Blogs

MT: Adam Snyder Brings Versatility

Adam Snyder has made 83 starts during his eight-year NFL career and he’s played at every position on the offensive line during his seven seasons with the 49ers and one-year stint with the Arizona Cardinals.

Snyder, the 6-foot-6, 325-pound guard, re-joined the 49ers on Monday to bring veteran depth on the offensive line. San Francisco’s former third-round pick in 2005 will join his teammates at 49ers Football School on Tuesday and get right back to work with his new, old team.

Snyder, 31, will get an opportunity to compete for a backup role this upcoming season, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.

If that’s the case, it shouldn’t be a concern to Snyder, a respected teammate who has been known to put the team-first in everything he does.

Read more »

Morning Tailgate: Super Bowl L Update

The new Santa Clara Stadium remains a strong contender to host Super Bowl L. The future home of the 49ers, set to open in 2014, is one of two candidates to host the biggest game in professional sports at the conclusion of the 2016 season.

The San Francisco Super Bowl committee is up against South Florida to host Super Bowl L. The decision will come down to a vote from NFL owners on May 21.

After recent developments in South Florida, Santa Clara could be considered favorites to host the big game. Peter King of Sports Illustrated explained the reasoning in his Monday Morning Quarterback column.

“When the Florida legislature on Friday refused to allow the citizens of South Florida to vote on whether to increase the South Florida hotel tax from 6 to 7 percent, it put a huge damper on the chance for Super Bowl L to be held at Dolphins Stadium,” King wrote.

“The league had said the site very much needs the proposed $350 million stadium improvement. Owners are slated to vote for Super Bowls 50 and 51 at the spring meetings in Boston May 20-22. Super Bowl 50 was a battle between the San Francisco Bay Area and South Florida, with 51 likely headed to either Houston or the loser of the fight for 50.

“So, barring a late Hail Mary from Miami owner Stephen Ross, it’s likely Santa Clara (45 miles south of San Francisco) will get 50 and Houston 51. It would be the first Super Bowl in the Bay Area in 31 years, since the Joe Montana-Dan Marino faceoff in Palo Alto in January 1985.”

Book your tour of the new Santa Clara Stadium today.

Read more »

MT: Quinton Patton’s Work Ethic

The 49ers were excited to see Quinton Patton’s name available when it came time to make the No. 128 overall selection in the 2013 NFL Draft.

The Louisiana Tech wideout had 24 touchdowns in two seasons, both of which he was given first-team All-WAC  honors. San Francisco knew they were getting a competitive player in the 6-foot, 202-pound wideout, but they were blown away when Patton tried to visit team headquarters earlier this week.

“He’s just a good, solid, all-around receiver,” general manager Trent Baalke said of Patton after the draft.

Jim Harbaugh liked Patton’s eagerness to get to work with the 49ers, but it turns out, Patton’s made a habit of logging extra hours on the job.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com and Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee both caught up with Patton’s college coach, Sonny Dykes, to hear more about his hard-working ways.

Read more »

MT: Harbaugh Likes Crabtree/Boldin Combo

Jim Harbaugh had some memorable words about his newest receiver, Quinton Patton, in a Thursday night interview with KNBR.

The 49ers coach shared a unique story on how his fourth-round pick flew out to California eager to work for his professional team, but was told to turn around so he could avoid breaking NFL rules.

The story overshadowed Harbaugh’s comments on his own veteran receiver, Michael Crabtree.

The fifth-year pro totaled career-highs across the board in 2012 with 85 receptions, 1,105 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. The 6-foot-1, 214-pound wideout became the ninth player in team history to record a 1,000-yard receiving season and the first 49ers player to do it since 2003 (Terrell Owens).

When Harbaugh was asked about the addition of Anquan Boldin to San Francisco’s roster, the 49ers coach quickly pointed out that the 11-year veteran will fit in nicely with Cratbree, the emerging play-maker.

“Having two high-level, top-notch productive receivers in this league, I think they’ll help each other immensely in that way,” the 49ers coach said.

“Michael’s a proven, front-line receiver and so is Anquan Boldin.”

The 49ers haven’t had two, 1,000-yard receiving seasons since 1998 when Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice totaled 1,157 yards and Owens added 1,097 yards. The duo also combined to catch 24 touchdowns (Owens 15, Rice 9).

Crabtree’s 2012 production came into greater focus thanks to his inclusion on ProFootballFocus.com’s Top 101 players list.

Crabtree was the 12^th member of San Francisco’s roster to make the list. He was unranked in 2011, but came in at No. 37 this time around.

“Crabtree continued to look like one of the most impressive after-the-catch receivers in the league, forcing 19 missed tackles (including the postseason) while also adding 12 touchdowns,” PFF.com wrote.

Other 49ers to make PFF’s current list (Justin Smith No. 87, Colin Kaepernick No. 81, Anthony Davis No. 80, Tarell Brown No. 75, Frank Gore No. 71, Anquan Boldin No. 63, NaVorro Bowman No. 59, Aldon Smith No. 57, Mike Iupati No. 53, Alex Boone No. 50 and Vernon Davis, No. 39).

Read more »

MT: Football School in Session

The second phase of San Francisco’s offseason program is called “Football School.”

Fundamental work under the coaching staff’s supervision began on Monday and will last two weeks before the 49ers take part in Organized Team Activities (OTAs) and mandatory minicamps.

The opening session was heavily attended and included the first on-field work from new wide receiver Anquan Boldin.

“I thought it was important for me to come out and try to get as familiar as possible before the season starts,” the 11-year pro told 49ers.com.

Boldin wanted to learn the offense and get used to working with starting quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

The on-field relationship continues to blossom. In addition to the quarterback, Boldin already sees a talented roster and hopes to boost its chances of winning the franchise’s sixth Super Bowl in 2013.

“I do see a hungry team, a team that wants to avenge what happened last year,” said Boldin, a key reason why the 49ers came up short to the Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII. “For me, I’m glad to be a part of that because my whole thing is winning championships.”

Boldin isn’t the only veteran taking part in the voluntary work.

Carlos Rogers also told 49ers.com about his reasons for joining the workouts. In previous years, the ninth-year pro didn’t make it a priority to take part in voluntary offseason work with the Washington Redskins. Now, Rogers enjoys the offseason sessions that better prepares him mentally and physically for upcoming seasons.

“You can do all the workouts you want to at home, but you don’t get the drills and the work with your teammates,” Rogers, a 2011 Pro Bowler said. “You can learn more. It’s totally different than working with a strength coach and just running around… I take pride in coming here.”

Read more »

MT: Family Ties at Rookie Camp

Last year, Mike Iupati’s younger brother, Andrew, earned a tryout at the 49ers rookie minicamp.

The family feel will continue in 2013 according to a report from Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News.

Anthony Davis’ older brother, Andre Davis, will get a tryout at the 49ers rookie minicamp set to take place on May 10.

The elder Davis, 26, played the past two years at NAIA school Kentucky Christian. At 6-foot-5, 295 pounds, Davis made honorable mention for the All-Mid-South Conference East Division. Davis will join another invite with a well-known last name, West Virginia Wesleyan quarterback Nate Montana, who was invited to tryout according to a report from the Sacramento Bee.

More rookie headlines can be found in today’s Morning Tailgate.

Read more »

Morning Tailgate: 2013 NFL Draft Recap

The 49ers entered the 2013 NFL Draft with 13 draft picks. When it was all said and done, San Francisco added 11 players to the roster.

The latest additions to Jim Harbaugh’s team offer size and toughness to the current squad. Many of the newcomers offer position versatility, too.

From Eric Reid (pick No. 18 overall) to Marcus Cooper (pick No. 252 overall), the 49ers addressed needs through the draft and found quality prospects to compete with an already talented roster.

Today’s Morning Tailgate recaps the 2013 draft.

Read more »

Single Game Tickets on Sale

A single game on-sale will be held today at 10:00 AM PT. Ticket inventory will be extremely limited and is expected to sell-out quickly. Visit NFL Ticket Exchange for additional tickets.

This season also includes a trip to London where the 49ers will face the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium in Week 8. Four-night travel packages including hotel, round trip airfare, game tickets, and event hospitality are now available here.

Morning Tailgate: Round 1 Recap

For a second consecutive year, Trent Baalke pegged a first-round draft pick at least 24 hours before the actual draft.

In 2012, it was A.J. Jenkins who was the preferred pick of the San Francisco 49ers general manager. In 2013, the honor went to LSU safety Eric Reid.

Baalke’s 24-hour preference of the SEC safety was shared by Jed York.

The 49ers CEO offered a glimpse into Baalke’s pre-draft mindset in a Thursday night conversation with Mike Silver of Yahoo! Sports.

“We weren’t nervous,” York said of the 49ers draft room. “Trent made up his mind yesterday what he wanted to do and he went out and did it. And if it hadn’t worked out, we’d have still had some pretty good options.”

Perhaps the 49ers will have those other options in play for the No. 34 overall pick, a selection they acquired from a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs.

The fast-paced first-round of the NFL Draft is recapped in today’s Morning Tailgate.

On to the links…

Read more »

MT: 2013 NFL Draft Preview

Finally.

The wait is over. The draft board is finalized. The prospects are eager. The fan base is ready. The draft bash is all set.

The 2013 NFL Draft begins tonight and it couldn’t have come any sooner. We broke down prospects and spoke with analysts about the endless possibilities, but that was all build up to the inevitable conclusion. The three-day draft gets underway tonight at 5 p.m. PT and the future of the San Francisco 49ers will come into greater focus when the team makes its first selection.

Will it be at No. 31, or will San Francisco move up to select a player they’ve been coveting all along? The outcome will be known shortly.

In Trent Baalke’s three drafts leading the team’s draft-day decisions, the 49ers general manager has traded nine times. In 2010, Baalke’s first year as Vice President of Player Personnel, Baalke moved up to select tackle Anthony Davis, a player who recently signed a five-year contract extension through 2019. Baalke also traded back in 2010 to select, two-time All-Pro linebacker NaVorro Bowman, another player who has been extended until the 2018 season.

It’s worth noting that Baalke has never traded out of the first-round in three years. In 2011, he moved up in the second-round to select quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

With 13 selections heading into draft day, the possibilities for Baalke and his personnel staff are endless.

It’s safe to say the world will be watching. NFL Draft prognostications are endless, but they’ll stop very soon. We’ve compiled the top mock drafts for your consideration in today’s Morning Tailgate.

Share your draft opinions on social with #Draft49 and if you’re having a draft party or attending our event in San Jose tonight, use #49ersDraftBash to showcase your experience.

Thanks everyone for checking out our blog and enjoy the draft. 49ers.com/Draft will have you covered all weekend long.

Now, on to the links…

Read more »