The question was sort of vague and pretty innocuous, but Shaun Hill turned it into the quote of the day.
I think I know what you’re asking, Hill told the person asking the question, and the answer is “Yes.’
“I feel more comfortable in Jimmy Raye’s system than Mike Martz’s system,” Hill declared.
And with that . . . the 49ers went out to the field for the first practice of minicamp.
Shaun Hill was one of a half-dozen players the 49ers brought out to speak with the media. He said he is excited with the new/old offense. Things are a lot like they were when Norv Turner was the coordinator.
One thing Hill said he did not do last season – or at least he could not recall doing – was calling an audible at the line of scrimmage. Martz had a system in which there was no need for audibles. Whatever the defense showed, the offense would make the automatic adjustments. But audibles are back with Raye as offensive coordinator.
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Here is more from Hill:
–He is good friends with Alex Smith and he said that will not change. He said whichever player does not win the starting job will take a step back and become the No. 2 man and play a key support role behind the starter. He said it’s not always like that. Hmmm.
–When evaluating his play from last season, Hill said he is still “ticked off” that the 49ers lost three games when he was the starting quarterback.
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Alex Smith was asked if he feels more comfortable in Raye’s system, as compared to Martz’s system.
“It’s hard to say,” he said. “I got to go through the offseason and training camp with coach Martz. I don’t feel I was in it long enough to answer that.”
Also . . .
–He said his focus is on returning from the two years of injuries. He has added some weight in hopes of helping him absorb the pounding a quarterback takes. He weighed in this morning at 221 pounds, he said.
–While Smith was on his honeymoon, the 49ers were courting quarterback Kurt Warner. Smith said that team’s failure to sign Warner had no impact on his return. “I wasn’t concerned with what anybody else was doing.”
–Smith said his instructions to his agent, Tom Condon, were: “Just make it happen.” So Smith signed a two-year, $6.5 million contract with the club. The deal contains incentives of a little more than $2 million per season.
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Manny Lawson has added some weight, too. He looks bigger. He is 250 pounds, which he hopes will enable him to stay on the field and become a pass-rusher this season.
The 49ers are going to be in a 3-4 defense (not the hybrid that the club used under former coach Mike Nolan). Lawson said both he and Parys Haralson will be getting after the quarterback this season from the outside-linebacker positions.
Of course, Lawson was drafted for his pass-rush ability. But the 49ers never used him in those situations.
“My role was in coverage, and I did my best at it,” Lawson said.
So if you want to know which round the 49ers are going to take a pass-rusher in the draft, the answer appears to be: the first round . . . of the 2006 draft.
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Dashon Goldson has been told that it’s his time to step it up. Mark Roman is not here, so now free safety is Goldson’s job to lose. Goldson touted his sideline-to-sideline ballhawking ability. He played cornerback as a senior at
Goldson’s season last season was cut short due to a knee injury. He sustained a torn knee ligament in the seventh game of the season. He returned for the final two games, but he said he was still feeling it.
Perhaps the biggest roadblock for Goldson is the mental part of the game. He said he feels like he has a pretty good grasp on the position, but it helped being around Roman for a couple years. Goldson spoke highly of Roman’s football smarts and leadership skills – traits he hopes to exhibit, too.
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New receiver Brandon Jones, who signed with the 49ers after playing four seasons for the Titans, said he is learning the digit system. He said he had that system before . . . in high school.
Jones is playing the “Z” or flanker. That’s the same spot that Isaac Bruce played last season. However, he said he’ll eventually learn all the positions.
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New defensive end Demetric Evans, formerly of the Redskins, is playing in a 3-4 defense for the first time in his career. He said he likes this system because the defensive line will be moving and trying to get up the field, instead of just holding their ground. He checked in at 280 pounds.
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