Jimmie Ward catches one, Carlos Hyde drops two

SANTA CLARA — Here’s what stood out to me at the 49ers’ first non-padded training camp practice of the year. THE GOOD 1. Jimmie Ward. Faced Stevie Johnson once during one-on-one drills. Johnson faked a move to the outside and quickly cut back to the inside but couldn’t shake Ward. Ward ran in front of Johnson and swatted the ball to the grass. Ward played with the second-team defense during…

July 24, 2014
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Five key questions for the 49ers

This is my Sunday article on the 49ers. For the 49ers, training camp is about becoming the best. Second place isn’t good enough anymore. Enough with second place. Win the Super Bowl before the window of opportunity closes. With that in mind, here are five key questions the 49ers will face in training camp. 1. Will Carlos Hyde rejuvenate the 49ers’ running game? Frank Gore is slowing down. In the…

July 20, 2014
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Predict who starts at cornerback in the 49ers’ Nickel defense

Tramaine Brock will be one of the the cornerbacks in the 49ers’ Nickel defense; we know that. Who will be the other two starting corners? The main candidates are Chris Cook, Chris Culliver and the rookie with the broken foot, Jimmie Ward. If the foot recovers and Ward earns a starting spot, he would be the Nickelback, and Cook or Culliver would start outside opposite Brock. I’m guessing Culliver would…

July 7, 2014
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49ers’ top-5 position battles of the offseason

To get you prepped for Tuesday’s OTA, here are the 49ers’ top-five position battles. 1. Chris Culliver (6-0, 199 pounds, 25 years old) vs. Chris Cook (6-2, 212, 27) vs. Dontae Johnson (6-2, 200, 22) for No.2 cornerback Culliver is the favorite – the 49ers spent a third-round pick on him in 2011. But he tore his ACL a year ago and does not seem to have fully recovered yet…

June 1, 2014
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The importance of a college degree in football

I just found an interesting article in the Wall Street journal about  how the Eagle mostly try to acquire college graduates. The Eagles feel the more college graduates they have, the more successful the team will be. The article cites how the Patriots and Colts typically had the most college graduates in the NFL when they dominated the league last decade. Last season, the Seahawks and Broncos had the most…

May 21, 2014
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49ers draft grades (the ones that count)

Here is my Monday column grading the 49ers’ draft. Before we grade the 49ers’ draft, we have to agree on a grading criterion. I propose a simple one: Are the 49ers better than the Seahawks now? That’s the only question that should matter. That’s a pass-fail question. The 49ers added depth. They addressed needs. They drafted 12 players. But are the Niners better than the Seahawks? The first player the…

May 12, 2014
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49ers betting on wild cards

This is my Saturday column assessing the 49ers’ draft. SANTA CLARA – Chris Culliver is the 49ers’ wild card this season. The 49ers did not draft a cornerback until the end of the fourth round on Saturday. They took Dontae Johnson, who started more games at safety for North Carolina State last season than he started at cornerback. He’s a developmental project. So, pencil in Culliver as the 49ers’ starting…

May 10, 2014
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Report: Chris Cook agrees to one-year deal with 49ers

Chris Cook has agreed to a one-year deal with the 49ers, according to the Sacramento Bee. Cook is the second cornerback the 49ers have signed to a one-year contract this week. Eric Wright agreed to a one-year deal with the Niners on Tuesday. If Cook makes the team, he probably would compete with Chris Culliver to be the 49ers’ left cornerback, i.e. the No.1 CB. Culliver tore his ACL during…

March 14, 2014
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Brent Jones: “I’m focused on where we’re going to get output offensively from our WR position.”

Brent Jones spoke on KNBR Tuesday afternoon. Here’s what he said. Q: Will there be anything Scott Tolzien can tell the Packers that will make a difference? JONES: I think generally there could be a nugget or two. You know what he can do – and maybe they’ll change this up, but when you change stuff up that has been consistent, you kind of mess up your own team –…

September 3, 2013
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49ers announce roster moves

SANTA CLARA — The 49ers made 10 roster moves today. They placed Cornellius Carradine, Quinton Dial, Marcus Lattimore, Luke Marquardt and Eric Wright on the Non-Football Injury List. The 49ers placed Michael Crabtree and Mario Manningham on the Reserve/PUP List. The 49ers placed Chris Culliver on the Injured Reserve List, and the 49ers cut Lamar Divens and Lawrence Okoye. The 49ers currently carry 74 players on their roster. The Niners…

August 27, 2013
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This won’t be a rehearsal, this is a game to shape the 49ers’ roster

Here is my Saturday column previewing the 49ers’ Sunday preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings. If you expect the 49ers to treat Sunday’s preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings like a dress rehearsal for the regular season, you may be disappointed. Most NFL teams treat the third exhibition game like a dress rehearsal. The 49ers did that last season – Alex Smith played the entire first half. But, I’ll be…

August 24, 2013
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Fangio says Brock has “been doing OK” in training camp

SANTA CLARA — Vic Fangio spoke in the 49ers’ media tent Tuesday afternoon. Here’s what he said, courtesy of the 49ers.   What have you seen from CB Tramaine Brock here since he’s taken over that number thee job? “He’s been doing OK. He’s had some plays that he’s missed on his assignments and exact pickups, but, he’s been improving on that as we go through this whole entire week….

August 6, 2013
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Harbaugh: “I think we’re going to be real happy with T. Brock.”

Jim Harbaugh spoke about Tramaine Brock on KNBR Tuesday morning. Here’s what Harbaugh said. Q: What do you expect from Tramaine Brock this season? HARBAUGH: We all feel Tramaine is going to be just fine. Everybody has confidence in him. He’s extremely quick, fast, got good ball skills. He’s been a standout player for us on special teams. Everybody on the team has high expectations and high confidence in T….

August 6, 2013
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NFL teams need to rethink regimens for players’ safety

Here is my Friday column on the recent rash of NFL offseason and training camp injuries. Have you noticed how many NFL players already have torn ACLs or Achilles’ tendons this offseason? We’re not even two weeks into training camp, and already nine NFL players have torn ACLs and three have ruptured Achilles, and most of these injuries involved no contact. So far, 14 49ers have injured themselves and they…

August 2, 2013
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Should the 49ers sign Eric Wright?

Trent Baalke reportedly met with free agent cornerback Eric Wright on Thursday after Chris Culliver tore his left ACL in practice. Do you think the 49ers should sign Wright? Why or why not? Keep in mind, Wright was a good slot cornerback for the Lions in 2011, but he has struggled playing on the outside where Culliver played the past two seasons. So, Wright probably would not replace Culliver. Wright…

August 2, 2013
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Report: Culliver tears ACL, out for season

ESPN is reporting Chris Culliver tore his left ACL in today’s practice. He likely will miss the upcoming season. Which cornerback do you think will take Culliver’s place in the lineup – Nnamdi Asomugha, Tramaine Brock or someone else? And do you think Trent Baalke regrets not drafting a cornerback in the first three rounds of the most recent draft?

August 1, 2013
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Harbaugh: “Colin is playing so well right now that he overshadows some of the other guys.”

SANTA CLARA — Jim Harbaugh spoke in the media tent after Thursday’s practice. Here’s a transcript, courtesy of the 49ers.   Can you give us any indication on how serious CB Chris Culliver’s knee injury is? “No not yet. He’s up at Stanford getting an MRI.”   How about LB Patrick Willis’ hand? “Yeah, he’s got something he’s going to be working through with his hand.”   Do you expect…

August 1, 2013
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Training camp report: Culliver injures left knee, Vernon Davis catches a TD playing WR

SANTA CLARA – Here’s what stood out to me at Thursday’s padded practice. THE GOOD 1. Vernon Davis – He lined up everywhere – tight end, in the backfield and out wide. In a red-zone drill, Davis lined up at split end across from Tarell Brown. Davis beat Brown on an inside move and caught a touchdown pass from Colt McCoy. 2. Nnamdi Asomugha – He was the second-team right…

August 1, 2013
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Training camp report: Patrick Willis leaves early with an apparent right wrist injury

SANTA CLARA – Here’s what stood out to me at Wednesday’s padded practice. THE GOOD 1. Marlon Moore – He was the starting split end and he caught five passes and a touchdown during team drills. He also made the catch of the day, as he’s done every day of training camp. He ran a fade route against Tarell Brown, Kaepernick threw a back shoulder pass but it was at…

July 31, 2013
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