Pros: 1. Most impressive quarterback during Senior Bowl practices. 2. Excellent athlete — quick, elusive, fast, instinctual, strong, tough. 3. Has a hose for an arm. 4. Scored 70 touchdowns and gained 7,235 all-purpose yards in two seasons at Southeastern Louisiana. 5. Fits the 49ers’ offense. Can do a lot of the things Colin Kaepernick can do. Ran spread read-option offenses at Oregon and Southern Louisiana. 6. Good footwork in the…
This is about gravitas and Adam Gase. Gase is the favorite to be the next head coach of the 49ers. Gase is the only coach the 49ers have interviewed twice so far this offseason — they interviewed him for a second time Tuesday, according to reports. Gase is 36 years old. He looks like a teenager. He has been an offensive coordinator for two whole seasons and has done impressive…
This is my Thursday column. Is Colin Kaepernick serious about his craft? He says he wants to become a better quarterback. He says he wants to train with a guru. He says the right things. Jeff Garcia took him at his word. About a week ago, Garcia publicly volunteered to mentor Kaepernick. Garcia makes a living coaching quarterbacks. He has his own regimen and routine and everything, even has his…
This is my Thursday column on Colin Kaepernick. Late last season, Joe Montana told USA Today that Colin Kaepernick needed to improve as a pocket passer. Kaepernick disagreed. “I think pocket passing is something that is overlooked as far as what I do,” Kaepernick told a local radio station. Suggesting Montana, the greatest quarterback ever, is not a discerning quarterback analyst. “I think people see me run around, see me…
This is the complete transcript of my phone interview with Jeff Garcia. Enjoy. Q: What was your skill level coming out of high school? GARCIA: I probably wasn’t where I wanted to be from a development standpoint. I was still pretty light. I was only 165 pounds, really hadn’t filled out my body yet. Was still adjusting physically. I felt like mentally I could really grasp the game – growing…
I interviewed quarterback guru Terry Shea over the phone last week. Here is a transcript of that interview. Q: Are there ways that a non-major-conference college like San Jose State can aid or accelerate a quarterback’s development in ways a major-conference college like USC can’t? SHEA: Those smaller colleges have to find a scheme that will allow them to have some success. Those kinds of schools sometimes they’ll be a…
This is my feature on the allure of quarterbacks who went to non-major-conference colleges. For the past five years, every quarterback who was chosen in the first round of the NFL draft went to a major-conference college. Meaning a college in the Pac-12, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC or ACC. Forget that trend. Draft gurus expect three quarterbacks who went to non-major-conference colleges to get drafted in Round 1 this…
I interviewed Jeff Garcia over the phone last week. Here’s what he said about Colin Kaepernick. Q: How do you assess Colin Kaepernick as a pocket passer? GARCIA: I think Colin has done a great job from a decision-making standpoint, in the sense that he doesn’t force a lot of throws. He’s generally getting pretty good matchups outside due to the fact that they’ve had a pretty successful run game…
Jeff Garcia spoke on 95.7 The Game Monday morning. Here’s what he said about Colin Kaepernick. GARCIA: He looked outstanding. He did a great job. The kid is extremely athletic, but he just has that confidence, that swagger about him. I think that’s a major reason why Harbaugh went with Kaepernick when he did, because he saw that personality to him. The kid just really believes in his abilities. He…
Jeff Garcia spoke on 95.7 The Game on Monday. Here’s what he said about Vernon Davis, who has caught three passes the last three games. Q: Why have they not included Vernon Davis in the game plan recently? GARCIA: That’s something that really has been missing the last couple of weeks. That’s something that really needs to be looked at, because those guys are big time playmakers for your team,…
SAN FRANCISCO – The 49ers destroyed the Chicago Bears 32-7 Monday night. Here are the grades for Colin Kaepernick. Colin Kaepernick: A+. Jeff Garcia said Kaepernick should check it down all game. Steve Young said Kaepernick should use his legs. Kaepernick said to heck with that. He came out winging it. He saw that the Bears were loading the box and daring him to pass, and he accepted the challenge,…
Jeff Garcia spoke on 95.7 The Game this morning. Here’s what he said Colin Kaepernick should expect and needs to do against the Chicago Bears tonight. Q: What does Colin Kaepernick need to do tonight? GARCIA: I think the one thing he has to really do is play within himself. This is the thing about the Chicago Bears – they are an outstanding football team, especially on the defensive side…
Jeff Garcia spoke on 95.7 The Game Monday afternoon. Here’s what he said about Colin Kaepernick. Q: How would you evaluate Kaepernick’s performance against the Rams? GARCIA: I think the biggest thing is he didn’t turn the ball over. Fortunately there were a couple fumbles they were able to recover. He was fairly efficient through the air, being 11-for-17. He ran the football well, which is really one of his…
