Blogs

Greg Roman Discusses Offensive Outlook

Offensive coordinator Greg Roman joined the KNBR Morning Show on Wednesday to discuss the ever-changing 49ers offense, a unit which has added a number of talented weapons this offseason.

For Roman and the 49ers coaching staff, this offseason signals the first opportunity for the coaches and players to start at “square one” so to speak.

An emphasis on fundamentals has been prevalent in the team’s offseason workouts. Roman said the position coaches put together lists of tiny details each player can improve on prior to the 2012 season.

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Morning Tailgate: May 15

In the final week of phase two of the San Francisco 49ers offseason program, rookies have mixed in with the veterans out on the team’s Santa Clara practice fields.

“I want to soak up all the knowledge from the vets, that’s the best thing you can do,” undrafted rookie running back Jewel Hampton told 49ers.com on Monday. “I want to learn the playbook so you can perform out on the field and move up to potentially join the roster.”

Hampton, is one of many youthful running backs looking to pick up wisdom from all-time 49ers rushing leader Frank Gore, who posted his fifth, 1,000-yard rushing season in 2011.

Despite Gore’s impressive production in Greg Roman’s power-running attack (Gore became first running back in team history to post five consecutive 100-yard rushing games), one 49ers beat writer sees the 29-year-old running back facing the most challenging season out of all players on San Francisco’s roster.

More on Gore’s backfield competition and the latest 49ers headlines can be found after the jump.

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Andrew Iupati Attends Rookie Camp

In 2010 there was an Iupati at 49ers rookie camp. The same can be said in 2012.

Three years ago it was left guard Mike Iupati making his NFL debut as one of San Francisco’s two first-round selections. This time around, Iupati’s younger brother, Andrew, is trying out to make the 49ers.

Andrew Iupati is one of several players trying out during San Francisco’s three-day rookie minicamp. The 6-foot-1, 286-pound Humboldt State product, who transferred from the University of Oregon, just might be the most notable name in the bunch.

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Robinson Races at Rookie Camp

Trenton Robinson couldn’t sleep very well last night. He tossed. He turned. He just couldn’t get his mind off of what was about to unfold – a three-day rookie minicamp at San Francisco 49ers headquarters that would signal the start of his career in the National Football League.

“I couldn’t wait to get out there,” said the team’s sixth-round selection No. 180 overall. “Last night, I really couldn’t sleep.”

If the Michigan State safety felt sluggish the night before, he certainly didn’t show it in the first of two rookie minicamp sessions held on Friday. With one of the first drills being a kickoff period, Robinson, the 5-foot-10, 195 pounder looked impressive while covering kicks.

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Morning Tailgate: May 11

Just as 49ers rookie minicamp begins, there’s plenty of headlines stemming from Thursday’s veteran Football School workout worthy of examination.

It was the first look at Randy Moss for the Bay Area media, and many in attendance were left impressed with the quick footwork, precise route-running and sure-handed pass-catching from the veteran widedout.

After the workout, Moss’ teammates raved about his early contributions to the team, too. Besides serving as a mentor to the team’s young receivers, Moss has already picked up a good grasp on the team’s offensive concepts according to quarterback Alex Smith.

More on the 49ers Football School session and the latest team headlines after the jump.

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Morning Tailgate: May 10

Rookies report today and come Friday afternoon a large amount of NFL careers will be off and running.

Seven draft picks, 18 undrafted rookies and a few tryout players this weekend will get a chance to make an early impression on the 49ers coaching staff. Perhaps, one of the most intriguing newcomers will be Virginia outside linebacker Cam Johnson, the team’s seventh-round selection of the 2012 NFL Draft.

Johnson started 34 games for the Cavaliers, switching from an outside backer in the team’s 3-4 defensive scheme to a 4-3 defensive end for his final two seasons. In total, Johnson finished with 12.5 sacks but still flashed big-time potential. Unsurprisingly, Johnson’s defensive coordinator Jim Reid raved about his pupil being taken by San Francisco in the final round.

More on Reid’s feedback on Johnson and the latest team headlines can be found after the jump.

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Morning Tailgate: May 9

If you’ve been following the Twitter accounts of the San Francisco 49ers 2012 draft class, you can sense their excitement as the team’s rookie minicamp is now just one day away.

The rookies will not be in the mix with their veteran teammates this coming weekend, but that doesn’t mean they’re looking any less forward to their first practices as members of the National Football League and the San Francisco 49ers.

Count Oregon running back LaMichael James, selected by the 49ers with the No. 61 overall selection in the second round, as one of the most eager players to get his NFL career started. According to a national football writer, James’ presence on the 49ers roster is one of the top minicamp storylines to track involving this year’s incoming draft class.

More on James and the latest team headlines can be found after the jump.

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Nate Byham Bounces Back

Nate Byham couldn’t help but marvel over the weekly production from the San Francisco 49ers tight ends, H-backs and fullbacks in offensive coordinator Greg Roman’s offense last year.

It just stung that Byham couldn’t be a part of the 98 catches hauled in last season by the three previously mentioned positions.

Byham, a sixth-round draft pick in 2010, missed all of his sophomore campaign with a torn ACL on his left knee. The 23-year-old tight end suffered the injury two days into his first training camp working with Roman and the offensive coaching staff.

Nonetheless, Byham’s looking to impress the offensive coaches throughout his work in the team’s offseason program.

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Morning Tailgate: May 8

The 49ers three-day rookie minicamp begins on Thursday and first-round draft-pick A.J. Jenkins will be in attendance. The Illinois wide receiver’s decision to attend was confirmed by his agent to multiple media outlets. But now there’s a question of who will be throwing the passes to the talented vertical threat.

Jenkins was scheduled to walk across the graduation stage to receive his sports management degree on Mother’s Day, but has since changed his mind. Instead, the No. 30 overall pick will join his 49ers teammates when rookies report. However, the 49ers are without a rookie quarterback on the roster that can participate in the camp.

More on the 49ers quarterbacking options, LaMichael James’ draft day experience and the latest team headlines can be found after the jump.

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Morning Tailgate: May 7

At the end of the 2012 NFL Draft, Jim Harbaugh defied anyone to watch the game film of his first-round draft pick and say Illinois wide receiver A.J. Jenkins wasn’t impressive on tape.

“I defy anybody to look at that tape and tell me that there’s something wrong with it, that there’s something that he doesn’t do well,” said Harbaugh on April 28.

Now that there’s been time to examine all the moves made in the draft, you can count NFL Network analyst Charley Casserly as someone who agrees with San Francisco’s assessment on Jenkins. In Casserly’s mind, there’s nothing wrong with the game film of the 6-foot, 192-pound wideout.

“Some guys run fast and don’t play fast, he runs fast and plays fast,” Casserly told TV49’s Scott Kegley in a video piece for 49ers.com.

“He’s explosive off the line of scrimmage,” Casserly said of Jenkins, who caught 90 passes 1,276 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in 2011. “He’s got a great double-move to get open deep and he doesn’t need it because he can blow by DBs. I like his separation on his cuts. I like his fluidness when he’s running. His run after the catch, he has great acceleration when he’s running with the ball in his hands and I think the guy’s got terrific hands. I saw him make a number of difficult catches where had to extend, move his body.

“I think this guy is going to be really tough to cover.”

Casserly felt the 49ers accomplished a goal of being more explosive on offense with the selections of Jenkins and second-round pick, Oregon running back LaMichael James.

The NFL Network analyst believes San Francisco went out and accomplished their biggest draft needs by “adding some juice to that 49ers offense.”

More on Jenkins’ work ethic and the latest team headlines can be found after the jump.

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