The Education of Bear
Rookie tight end Bear Pascoe is just that: a rookie. And the young man has a lot to learn about the rigors of playing in the NFL.
“It’s a lot rougher than I thought,” Pascoe said today. “But that’s OK. I can handle it.”
Tight ends coach Pete Hoener has only four players under his tutelage during camp, and Pascoe is clearly getting the most attention. Sometimes, the coaching might look a little harsh – such as the time Monday when Hoener played the role of a baseball umpire and called Pascoe out on strikes after he whiffed in pass protection on three consecutive plays.
But moments later, Hoener was gently advising Pascoe through a downfield pass route, specifying to him exactly how he wanted the pattern executed.
“Coach Hoener is doing a great job of teaching the offense,” Pascoe said. “He’s a great coach, and I look forward to continuing to learn from him.”
(Hoener was not available for comment. It’s the 49ers’ new policy that position coaches are prohibited from discussing players with the media.)
Hoener’s contrast between tough love and a pat on the back appears to be exactly what Pascoe needs. He admitted that sometimes his confidence gets shaken when things are going poorly.
“I’m my own worst critic,” he said. “Sometimes I have a tendency to remember one bad play.”
Pascoe said he feels comfortable with his assignments in the run game. And that’s a good thing because the 49ers envision Pascoe being an immediate contributor in short-yardage situations as a second tight end. He’ll be taking over the role of since-departed blocking specialist Billy Bajema.
However, Pascoe admits the transition is a little more difficult in the passing game – both in pass protection and route-running.
This is all very natural. It’s a fact of life that rookies struggle in training camp. Pascoe has a bright future. It would not surprise me if he becomes a starting-caliber tight end in the next couple seasons.
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I crunched the numbers through six practices. Shaun Hill has completed 39 of 51 passes (76.5 percent) in 11-on-11 drills, while Alex Smith has connected on 40 of 53 passes (75.5 percent).
This morning, Hill completed 7 of 8, while Smith completed 8 of 10. It breaks down like this:
Under-10 yards: Hill 6 of 7, Smith 6 of 7.
Between 10-20 yards: Hill 1 of 1, Smith 0 of 1.
Over 20 yards: Smith 2 of 2, Hill 0 of 0.
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I’m not going to attend the 49ers’ afternoon practice. I have a darn-good excuse, though. I’m going to watch my man, “Huddy,” throw out the first pitch at tonight’s A’s game.
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