SANTA CLARA – Here are the highlights of the 49ers’ ninth padded practice of training camp. THE GOOD 1. OLB Aaron Lynch. Started at left outside linebacker in the first-string base defense and at left defensive end in the first-string sub-packages. Today was only Lynch’s second day of team drills, and he already seems to have taken Corey Lemonier’s job. Poor Corey. 2. S Jaquiski Tartt. Today the Niners practiced…
SANTA CLARA — Colin Kaepernick spoke in the 49ers’ auditorium Wednesday. Here’s a transcript, courtesy of the 49ers’ P.R. department. Just your thoughts on the opening game, how it went and what you’re looking forward to this week? “I think there was a lot of good things that happened for us in that game. Also things that we need to clean up and get better at. Looking forward to this…
SANTA CLARA – Here are the highlights of the 49ers’ eighth padded practice of training camp. THE GOOD 1. RB Reggie Bush. Didn’t play during Saturday’s preseason game against the Texans, and may not play at all during the preseason – the coaches seem to want to keep him healthy. But, from the looks of practice, Bush will play a lot during the regular season. Today he had a team-leading…
This is my Saturday column. Hits. That’s the main difference between preseason and training camp. In training camp players don’t hit each other — they play a slightly rougher version of two-hand touch. Coaches can’t learn much about their running game or their defense’s ability to tackle during this portion of the offseason. That’s what the preseason games are for. They allow coaches to evaluate what they can’t gauge during…
Here is my Friday column. SANTA CLARA – Through two weeks of training camp, it’s clear Colin Kaepernick has changed three key aspects of his game. Here’s what’s good and not so good about each change so far. CHANGE 1: Kaepernick is throwing with more touch. THE GOOD: Kaepernick used to throw every pass the same way — as hard as he could. Short passes. Long passes. Intermediate passes. They…
SANTA CLARA – Here are the highlights of the 49ers’ seventh padded practice of training camp. THE GOOD 1. S Jaquiski Tartt. Played free safety for the second-team defense and picked off Colin Kaepernick during seven on sevens. On that play, Kaepernick stared down his intended target, Vernon Davis, who was running a post route. Kaepernick seemed to expect Davis to run a straight seam route, and the pass sailed…
SANTA CLARA – Here are the highlights of the 49ers’ sixth padded practice of training camp. THE GOOD 1. WR Torrey Smith. Faced Niners’ No. 1 cornerback Tramaine Brock three times during one-on-one drills in the red zone, and beat him all three times. First Smith beat Brock with a fade route to the back pylon. Next Smith beat Brock with a double move – first in, then out. Finally…
SANTA CLARA — This is the transcript of offensive coordinator Geep Chryst’s Tuesday interview, courtesy of the 49ers’ P.R. department. Opening comments: “It’s great to be right in the middle of training camp. I haven’t seen you guys since the scrimmage. I think we had 94 plays so you learned a lot about your team. I don’t know where you want to go with it, but fire away.” What…
SANTA CLARA – Here are the highlights of the 49ers’ fourth padded practice of training camp. THE GOOD 1. DL Tank Carradine. The final 15 minutes of practice the 49ers did a live hitting goal-line drill. On first and goal from the two-yard line, Jarryd Hayne took the handoff on a stretch-zone run to the left, and as he ran parallel to the line of scrimmage he cut back quickly…
SANTA CLARA – Wide receiver Torrey Smith spoke in the 49ers’ auditorium Saturday morning. Here are selected quotes. Q: How is the offense coming along? SMITH: I think it’s always going to be a work in progress. I think we’re going in the right direction, fixing the mistakes. That’s what the first week of camp is about, really camp in general. We’re doing a great job learning from mistakes, and…
SANTA CLARA – Here are the highlights from the 49ers’ third padded practice of training camp. THE GOOD 1. TE Vernon Davis. His best day of training camp, and the best receiver on the field. Made four catches during team drills, including a 50-yard touchdown catch. On the touchdown Davis ran straight down the middle of the field, straight past the second-team defense’s safeties, and third-string quarterback hit Davis perfectly…
SANTA CLARA – Here are the highlights from the 49ers’ second padded practice of training camp. THE GOOD 1. ILB NaVorro Bowman. Struggled in man coverage during OTAs and minicamp, but didn’t struggle in man coverage today. On the third play of 11-on-11’s Colin Kaepernick attempted a short pass to running back Jarryd Hayne. Bowman read Kaepernick’s eyes, dove in front of the pass and knocked it away with the…
SANTA CLARA — Here’s the transcript of Colin Kaepernick’s Wednesday press conference, courtesy of the 49ers’ P.R. department. We had CB Shareece Wright in today and he said after yesterday’s play that he came up and thanked you and was appreciative of you throwing the ball. He was kind of joking around. Do you guys talk much about what you’re seeing and how you’re progressing and that kind of…
SANTA CLARA – 49ers’ general manager Trent Baalke just spoke with 49ers’ beat reporters at Levi’s Stadium. Here are selected quotes. Q: What’s your impression of Aldon Smith these days? BAALKE: Aldon’s like any young player, he’s growing up, he’s maturing. You see that with a lot of these guys. Some of them get themselves in a few more situations that you wish they didn’t. If you asked them, I…
SANTA CLARA – Here are the highlights from the 49ers’ fourth practice and first padded practice of training camp. THE GOOD 1. OLB Aldon Smith. Abused starting left tackle Joe Staley all afternoon. During one-on-one pass-rushing drills, Smith faked to the outside, came back inside and Staley never touched him. Later during team drills, Smith beat Staley around the edge and tagged Colin Kaepernick for the sack. 2. OLB Eli…
SANTA CLARA – Here are the highlights from the 49ers’ second practice of training camp, which took place at Levi’s Stadium. THE GOOD 1. WR Bruce Ellington. Made a team-high six catches during team drills, including two 15-yard catches over the middle and a 50-yard catch for a touchdown. On the 50 yarder, Ellington burned cornerback Chris Cook, and Colin Kaepernick’s pass hit Ellington in stride. Ellington and undrafted rookie…
SANTA CLARA – Here are selected quotes from Colin Kaepernick’s Friday afternoon press conference in the 49ers’ auditorium. Q: What has been the vibe as far as working with the young guys, and what have you seen the three days you’ve been here? KAEPERNICK: We’re just working, trying to get ready, trying to move in the right direction. Q: We talked to the starting safeties. They said one thing they…
SANTA CLARA – Here are selected quotes from Anquan Boldin’s Friday morning press conference in the 49ers’ auditorium. Q: What gives you confidence that you guys can achieve what you set out to achieve last year and the year before? BOLDIN: We still have a lot of talent in this locker room. That hasn’t changed. The thing I’m excited about is all of the young guys who had to play…
SANTA CLARA – Here are selected quotes from Antoine Bethea’s Friday morning press conference in the 49ers’ auditorium. Q: Patrick Willis is gone, Justin Smith is gone, Ray McDonald is gone, but NaVorro Bowman might be back. How different is the defensive front going to look to you? BETHEA: Of course it’s going to be different, you just named three great players, possible Hall of Famers. So of course it’s…
This is my training-camp preview for the 49ers. The 49ers may be on the downswing. This offseason, they fired a top-notch coaching staff and lost almost a dozen veterans and leaders. Who will fill those voids? That’s just one key question the Niners face. Here are five more they’ll face during training camp: 1. Is Jim Tomsula a competent head coach? He’s never even been a coordinator in the NFL….
