SANTA CLARA – The newest 49er, third-string tight end Justin Peelle, talked today at his locker.
He sees himself most likely playing a blocking tight end for the Niners, but he says he wants to do whatever the coaches ask of him.
Here’s what he said.
Q: How do you see your role going with this team?
PEELLE: Just do whatever they need. They’ve obviously got two really talented players at the position already. Help out where I can. My main goal right now is picking up the offense and learning what I’m doing. Once I get going I think I might be able to get more involved. Like I said, they’ve got two really talented players at this position. There’s Vernon, and I’ve always been a fan of Delanie’s – the way he plays the game.
Q: Is special teams going to be part of the package for you?
PEELLE: I don’t know. I got here yesterday, so I’m still trying to learn my way around the locker room. But yeah, I think eventually it will be, maybe this week, I don’t know I couldn’t tell you.
Q: What did you learn from Antonio Gates back in San Diego?
PEELLE: Well he was still young when I was out there, but he’s extremely talented. He’s a very competitive players. When I was there, and this is six years ago so he’s obviously changed a lot since then, but he just wanted to learn and wanted to play really well.
Q: Have you changed into more of a block tight end over the years?
PEELLE: I’ve changed into doing whatever they ask me to do. I’ve played with Antonio. I’ve played with Randy McMichael who was the leading tight end in Miami. And obviously, Tony Gonzalez. I’ve played behind some really talented players, so I usually do whatever they ask me to do. I guess it seems it’s been more of a blocking tight end of late.
Q: Do you anticipate that here as well?
PEELLE: Probably, oh yeah. Hopefully I’ll get fed every once in a while, but for the most part that’s what I’ve been doing and that’s what my career’s been about lately.
Q: Is that where your touchdowns have mostly come, when you come in as a blocking tight end in short yardage or goal line and your sort of slip out?
PEELLE: Yeah, I’ve had probably about half of them (like that). I think I only have 12 (touchdowns) over 10 years, so It’s not like I’ve got a lot of them. But yeah, I think most of them have probably been around the goal line. I ain’t breaking loose and catching 40-yard catch-and-runs.
Q: Can you be an H-back and have you done that in the past?
PEELLE: Yeah, I’ve done that in the past. I did that a little bit in Miami just because Randy was more of an on-the-line guy. It just kind of depends on what this offense is like. There other ones I’ve been around you’ve got to be able to do everything.
Q: What happened in Atlanta with your knee?
PEELLE: Yeah, I got dinged in training camp and they made the decision that it wasn’t, you know. I got an injury settlement. It’s part of the business.
Q: But it wasn’t too serious of a knee injury?
PEELLE: No, it wasn’t. It wasn’t too bad, but I think it was a business decision. They wanted to go in another direction which was fine. I enjoyed my three years out there. I was grateful for them and now I’ve very fortunate to be here.
