SANTA CLARA – Right guard and wide receiver are two of the Niners biggest needs. They will most likely draft towards the end of the first round in April, and the University of Wisconsin has a pair of late-first-round prospects Trent Baalke and the Niners might covet – interior offensive lineman Peter Konz (6’5” 315 lbs.) and wide out Nick Toon (6’3” 220 lbs.). I asked former Wisconsin Badger Scott…
SANTA CLARA — Here’s the transcript of Jim Harbaugh’s Monday press conference, courtesy of the 49ers. How are you guys treating the extra day this week? Another game planning day for the Rams? “Yes. Players will be in today lifting and getting treatment. Coaches (are) game planning. We’ll view the Ravens game and preview the Rams.” The fact that you can clinch on Sunday, does that affect the way you…
SANTA CLARA – Here’s what Braylon Edwards said at his locker this morning. Q: Are you healthy? EDWARDS: I’m playing through a football season. No one is ever going to be fully healthy, but just fighting every day. Q: Do you have a shoulder injury as well? EDWARDS: Injury means you can’t play, but I do have a shoulder ailment, I’ll say. Little bit of AC joint. Nothing super serious,…
SANTA CLARA — Here’s what Alex Smith said at his locker this morning. Q: How close was your offense to making big plays on Thursday? ALEX SMITH: I think when I turned on the film, there were some opportunities I think to push the ball down the field a few times. Get those one-on-one matchups down the field and try to take advantage of them. I think that’s definitely what…
Ray Rice will speak on a conference call at 10:00 am and John Harbaugh will speak at 10:30 am, but before I got to transcription land let’s play a game. Who are Alex Smith’s top-five weapons in the pass game? Smith has thrown the ball 68 times the last two games as Greg Roman tries to establish the pass attack before the playoffs. Over these last two weeks we’ve gotten…
SAN FRANCISCO – Here’s the transcript of Jim Harbaugh’s postgame press conference, courtesy of the 49ers. What does it feel like to be the first 49ers head coach to lead this team to a winning record since 2002? “First of all, congratulations to our players on this win. They’re the ones who are leading it; I just want to make that perfectly clear. We’ve had success on the field. We’ve…
SANTA CLARA – Here’s a serious question: What can’t Alex Smith do? People used to say he couldn’t do a lot of things, like throw accurately or read defenses or win games. Now, all of a sudden, he’s better at those things than Andrew Luck is. So what can’t Alex Smith do? How about this: Can he throw deep? If there’s a knock on the guy, that’s it. He can’t…
LANDOVER, Md. — Before I post my grades, here is an all-time great postgame transcript from Braylon Edwards. He was the last player in the locker room and he lingered with a few reporters to explain why this 49ers team hasn’t come close to reaching its full potential. Enjoy. EDWARDS: It didn’t have anything to do with it being DeAngelo Hall. I just assessed the situation. I tried to put…
Here’s what Friday’s injury report looks like: 49ers: Doubtful: CB Tramaine Brock (hand), RB Moran Norris (fibula). Questionable: WR Braylon Edwards (knee). Probable: WR Michael Crabtree (foot), CB Chris Culliver (shoulder), C Jonathan Goodwin (concussion), LB Parys Haralson (hamstring), G Adam Snyder (stinger), CB Shawntae Spencer (toe). Browns: Out: LB Austin English (knee), WR Mohamed Massaquoi (head). Questionable: CB Joe Haden (knee), RB Peyton Hillis (hamstring), G Shawn Lauvao (knee),…
SANTA CLARA – Here is the transcript of Greg Roman’s press conference from this afternoon, courtesy of the 49ers. Opening Statement: “We’re right into getting ready for our Thursday practice. Had a great walk-through, had a good, vibrant practice yesterday. Got a stiff challenge ahead of us with the Browns. Obviously, everybody knows they’re the 4th ranked defense in the league, doing a tremendous job there getting people off the…
SANTA CLARA – Braylon Edwards was supposed to talk to reporters in the Niners locker room this afternoon, but he didn’t. Instead, he spoke after practice. As he slowly walked off the field around 4:15, Jim Harbaugh and the Niners public relations director walked alongside of him for a few minutes and they discussed something privately, but in plain view of the reporters. During the interview, Edwards was non-committal about…
SANTA CLARA — Here’s what Wednesday’s injury report looks like. 49ers: Did Not Participate in Practice: RB Moran Norris (fibula). Limited Participation in Practice: CB Tramaine Brock (hand), WR Michael Crabtree (foot), CB Chris Culliver (shoulder), WR Braylon Edwards (knee), C Jonathan Goodwin (concussion). Full Participation in Practice: CB Shawntae Spencer (toe). Browns: Did Not Participate in Practice: G Shawn Lauvao (knee), WR Mohamed Massaquoi (head), S Raymond Ventrone (hamstring),…
SANTA CLARA – Here’s the transcript of Alex Smith’s Wednesday press conference, courtesy of the 49ers. Alex, getting [WR] Braylon [Edwards] back at practice, do you think you guys can pretty much pick up where you left off with him in week 2? “You hope to. It’ll be a little adjustment. He’s out for a few weeks coming back. So, getting back into the mix, who knows though, we’ll see.”…
SANTA CLARA — Jim Harbaugh just said in his Wednesday afternoon press conference that he’s “not as optimistic or confident” as he was the other day when he said he expected Braylon Edwards to play this Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. Harbaugh says his waning confidence applies to the other injured players as well – Adam Snyder (right shoulder stinger), Parys Haralson (hamstring) and Tramaine Brock (broken left hand). Stay…
SANTA CLARA – Here’s the transcript of today’s Q&A with Donte Whitner from the Niners locker room. Q: Was your coach a hot topic amongst your friends and family when you went home this weekend? WHITNER: Yeah, it’s still a hot topic, especially when they show it (the handshake) so many times on ESPN and all these places. Q: Where were you last week? WHITNER: I was in Cleveland and…
SANTA CLARA – Braylon Edwards went into detail today about the extra work he’s doing with Alex Smith after practices and his high expectations of the offense in the regular season. At the end, he addressed his possible suspension for week 1. NFL Spokesman Greg Aiello says his case is “still under review.” Here’s everything Edwards said. Q: How do you feel like you’re doing so far with the grasp…
SANTA CLARA – For the first time all week, all the 49ers were on the field for the half hour the media was allowed observe them. They wore shorts ‘n shells, and the only players who weren’t practicing were Chilo Rachal, who’s reportedly “working through something,” Shawntae Spencer, who is working through a hamstring, and Michael Crabtree, who is working through a lot of stuff. Braylon Edwards and Joshua Morgan…
SAN FRANCISCO – Blitz-pickup was the theme of the day for the 49ers 13th practice of training camp. But Harbaugh didn’t spend his personal teaching time at the beginning of practice on the offensive line. Instead, he corralled Alex Smith, Colin Kaepernick, Braylon Edwards, Joshua Morgan, and Vernon Davis – the skill players. He had them practice quick-slant plays. This is a standard drill in this year’s training camp, and…
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…
SANTA CLARA – After warm-ups and drills, the real practice started with a 9-on-9 goal line scrimmage. It was the first team offense against the first team defense, but backup Anthony Dixon lined up at tailback instead of Frank Gore. Alex Smith hiked the ball and handed it off to Dixon, who chose to bounce his run outside to the left. This was a bad move. Patrick Willis caught him…
