town with Robert he would stop at least one young lady on the street and say, “Hi, my name is Robert Taylor. Will you marry me.”

        Robert’s future was in farming, and he was serious. Within the year he was married.

      1. Hmmm, maybe.

        However you have given me an idea on what to say when I’m at Levi’s stadium and the mother of 3 young kids turns around glaring at me because I’ve just screamed at the top of my lungs that Kaepernick is a worthless f’n s**tbag. Sorry lady, tourette’s.

        1. Then the lady pulls out her cell phone and calls security. You should have a doctor’s note just in case.

        2. Lol. It would work better if the person next to you states you have tourette’s.

        3. Do that on Kaep’s good and bad plays to make it more convincing Coffee.

  11. Thanks for the Day Two report Grant. I love the fact that the rookies and UDFAs are making some noise.

  12. I’ve been encouraged by some of the reports on the rookies that they’re getting their heads into the playbook. Harold was complimented not just for his speed rush, but also for correctly recognizing his assignments. Coach said that he needs a lot of work on his backpedal technique, but that he knows what to do as he learns to play up. Likewise, Tartt was complimented for picking up the defensive schemes and has made some plays in deep coverage, a part of his game that he’s needed to work on. Reaser (essentially a rookie) has stood out, Bell is making plays and the udfa WRs are getting attention.
    Its been a rough year for Niner fans. I don’t want to get overly enthused this early, but I think this team can be respectable. We’ll get some peeks in Preseason games, but probably have to get through the first four games to measure where they are.

      1. True, but that will be hard to do. I’m going to rely on mindful meditation until they’ve played eight games.

        Vikings
        Steelers
        Cardinals
        Packers
        Giants
        Ravens
        Seahawks
        Rams

        How many of the first eight do we need for a good start? How many bad judgment calls by game officials or other bad luck can we overcome? The Vikings, Steelers, and Giants seem to me to be the softest of the first eight games. If we beat them and the Rams, where to we get another win? Can we stop Adrian Peterson in game one?

      2. I’m of the mind it will be vital getting off to a good start….

        I don’t agree with that. Good starts aren’t as vital as some think as the team gelling and being able to overcome adversity. You can have a fantastic start and then stink it up when heading for the finish line unless your team chemistry is strong in all aspects and able to overcome any challenges thrown its way.

        1. The teams had plenty of adversity, and could do with some success and confidence that a fast start would provide….

          1. That could be a false hope though Razor. I can point out the times we started hot and quickly cooled down. Or I can point out the Giants who have some great first halfs only to come crashing down during the latter half of the season.

              1. Are you saying that it makes sense for the 2015 49ers to have a good start? How many wins will that take through eight games?

              2. Not for a team that has the fourth toughest schedule and the most miles to travel.

              3. Coming out of the gates 3-0(realistic going against Vikings,Steelers,Cardinals), would immediately instill confidence in themselves and the staff. However, a stumble out of the gates(1-2)might water the seeds of doubt planted by the experts, which in turn could grow creating the wrong species of momentum….

              4. Beating Arizona will not be easy with Palmer healthy, and it certainly wasn’t easy last year without him.

    1. BT,

      Well said. I’ve set my expectations low due to what has transpired this offseason, but it doesn’t mean I don’t hope for more. I think they can be respectable, and if they stay healthy, anything is possible depending on how some of the key replacements perform. My biggest concern is the Oline and secondary. It takes time to reach cohesion for Olinemen and there are going to be some tough moments during the first half of the season. While I’m encouraged by what I’ve read about Reaser, I’m still concerned by who is going to be lining up come Sept. Brock continues to be unreliable due to injury and Wright is likely better suited for depth rather than a starting spot. Ward is another question mark as he continues to have problems with his foot. Just too many unknowns at the moment.

  13. While I obviously want to see the entire 49er team have great success in 2015, I have some personal hopefuls I’d like to see have comeback seasons. Here are my top 5.

    1. Kendall Hunter – I’ve loved this kid since his days a Ok. St.
    He has shown enough talent to be a very valuable player, but injuries have robbed him of what could have been a successful and prosperous career.

    2. Shane Skov – There may not be much hope for him because of prior knee injuries suffered in college, but I’ll never forget him dominating the Orange Bowl game against Virginia Tech. The speed at the NFL level will be his biggest nemesis.

    3. Ian Williams – Another player that has shown promise but has been slowed by injuries. Williams was playing better than Dorsey before getting injured. I’d like to see him at full strength.

    4. Tramaine Brock – Our best CB when healthy. Brock has the potential to be among the best Corners in the league if he can stay off the trainers table.

    5. Vernon Davis – Davis needs to reclaim his place as one of the best TE’ in the NFL. If VD can play at 75% better than last season we may be talking playoffs come December.

    1. That picture is a little deceiving because his arm length was measured at 31″.

          1. Oh my. Why didn’t we take him? That’s not a question. We know we got three great players and so far only one of them has retired.

  14. Scott Kegley @ScottKegley
    Geep Chryst on equating a QB throwing motion to a repeatable golf swing. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone blitz the tee box.”

      1. It’s so true. Being able to adjust the throwing motion to different platforms is more useful than being able to repeat one motion like a robot.

        1. Not sure I agree that the basics behind perfecting a golf swing and perfecting a football throwing motion are all that different. You don’t use the same golf swing for every single shot. A chip shot swing is significantly different than a full swing; and of course the putter swing is much different. It is true that golfers practice pretty much the same “full” swing although there are stance variations when using a wood versus an iron. There are also stance variations depending upon whether the lie is uphill or downhill or in a bunker. But a golfer has to be able to take something off the swing when they are “in-between” clubs or closer than a full swing for the highest loft wedge but further than they feel comfortable with “a just off the green” chip shot. Pro golfers probably even have other variations that they use simply because they generally have a complete understanding of a swing and know how to tweak it (whereas us amateurs just want to hit the ball cleanly so we don’t look like idiots in front of our playing companions).

          Now, a big difference that I agree with is that you don’t have somebody running at you trying to take you down while you’re executing a golf swing. But if you’ve ever played with friends and you’re trying to impress them with your drive, you definitely feel the anxiety of not wanting to shank a drive.

          It still seems to me that a QB needs to have a repeatable throwing motion. Just like a golfer they should practice it under varying conditions. Those conditions change depending upon the sport. So with golf you need to practice bunker shots, but the swing is pretty much the same (although I find it very hard to hit just behind the ball). With football one condition would be an all out blitz. Now I could see in this case you might have to change the motion because there is far less time to throw; it might be similar to using a chip shot motion instead of a full swing in golf.

          Disclaimer: I’m an amateur golfer and this is my take. Those who are more practiced or professional, please chime in.

    1. “5. Linebacker NaVorro Bowman continues to be all over the place, and is seemingly in the backfield on every play. He ruined a number of running plays and registered a would-be sack of Colin Kaepernick. Bowman also showed off his coverage skills in the red zone, keeping up with tight end Blake Bell step-for-step.”

      1. Yup, I should have put Bowman at the top of my top 5 list as players as my hopefuls for a comeback season.

    2. “12. The play of the day came on a 35-yard deep ball from Kaepernick to Torrey Smith down the left sideline. Johnson had blanket coverage on Smith, but Kap placed the ball perfectly over his receiver’s shoulder for the long completion. 49ers fans would like to sign up for that all season long.”

  15. Barrows on Steve Logan: “Explosion plays, that’s where you make a living.”

    More surprising… a 49er assistant coach actually talking to the press. He’ll probably get fired for that.

    In Barrows live chat last week I broached the subject of assistant coaches not getting interviewed. Nice to see I have influence around here ;)

    1. All assistants are available to the media today.

      Cam Inman ✔ @CamInman
      RB coach Tom Rathman walks into #49ers media session with all assistants and quips: “I’m just here so I don’t get fined”

      1. Grimey9er gets two info saves in two days, locating Maioccco yesterday and the assistant coaches today. Thanks!

          1. Speaking of which:

            San Francisco 49ers ✔ @49ers
            DC Mangini: “The thing we try to do is build in flexibility. I’m a big believer in making offenses have to make post-snap decisions.”

            Mangini is all about disguise.

      1. They seem to believe that Boone is capable enough ro play LG so I don’t think they will Scooter.

        1. Thus why it will be interesting. We’ll have a much better idea of how confident they are in Boone at LG and Pears at RT, or in the progress of the young guys, if they don’t show any interest at all in Mathis… or if they do.

        2. Mathis is probably a better LG than Boone and Boon is probably a better RT than Pears. Cost may be the determining factor. That and scheme fit of course.

      2. Mathis does not fit the scheme in SF. Wishing it so doesn’t make sense. This is still a run first team that will not reinvent it’s offense to suit a 33 year old 5.5 million dollar base salary guard recovering from a knee injury.

        1. Matt, the Eagles run the ball a lot as well (in 2013 they were almost 50%-50% run/pass), and use an up-tempo offense with a ZBS which the 49ers are trying to install. I would say the 49ers couldn’t find a better fit right now.

          1. W/ the new cap space they’d be fools to not give him a call. I wonder what kind of money he’s looking for. And if they really like Harold, then Brooks could be cut to make more room.

            That would give us a solid veteran presence on the OL. Does he have to clear waivers first???

            1. I believe as he’s played more than 4 seasons he isn’t subject to the waiver system, but that’s from memory only. I’m not 100% on that.

            2. Aldon smiths contract will take half the cap space. The team doesn’thave the money and a 33 yr old guard is not a step forward.

  16. Another notable day for DeAndrew White:

    “16. Undrafted rookie wideout DeAndrew White more than made up for the offensive struggles, igniting the second-team with back-to-back touchdowns from Gabbert. The first came on a simple streak up the left sideline, but the second was the head-turner. White ran a post to the middle of the end zone and made a leaping catch on a perfectly thrown ball from Gabbert. What’s more, White had the wherewithal to tap both feet in bounds before his momentum took him out of the end zone. White has been a total stud since he arrived at the SAP Performance Facility.”

    1. It’s gonna be hard to cut this undrafted receiver from Alabama.

      Amari Cooper on White at Alabama’s Pro Day:
      “Great athlete. Great route runner, and he’s getting better. He’s always getting better, and he always wants to work. He’s driven, and he can go out and make plays.”

      1. so-o-o .. who do you cut to keep him, George ? ..

        or .. do you take a chance sending him to the PS ? …

        Grant..
        glad to hear Vernon is restoring my faith in him ..and
        still really excited about The ‘Dozer” ..

        It wouldn’t surprise me if VMac ends up playin’ for the Chiefs

        1. MWNiner, regarding who we cut to keep him, that’s a decision for the coaches. I think Simpson is special, so is it better to have White than Patton or Ellington? I have such a small piece of the puzzle.

    2. From the same article:

      Saban: “He’s got great speed. He’s got great size. He’s a great special teams player. He’s been a great special teams player for us.”

      “If you’re not a No. 1 or 2 receiver on a team, you’re going to have to play special teams. I think he’s going to be a real value for somebody, who’s going to get a guy who has great ability but probably could develop into something special.”

  17. Thought this would be an interesting exercise:

    OBJ
    Ht 5’11
    Wt 198
    Arms 32 3/4″
    Hands 10″
    40 4.43 sec.
    Vertical 38 1/2″
    Broad 122″
    3Cone 6.69

    DW
    Ht 5’11
    Wt 193
    Arms 31″
    Hands 9 1/8″
    40 4.44 sec.
    Vertical 34 1/2″
    Broad 118″
    3Cone 6.97

      1. So to speak. As you can see OJB has somewhat better measurables. I didn’t know how the comparison would come out before I started it.

        It seems to me that if he makes the team, it will be at Patton or Ellington’s expense. Dres Anderson appears to be somewhere in the equation too. Just speaking the obvious.

      2. If he can make two fingered catches of Kaepernick’s fast ball high over his head we can use him.

  18. Evan Mathis was released by the eagles. Offer him an incentive lbased deal. 2 years ago he was a beast

    1. Evan Mathis doesn’t fit the scheme in SF. Add to that he is 33 and his base salary is 5.5 million. Move along, nothing to see here.

      1. As I pointed out in response to one of your other posts, I think you are basing the Mathis “fit” on Harbaugh’s offense. From what the team has been doing this off-season it would appear Mathis would actually be an excellent fit. So don’t move along so fast, take another look.

          1. That’s true too. I think the biggest issue for the 49ers is they probably won’t want to get into a bidding war. The 49ers don’t usually give big money to interior OL, and chances are Mathis will get some team willing to give him a decent sized contract (salary cap room permitting).

            1. “they probably won’t want to get into a bidding war”

              True, but this has been, to say the least, a very unusual offseason, and the only good to come from it is the gained cap space, may as well put it to use, unless they are in “rebuild” mode, or really trust the young talent they have.

              1. As always, I imagine Baalke will place a certain value on the player and position, and won’t be willing to go above that amount even for a player at a position of perceived need.

            2. Would Baalke make an exception if he thought the Superbowl is possible?Will the veterans think Baalke is putting the best possible five linemen on the field?

      2. And I would think a player that was rated by PFF as the best OG in the NFL in 2011, 2012 and 2013, and the 2nd best OG last year (despite missing a few games through injury) playing in a scheme similar to the one the 49ers are trying to install, for a team that has an opening at LG, is worth more than just a casual look.

        But, we’ll see what the 49ers think. They may not be interested.

  19. Boone would be my logical choice for RT. He has the nastiness, the size and the hunger to play and play very well at that position.

  20. Mathis was cut so his base salary is 0. He is 33 and was hurt last year. But he was one of the highest rated OG’s in 2013. Just dont think it would hurt to give the guy an incentive based deal with not a lot of risk.

    1. JimT sees nothing about Pears that he doesn’t like, or at least that what Jim-boe says.

  21. From Cam Inman:

    “Wide receivers coach Adam Henry has been putting his corps through what he called “unique” drills, all in an effort to keep their hips low for leverage purposes. That should help them get off the line of scrimmage and create separation, which has been lacking in recent years.”

    http://blogs.mercurynews.com/49ers/2015/06/11/tomsulas-assistants-finally-talk-coordinators-discuss-their-new-approaches/

    I really can’t express how excited I am about having a WR coach that stresses and teaches these sorts of techniques for route running as well as attacking the ball in the air.

    1. Scooter, serious question: What do you think that says about Harbaugh not having a WR coach like Henry?

      I have a similar question about his work with Kaepernick. What does it say to you that he never trained Kaepernick to change his mechanics? Or so that appears.

      1. To me it suggests a few possible things. Maybe Harbaugh emphasized different things in his WRs than the current coaching staff, maybe he was too loyal to his coaches, maybe he didn’t see WRs as that important or difficult a position to learn to require a top notch coach, maybe he just had an inflated opinion of Morton’s ability as a coach, or maybe he’d never been around a good WR coach to know better.

        Of course it could just be that Morton did in fact teach the WRs well and the players didn’t respond, and when it comes to game time we’ll see the same struggles with Henry’s pupils.

      1. I think Henry is a great match for the WRs that Baalke tends to bring in. What he emphasizes technique-wise in route running, getting off the LOS and attacking the ball in the air would appear to suit WRs that are a bit smaller and quicker. Though I’m sure any WR would benefit for staying low in their route and attacking the ball in the air.

  22. Grant, any word on what sort of front the 49ers have been using in camp when they go nickel/ dime? And which DL play with the first team unit?

    1. Seems to me like 3-tech/1-tech inside. They seem to be rotating the first team. I’ll get back to you in training camp.

  23. Not sure how I missed this one earlier but the death of Christopher Lee is awfully sad. Immensely talented actor who although took his craft incredibly seriously he never took himself so. I’ll truly miss further opportunities to see his work.

  24. Maybe this was Grants day off, or he likes yesterday’s headline so much he wants to keep it up as long as possible, or none of the above.

    1. Establishing home field advantage will go a long way towards a successful season.

      1. Like 4 and 4 isn’t good enough at home when so many are drinking wine in shady spots and watching the game on stadium TV sets.

  25. Grant, I’ve been saying that your training camp reports are usually some of your best work. keep it up.

    the funny thing about these is you get excited that one guy did well but then you’re a little worried that one of your guys was beaten. good to hear about Vernon getting downfield again. Good to hear about Bell too. Sounds like the TEs are doing well. Don’t feel so good about Bethea…hope he starts to do better (but then that means he’s shutting down the TEs and other receivers).

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