The Niners play the Saints in New Orleans tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time. What are the top 5 things you’re looking for in the first preseason game? Here’s my list: Mistakes. The Niners have described themselves as “behind the eight ball” preparing for this season, because they needed to install brand-new systems on offense and defense, and the lockout hindered their ability to do that. Their opponent, the Saints,…
Harbaugh on the state of the team
SANTA CLARA – Jim Harbaugh gave an impromptu interview next to the field after practice. He said he was only going to give us a little, but he gave us much more. Here’s the complete transcript. Q: How pleased are you with the last few practices? HARBAUGH: Very pleased. Not 100 percent perfect, not 100 percent right, and if you asked me I wouldn’t want it 100 percent right or perfect, because…
Braylon Edwards on acclimating
SANTA CLARA – As Dashon Goldson answered reporters’ questions, Braylon Edwards sat patiently next to the interview, waiting for his turn. When he got the chance, he was eager to talk. Here’s the complete transcript of what he said. He mostly talked about the acclimation process, but towards the end he makes some interesting comparisons – Kellen Winslow Jr. to Vernon Davis, and Michael Crabtree to himself. Enjoy. Q: Are…
Dashon Goldson on free agency
SANTA CLARA – Dashon Goldon spoke to reporters after a post-practice weight-lifting session. Here’s the complete transcript of that interview. He spoke candidly about free agency, his opportunity in New England, and his reasons for returning to the Niners. Q: Why did you come back? GOLDSON: I got a lot of advice but I knew all along I wanted to be here. This is home for me. This is where…
Practice-lite
SANTA CLARA – Today was the lightest practice of training camp, and here’s what I mean by light. Harbaugh ended the practice at 4:55 today, 35 minutes earlier than usual because “the tempo was so good,” as he explained afterwards. At no point did the first-team offense play against the first-team defense in 11-on-11 drills. Alex Smith and the first-unit took a ton of red zone reps against the third-team…
How Frank Gore starts practice
SANTA CLARA – Frank Gore begins practice by himself. Some of the other star players, like Vernon Davis and Braylon Edwards, they get one-on-one time with coaches. Not Gore. Everyone leaves him alone, including the other players. What else is there to teach him? He’s a master of his craft, and he picks up schemes quicker than anybody else on the team. The Niners’ attitude is to leave Gore alone…
Curtis Taylor Q&A
SANTA CLARA – Third-year safety Curtis Taylor, who may or may not make the team this season, spoke to a group of reporters today in Santa Clara. Here’s the complete transcript of that interview. Q: How difficult is it for you to practice with so many different safety partners? TAYLOR: It’s not difficult at all. You come into the classroom, you put in the work, and you go out there…
49ers podcast
SANTA CLARA — FootballNewsNow.com’s Edward Cole interviewed me over the phone yesterday about the 49ers. We talked about the play-calling in camp, the preseason game on Friday, and the depth chart as it stands right now. Here’s a link to that podcast. Enjoy.Click here to listen to the podcast Follow me on twitter @grantcohn.
Quarterback rotation
On Monday Coach Harbaugh alluded to a “pitch count” for Alex Smith in the first preseason game against the New Orleans Saints on Friday, and Matt Maiocco reports he should play most of the 1st quarter, with Colin Kaepernick playing the second and third quarters. That means you’ll get to watch the rookie take around 40 snaps. Whatever pitch count Smith is on doesn’t factor for Kaepernick, who has a…
Vic Fangio on his defense
SANTA CLARA – Here’s the complete transcript of Defensive Coordinato Vic Fangio’s post-practice interview, courtesy of the 49ers. Enjoy. On whether Aldon Smith is a little more advanced than he thought he’d be at this point: “He’s had his flashes and I think that’s what you’re seeing, that he is flashing his ability, which gives you the impression when you’re kind of watching the whole thing and not focusing on…
Phillip Davis on his blessings
SANTA CLARA – Phillip Davis, the undrafted rookie cornerback from Tulane, doesn’t exactly get the star treatment to begin practice. He’s part of the scout kickoff team, which means he runs wind sprints. He runs about twenty of them, back and forth, one after another, and then he gets to participate in defensive back drills. But not how you’d think. This morning, DB coach Ed Donatell wanted some of his…
Trent, Trent, and Jim’s football symposium
SANTA CLARA – The first morning practice of the Niners’ training camp started today at 9:15 a.m, but the earliness didn’t deter a slew of famous spectators from showing up. Dashon Goldson walked out to the field around 11 a.m. wearing a San Francisco Giants hat with an orange bill. Players and coaches greeted him on the sideline with hugs. Former Pro-Bowl fullback Lorenzo Neal knelt next to me the…
Alex Smith on practice
This is what Alex Smith had to say after his best practice of training camp. The transcript is courtesy of the 49ers. On Coach Harbaugh saying it was probably one of the best practices of camp and whether he felt so as well: “It’s definitely the best I felt like. We’re taking the necessary steps. I think that’s what’s important; continue to get better each day, it’s obviously early, but…
Harbaugh post-practice Q&A
Here’s the transcript of Jim Harbaugh’s post-practice press conference, courtesy of the 49ers. Enjoy. On whether he is adding more situational plays into practice due to the upcoming preseason game against the New Orleans Saints: “Yes.” On where he would be in training camp if the lockout had not occurred: “We would have been a little bit ahead if there were more practices, but not that significant. A couple days…
Good day for quarterbacks
SANTA CLARA – Jim Harbaugh called today’s practice the “best practice of training camp so far.” Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick both threw two touchdowns and just one poor pass apiece. On the poor ones, Smith had a ball tipped at the line of scrimmage that was almost intercepted, and Kaepernick didn’t lead Ronald Johnson enough on a crossing route, so cornerback Cory Nelms almost caught the ball instead. Other…
Harbaugh the fan favorite
SANTA CLARA – You’ll love this. The quarterbacks were doing their standard drills to start practice today, and Harbaugh was watching them closely. Standard. They were doing this drill right in front of the end zone bleachers, which were filled with fans. The fans watched quietly as Alex Smith, Colin Kaepernick, Jeremiah Masoli, and McLeod Bethel-Thompson practiced play-action passes. All of a sudden Harbaugh wanted take a snap and show…
Reggie Smith tears meniscus
According to Matt Barrows, Reggie Smith tore the meniscus in one of his knees and he will miss a couple of weeks, but it shouldn’t be a serious, long-term injury. Clearly, this is a big reason the Niners resigned Dashon Goldson. Here are my two questions for you: Question 1: If Smith hadn’t hurt his knee, would Baalke have resigned Goldson anyway? I say yes. Baalke got him for cheap,…
Anthony Dixon clears the air
SANTA CLARA – Last week Anthony Dixon had two showdowns with Patrick Willis on the practice field. Dixon won the first one, giving Willis a hard helmet-t0-helmet hit, but Willis won the second, stripping the ball from Dixon in the backfield and seemingly twisting the backup running back’s ankle. Today, Dixon shed some light his injury, or non-injury, and his confrontations with Willis. He also compares the coaching styles of Jim…
Ricky Jean-Francois Q&A
SANTA CLARA – I just participated in a group interview of Ricky Jean-Francois. He explained to us that he’s been playing all three positions on the defensive line, but mostly right end behind the starter Justin Smith. This seems to suggest Jean-Francois will be the first defensive lineman off the bench. It also suggests undrafted rookie Ian Williams has a good chance to make the team as a backup nose…
Dashon Goldson to sign
According to Pro Football Talk, The 49ers will resign Safety Dashon Goldson to a one-year contract. This is a good thing for three reasons. You can never have enough good players on a football team, and now the Niners have four good safeties – Goldson, Donte Whitner, Madieu Williams, and Reggie Smith. It protects the team from injury. On Saturday Reggie Smith removed himself from practice – coach Harbaugh said…
