Blogs

Combine Conversation: Charley Casserly

Charley Casserly knows the NFL Scouting Combine inside and out.

As a former NFL executive and current league analyst for CBS and NFL Network, Casserly has seen the rise in attention for the league’s annual pre-draft workouts. This year, Casserly foresees Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Robert Griffin III of Baylor University being the most talked-about player in Indianapolis.

We spoke with Casserly on Tuesday before 49ers.com’s week of 2012 NFL Scouting Combine coverage kicks off from Lucas Oil Stadium. In our conversation with Casserly, who tweets from his @CharleyCasserly account and will be featured on NFLN’s combine coverage beginning Thursday, the long-time league insider had plenty of valuable information to share.

For many of the league’s top decision-makers, the combine is all about the drills. Casserly said it’s his favorite part of the event, as it allows him to compare similar players who compete in drills one after the other.

“When the guys are really close, you separate them by their workouts,” Casserly went on to say.

The league analyst also placed a high value on the one-on-one interviews that take place in Indianapolis. Although teams are only allowed 15 minutes to meet with individual players, Casserly said that time is used to get specific questions answered.

More highlights from our Combine Conversation with Casserly, including his thoughts on the 49ers options at the 30^th overall pick, can be found after the jump.

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Morning Tailgate: Feb. 21

Fresh off President’s Day weekend, Goal Posts has compiled the top 49ers headlines if you happened to get away for the weekend.

There’s also a 49ers must-watch DVR-alert. More on that after the jump.

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Morning Tailgate: Feb. 17

Washington D.C. native Vernon Davis continues to diversify his off the field portfolio in the months between February and August.

On Thursday, Davis had a chance to speak at the same event as President Barack Obama at the Nob Hill Masonic Center in San Francisco.

In town to raise funds for his re-election campaign, Obama spoke to an audience of his Bay Area backers at an event that had a performance from singer Chris Cornell as well as speeches preceding Obama, one of which was given by Davis, the 49ers tight end.

More on Davis’ unique experience and other 49ers-related headlines after the jump.

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Morning Tailgate: Feb. 16

Draft talk – get used to it.

It’s going to dominate this blog (and 49ers.com) for the next few months as we lead up to the 2012 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 26.

The latest draft dialogue relating to the 49ers stems from Mel Kiper’s second mock draft of the 2012 offseason. The tenured ESPN draft analyst predicts LSU wide receiver Rueben Randle being San Francisco’s choice with the 30^th overall selection in the first round.

On Wednesday, NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said Randle could fit with the 49ers offense, adding that the LSU product could fall into the range of picks no. 20-30 in the first round.

More 49ers headlines and news on Randle, including Kiper’s thoughts on the 6-foot-4, 209-pound receiver, can be found after the jump.

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Draft Talk with NFLN’s Mike Mayock

For some time now, prognosticators across the board seem to agree that Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck will be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

One of the top draft analysts around, Mike Mayock of the NFL Network, only gave more credence to that thought while conducting a pre-Scouting Combine conference call on Wednesday.

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Best Photos of 2011: Terrell Lloyd

With so many indelible moments taking place in 2011, 49ers.com has compiled the best photos from team photographer Terrell Lloyd.

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Morning Tailgate: Feb. 15

Fitting that a center would lead the 49ers in snaps played in 2011.

That was the case this season as Bobb McKittrick award winner Jonathan Goodwin played in all but four of San Francisco’s 1,026 offensive snaps according to data obtained by Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee. Goodwin, however, wasn’t alone in the honor. The Pro Bowl alternate shared the honor with second-year guard Mike Iupati.

That same snap count information was used in our story about the growth of undrafted 49ers defensive linemen Demarcus Dobbs and Ian Williams. Both players are eager to build off memorable rookie seasons in San Francisco.

Now for more on the player’s snap counts, NBA comparisons and more 49ers news, check out the best team-related headlines after the jump.

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Morning Tailgate: Feb. 14

On Valentine’s Day, the 49ers family and Faithful mourn the loss of beloved two-time Super Bowl champion wide receiver Freddie Solomon.

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Morning Tailgate: Feb. 13

Fresh off a Saturday engagement at Pebble Beach Golf Links, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was stopped by Comcast SportsNet cameras after finishing his caddying duties for head coach Jim Harbaugh.

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Morning Tailgate: Feb. 10

You know you’re in the offseason when the 49ers are making headlines on a golf course. But such is the case this week with Thursday’s opening round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am involving Jim Harbaugh as a participant and quarterback Alex Smith serving as the coach’s caddy.

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