SANTA CLARA – Here’s what Jim Harbaugh said about Vernon Davis Friday morning ME: Why didn’t Vernon Davis participate in team drills yesterday? HARBAUGH: I saw something there and wanted to be on the safe side. Talked to him. He wasn’t loosening up quite the way I would have liked to have seen. Just being on the cautious side.
SANTA CLARA – Here’s what Jim Harbaugh said about his contract Friday morning . Q: Jed York said Thursday that you guys have tabled contract talks until the end of the season. Why? HARBAUGH: Isn’t it refreshing? It has to be refreshing for you, refreshing for everyone in our building, refreshing for our fan base that the concentration will be on the 2014 season and our goals as a football team…
SANTA CLARA — Jim Harbaugh revealed Friday morning that MIchael Crabtree injured himself during training camp. Here’s what Harbaugh said: Q: “Will Michael Crabtree practice today?” HARBAUGH: “Not today, no. He is working through something.” Q: “Is it serious? Will it keep him out for long?” HARBAUGH: “No, probably a week. Maybe a week. Maybe two weeks. Same for Brandon Lloyd.” Q: “Is it related to his Achilles?” HARBAUGH: “No….
This is my Thursday column on George Whitfield Jr. SANTA CLARA — Something odd happened at the 49ers’ training camp this week. As you may know, this offseason the 49ers brought in George Whitfield Jr. He tutored Cam Newton and Andrew Luck and Johnny Manziel before each quarterback entered the NFL draft. Whitfield is 36. He runs a quarterback academy he calls Whitfield Athletix. It’s in San Diego. Whitfield has…
SANTA CLARA — Jim Harbaugh was interviewed in the 49ers’ auditorium Wednesday afternoon. Here is a transcript courtesy of the 49ers. Since the last time we spoke to you, RB LaMichael James got injured. What can you tell us about his situation, when do you expect him back? “Don’t have a time table on it. I mean, trainers are predicting and LaMichael has a short amount of time predicted. He’s…
SANTA CLARA – Here’s what stood out to me at the 49ers’ second padded practice of training camp. THE GOOD 1. Dontae Johnson. Played like a monster. Broke up three passes. First, he swatted away a Colin Kaepernick pass intended for Anquan Boldin in the back right corner of the end zone. You rarely see a cornerback beat Boldin on a jump ball. Next, Johnson almost intercepted a Kaepernick pass…
SANTA CLARA — Jim Harbaugh was interviewed Sunday morning in the 49ers’ auditorium. Here is a transcript courtesy of the 49ers. Yesterday, 49ers general manager Trent Baalke said that with RB Marcus Lattimore, it’s as much the mental barrier trying to get back into the swing of things than the physical barrier. How would you assess how he is mentally as far as trying to come back from that knee…
SANTA CLARA – Vernon Davis was interviewed outside the 49ers’ locker room Thursday afternoon. Here is a transcript: Q: How is it being back? DAVIS: It’s great. It’s great being back. I’m extremely excited to be here and working with the guys again. Q: Was it an easy decision to come? DAVIS: It was a very easy decision. All you have to do is think about the team, and that’s…
This is my Wednesday column on Vernon Davis. SANTA CLARA – This is about Vernon Davis and the nature of news. Davis, who held out of OTAs and mini-camp because he wants a new contract, ended his holdout and showed up Wednesday for Day 1 of the 49ers’ training camp. A positive start. But not positive enough for the 49ers. The 49ers chose not to make Vernon Davis available to…
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…
Who has the biggest impact on the 49ers’ offense? Is it Vernon Davis? Is it Colin Kaepernick? It’s neither. Greg Roman has the biggest impact on the 49ers’ offense. He orchestrates it during the games, makes sure everyone is in tune. He determines when and how often to call each offensive player’s number. Yes, Jim Harbaugh helps game plan and has ultimate veto-power over Roman’s play-calling. But Roman has a…
SANTA CLARA — Jim Harbaugh was interviewed by Bay Area reporters Thursday afternoon. Here is a transcript courtesy of the 49ers. How would you asses this three-day minicamp? Did you guys get out of it what you wanted to? “Outstanding. Really pleased. Thought our players are getting better and better at multiple positions on our team. Coming out of this feeling really good that we improved as a football team…
SANTA CLARA — Jim Harbaugh spoke to Bay Area reporters Wednesday afternoon. Here is a transcript courtesy of the 49ers. Yesterday, I was just noticing WR Anquan Boldin how he practices and just what that means. Just him on the field and the way he goes about his nature. They were doing just warm-up drills, he dropped a ball, goes back in line to do it over again so he…
SANTA CLARA — Jim Harbaugh spoke to Bay Area reporters Tuesday afternoon. Here is a transcript courtesy of the 49ers. How was attendance today at the mandatory minicamp? “Good.” All but two players? “Correct. Two players and a third. [CB] Eric Wright was not here as well.” Why isn’t he here? “I believe he’s making a decision to not play football, as I understand. Have not talked to…
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…
Maybe the money from this ad will compensate for the lack of a renegotiated contract. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDyVT9yhnTE
This is my Wednesday column on Vernon Davis. SANTA CLARA – Vernon Davis has the 49ers in a helpless position, like a turtle trapped on its back. Davis can stay away and let the turtle squirm – miss mini-camps and training camp, hurt the offense and make the 49ers look bad – or he can flip the turtle over. It’s up to Davis. He’s watching the turtle flail its little…
SANTA CLARA – This is what stood out to me at Tuesday’s OTA. THE GOOD 1. Brandon Lloyd: Best receiver on the field by far, although Michael Crabtree, Anquan Boldin, Vernon Davis, Stevie Johnson and Quinton Patton weren’t there. Lloyd made the catch of the day. He was running deep toward sideline and Blaine Gabbert threw the ball behind him. Lloyd jumped, twisted, caught the ball and landed both feet…
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…
Jim Harbaugh was interviewed Friday morning on KNBR. Here is a transcript. Q: What goes on in a late-May OTA? HARBAUGH: There are nine weeks that we can be with the players in the offseason. It is broken up into three phases. We are now in Phase 3, Week 5. Ending Week 5. There will be three more weeks after this. The phase that we’re in now, we can coach…
