Matt Barrows, the great reporter from the Sacramento Bee, just reported that Michael Crabtree has a foot injury and he could miss four to six weeks of training camp and the preseason. He’s also reporting the 49ers want to sign a veteran wide receiver. This is the third straight year Crabtree’s feet have failed him in August. What is it about the dog days of summer that hurts his dogs?…
Training camp 1st day: The key topics
Training camp starts Friday and here are the top-five people I’m interested to watch. 1. Jim Harbaugh. It’s important to see how he runs a practice. Does he teach? Does he delegate work to his other coaches? Does he spend most his time with the quarterbacks? 2. Colin Kaepernick. How comfortable is he running the offense? What are his strengths and weaknesses? How does he interact with his teammates? Does…
Kaepernick Q&A
SANTA CLARA – I was in a group that interviewed Colin Kaepernick and here’s the transcript, but first, here’s an observation. Kaepernick is a smiler, but it’s a particular kind of smile, and it’s different from the smiles of the other rookies. Chris Culliver, the 49ers third round pick, came to the press room after Kaepernick, and he smiled in an “aw, shucks, I’m the new guy,” kind of way….
Waiting for Nnamdi
SANTA CLARA – I just arrived in Santa Clara. Players will be available for group media interviews in the press room from 11:30 to 12:45, just like yesterday and the day before. I will be posting them later. Remember, these interviews are group efforts by the beat writers. Now let’s catch up with free agency. According to Mike Sando, Nate Clements’ release is “finally imminent.” So, we know the 49ers…
Competition: You predict the 49ers’ 3rd quarterback
Multiple outlets are reporting that the 49ers will cut quarterback David Carr Thursday. That means they have just two quarterbacks on the roster – Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick. Who will be the third? Every team needs three quarterbacks. What’s more, we were told there was going to be a quarterback competition in training camp. Where’s the competition? Colin Kaepernick can’t be expected to seriously challenge Smith in training camp,…
Konrad Reuland on Jim Harbaugh’s offense
SANTA CLARA – Here’s the most interesting interview of the week, courtesy of undrafted signee and former Stanford tight end Konrad Reuland. Reuland described the tight end’s role in Jim Harbaugh’s offense, which is fascinating. Also, he echoed a theme uttered by many of the undrafted players – he signed here because he wants to play for Harbaugh. Reuland is a giant. He’s 6’4” 260 lbs. He only caught 21…
Masoli Q & A
SANTA CLARA – I just interviewed Jeremiah Masoli in a group at 49ers headquarters. The transcript is below, but first, here are my impressions of the rookie. Like Delanie Walker, he was a pleasure to interview. He made eye contact whenever a reporter asked a question, and he responded thoughtfully. I’m not saying his pleasant manner indicates he’ll be a good football player, I just found it surprising, considering his…
Should the 49ers sign Asomugha?
SANTA CLARA – Yesterday on a conference call Jed York made clear the 49ers’ strategy for free agency. It is, in his words: “making sure that we resign our own guys.” They’ve accomplished that with quarterback Alex Smith, but they’ve failed elsewhere on the roster. Takeo Spikes agreed to a contract with the San Diego Chargers Tuesday, and David Baas agreed to terms with the New York Giants Wednesday morning….
Hasselbeck no longer sleeping in Seattle
It’s being reported that Matt Hasselbeck is through in Seattle. This could have major repercussions for the 49ers. It is being reported that the 49ers are one of the teams he’s talking to. Which leads to one big, fat question: Would he be a good addition to the 49ers? I say, yes, and here’s why. He has experience running a West Coast Offense. He’s won big games, including last year…
Aldon Smith Q&A
SANTA CLARA – As 112president requested on twitter, here’s the complete transcript of the interview with 49ers rookie Aldon Smith. Enjoy. Q: What time did you come in to the facility today? ALDON SMITH: 12 p.m. Q: Does it feel real to you? ALDON SMITH: Yeah, I’d say so. Getting my locker felt real. Q: Have you had a chance to meet with coach Harbaugh? ALDON SMITH: Yeah I talked…
Walker on Harbaugh: “He’s got a lot of tobacco in his mouth.”
SANTA CLARA – Delanie Walker spoke to the media in the press room at 49ers facilities Tuesday Morning. He sported a fresh Mohawk, fresh Warriors basketball shorts, and fresh vans that looked like sneakers. He looked fresh. He was smiling and laughing and he cracked a couple jokes – one at Harbaugh’s expense. He also spoke about the playbook and his fitness. Here are a few choice quotes from the…
Jed York on the Santa Clara stadium and free agency
SANTA CLARA – Here are selected quotes from Jed York’s Tuesday morning conference call. He talked about his plan for financing the new stadium in Santa Clara, the possibility of the Raiders joining them in the project, and the 49ers free agency philosophy. Does his timeline seem realistic? Does his free agency philosophy please you? These are a couple questions to keep in mind as you read. Q: Could you…
49ers to sign Masoli
The 49ers will sign former Oregon Duck and Ole Miss Rebel Jeremiah Masoli, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. If this is true, this is a departure from the 49ers pattern of signing “character guys.” As Carmen Policy once put it, the 49ers like to do things with “class.” Masoli, the 5’11 220 lb. San Francisco native has gotten in trouble with the law three times. In 2005 when he was…
Harbaugh: “It’s on.”
Jim Harbaugh strode into the press room at 4949 Centennial Blvd. with a big, confident smile on his face and announced: “Hello, it’s on.” He had an aura and a twinkle in his eye reminiscent of Willy Wonka opening his chocolate factory for the lucky little boys and girls of the world. Harbaugh even quoted Wonka, explaining that the 49ers have “so much to do, so little time to do…
Which free agents the 49ers should sign
Now that the lockout is over, let’s look ahead to free agency, which starts this week. Who will the 49ers sign? Alex Smith, for starters. Smith stated in a text message this morning he won’t hesitate to sign with 49ers. So we can count on him. Who else? The 49ers first have to decide which of their own players to resign. The big names are: MLB Takeo Spikes, S Dashon…
The 49ers’ five sure things
Thanks for your generous responses to my earlier post. Our discussion of the top 49er storylines turned into a lengthy list of concerns. Adam, among other readers, pointed out the defensive backfield and the offensive line as two more areas of anxiety for the 49ers. Thank you, Adam. Let’s look at the team from the opposite angle now. Injuries aside, what are the Niners’ locks? Where are they strong? What…
Top 5 49er storylines
This is Grant Cohn, but some people call me Iggy. You can call me whatever you’d like. I’m your new 49ers blogger. I’ll be reporting and tweeting every day from training camp in Santa Clara as soon as it opens, whenever that may be. Until then, I’ll join Bob Padecky and Phil Barber in providing you with some blogging snack food to whet your appetite for the upcoming NFL season….
And exactly why shouldn’t I have opinions?
Everyone commenting on any of posts definitely has. Yes, a blog should contain facts and, in my view, opinion as well. Not to incite but to illuminate. Of course, facts about the 49ers or the NFL in general have been in short supply the last week or so. My posts would then contain more opinion than facts. Seems ludicrous otherwise.
Two key issues, among others, need to be addressed.
One is a 7-year opt-out clause the players seek in the 10-year contract. The owners won’t go for it. Expect the players to buckle on this one, everything else being equal. The second is much more problematical. The owners want the players to recertify as an union before allowing camps to re-open. The owners can say the recertification can be done electronically, in a matter of a day. The players…
So now we have to wait until Monday to resume….
Obtained by ESPN, the NFL player reps sent out a letter to the players Friday, advising them to continue their workouts through the weekend. “We will meet again on Monday to discuss our options and the direction we want to go.” Interpret that letter any way you wish but the message is clear: Pffffft! to you, NFL owner. The owners issued their power play Thursday by approving a document the…
