49ers mini-camp: Phase 2 of a laid-back offseason?

Last year’s offseason was completely different than this year’s offseason. Last year was strenuous. Jim Harbaugh made every practice extremely competitive. Players got hurt. Michael Crabtree blew out his Achilles’ tendon right away. So, Harbaugh created an open competition for the No.2 WR job. That didn’t work out so well. Quinton Patton broke his finger during training camp. This year’s offseason has been much more laid back. Michael Crabtree, Anquan…

June 14, 2014
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49ers need to wind down Frank Gore

This is my Tuesday column on Frank Gore. SANTA CLARA — Frank Gore exchanged knuckles with the 49ers’ PR guy as he walked off the practice field before 2:30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. The key moment of Gore’s day. Gore left just as the OTA got competitive. He stretched with the team and warmed up with the running backs. He even wore his helmet. But when Harbaugh blew his whistle to…

June 3, 2014
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Carlos Hyde: “I’m angry on the field. That’s when guys are trying to hit me.”

SANTA CLARA – Carlos Hyde was interviewed by Bay Area reporters in the 49ers’ press trailer Thursday afternoon. Here is a transcript. Q: Is the offensive philosophy the same at the 49ers as it was at Ohio State? HYDE: I think it’s actually a little different here. They run the ball a lot more here. Being a running back here is awesome. I think it’s going to be a little…

May 15, 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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Raiders go all in to win now

This is my Friday column on the Raiders. 49ers fans — feel free to skip this. I wrote off the Raiders 15 minutes after free agency began, wrote them off as soon as general manager Reggie McKenzie let franchise left tackle, Jared Veldheer, sign with the Cardinals. The Raiders will be lucky to win five games next season, I wrote. Since then, the Raiders have signed 11 new starters. All…

April 4, 2014
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What’s a Harbaugh worth?

Here is my Wednesday column on Jim Harbaugh. Under no circumstances should the 49ers give Jim Harbaugh a contract extension this offseason. Let him play out the final two years of his deal. Or let him win a Super Bowl before giving him a raise. Apparently, Harbaugh wants to be the highest-paid head coach in the NFL. Hey, so do I, but I don’t deserve to be. Harbaugh doesn’t deserve…

February 26, 2014
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Baalke: “I like long arms.”

Trent Baalke held a press conference Friday at the NFL Scouting Combine. Here is a transcript. Q: Frank Gore will count $6 or $7 million against the salary cap this season. Is that reasonable? BAALKE: The simple is there is no reason it can’t be. We’re in a good shape from a cap standpoint. There really is no decision to be made. We can move forward exactly as is if…

February 21, 2014
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Harbaugh on Kaepernick’s development: “I don’t know that there will be dramatic increases when you’re that good.”

Jim Harbaugh held a press conference Thursday at the NFL Scouting Combine. Here is a transcript. Q: How has coaching in college helped you evaluate draft prospects? HARBAUGH: It helped. I feel like it still does. There are players in this class who I didn’t coach, but I recruited them. And some I did coach. So you continue to know guys that went to other schools. You remember recruiting them,…

February 20, 2014
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49ers grades and projections

This is my Thursday column. Dear player or coach for the San Francisco 49ers, This is your final report card for the 2013 season. Show this to your mother and make sure she signs her name at the bottom. COLIN KAEPERNICK: C+. I assumed you would improve, but you got worse. Somehow you became a less accurate passer, only occasionally hitting a receiver in stride. How did you get less accurate…

February 6, 2014
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Why mute Marshawn is wrong

This is my Thursday column on Marshawn Lynch. Should you care that Marshawn Lynch refuses to talk to the media? Yes, you should. He’s not honoring his contract, the standard player contract which mandates talking to the media. I understand not caring. Fans don’t like the media. If Lynch wants to bail on interviews, that’s his business. He earns $5 million per year. He can afford to pay the fine….

January 29, 2014
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Harbaugh: “Superb year of football. Well, you can’t say superb.”

SANTA CLARA — Here is a transcript of Jim Harbaugh’s final press conference this season, courtesy of the 49ers’ P.R. department.   Can you give us an update on LB NaVorro Bowman? Is the timetable impacted because of the two ligament tears in his knee? “He’s got an ACL tear. We’ll see how MCL heals in the next two to three weeks. But, that’s not known if that has to…

January 21, 2014
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49ers 17, Seahawks 23: Grades

SEATTLE – Here are my grades for the 49ers’ 23-17 loss to the Seahawks in the NFC Championship game. KAEPERNICK: D. He was the 49ers’ best offensive player, no question. He carried the 49ers’ offense all game. He made at least a half-dozen great improvisational plays. If it weren’t for those plays, what offense would the 49ers have had? The 58-yard run was Kaepernick improvising, and a couple of his…

January 19, 2014
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49ers 23, Panthers 10: Grades

CHARLOTTE – Here are the grades for the 49ers’ 23-10 divisional playoff win over the Panthers. KAEPERNICK: A-. He played terribly before the 49ers defense made their second goal line stand but, then again, most of the Niners played terribly before the second stand. After that, Kaepernick and the rest of the Niners were just about unstoppable. Kaepernick accounted for two touchdowns – a pass to Vernon Davis while rolling…

January 12, 2014
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It’s Panthers by a whisker

This is my Friday column on the 49ers upcoming playoff game against the Panthers. Before I write off the 49ers, I want to say I underestimated them this season. When Michael Crabtree tore his Achilles’ tendon during OTAs, I thought the 49ers’ season was dead. And when Aldon Smith drove his truck into a tree and the 49ers started the season 1-2, I thought the season was really most sincerely…

January 10, 2014
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Fangio: “The quarterback powers and lead draws. We’re anticipating more of those from them.”

SANTA CLARA — Vic Fangio spoke in the 49ers’ media tent Thursday afternoon. Here is a transcript courtesy of the 49ers’ P.R. department.   How has CB Carlos Rogers seemed to you? “Who’s that?”   Carlos Rogers. “He’s doing, what’s the word I’m looking for, he’s still hurt a little bit. But, he’s much better than he was last week. We’ll see if he can try and do something today.”…

January 9, 2014
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Gore on Kuechly: “Fast. Big. Fast.”

SANTA CLARA — Wednesday afternoon, a reporter asked Frank Gore about Luke Kuechly, the Panthers’ middle linebacker. Here is a transcript. Q: “What do you see from Luke Kuechly?” GORE: “He’s a beast. I compare him to our guys. He’s a top guy at his position, too. I respect him. He’s fast, he can read and get to the ball — he’s fast. Fast. Big. Fast. He’s got it all….

January 8, 2014
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Gore’s first impression of Bowman

SANTA CLARA — A reporter asked Frank Gore about NaVorro Bowman this afternoon. Here is a transcript: Q: When the 49ers drafted Bowman in the third round of the 2010 draft, did you see something that told you he would be this good? GORE: I was training with NaVorro before he got here. When he came out and we were training, I used to always mess with him, “You better…

January 8, 2014
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49ers 23, Packers 20: Grades

GREEN BAY – Here are my grades for the 49ers, who beat the Packers 23-20 at Lambeau Field in a wild card playoff game Sunday night. KAEPERNICK: B+. His passer rating the first three quarters was 58.9, but his passer rating in the fourth quarter was 118.2. So, he was clutch, although he completed just half of his passes in the fourth quarter (4-of-8), and one of his incompletions was…

January 5, 2014
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49ers’ weak pass rush gives Packers hope

Here is my Saturday column on the upcoming 49ers-Packers playoff game. GREEN BAY, Wis. — The 49ers can beat the Packers, have beaten the Packers, know how to beat the Packers, should beat the Packers and probably will beat the Packers on Sunday.But don’t count out the Packers just yet. A few factors work in their favor.The first factor is their quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. That’s an easy one. He’s still…

January 4, 2014
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49ers 23, Cardinals 20: Grades

Here are my grades for the 49ers. They beat the Cardinals 23-20 on a last-second field goal by Phil Dawson. KAEPERNICK: B+. Excellent in the first and fourth quarter, bad in the second and third quarter. He was flagged for a delay-of-game penalty on the final drive of the game, but he also made two beautiful throws on that drive – one to Anquan Boldin for 18 yards and one…

December 29, 2013
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