It’s the first football activity the San Francisco 49ers can hold in 2013. Voluntary offseason conditioning work begins today at team headquarters in Santa Clara.

In Phase One of the offseason program, the 49ers will hold two weeks of conditioning work under the supervision of the team’s strength and conditioning staff.

When the two weeks have passed, Phase Two of the program will allow coaches on the field to work on drills with the players before the start of 10 days of offseason team activities (OTAs) and minicamps to be held in May and June.

The first OTA sessions will be held on May 21-23, May 28-30 and June 3-6.

A rookie minicamp will be held after the 2013 NFL Draft. Rookies, however, must finish their spring semester or fourth quarter of school before participating in the OTA sessions with veteran teammates. Last offseason, second-round pick LaMichael James had to finish school at Oregon before taking part in offseason workouts with the 49ers.

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

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com previewed San Francisco’s potential interest in this year’s draft-eligible specialists.

Albert Breer of NFL.com tweeted the 49ers have begun negotiating a contract extension with Pro Bowl guard Mike Iupati.

Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News shared Joe Montana’s Twitter comments on the Masters scoring controversy.

Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram caught up with new 49ers quarterback Colt McCoy.

Peter King of SI.com offered the latest draft rumors in his Monday Morning Quarterback column.

Mexico faces Peru in an international soccer match this Wednesday at Candlestick Park.

49ers.com’s “49 in 49” series finished up “Best of the Rest” week with profiles on Cincinnati tight end Travis Kelce and Louisiana Tech wide receiver Quinton Patton.

CLIP OF THE DAY

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RT @JerryRice: Only a few days left to vote! Keep voting guys! #MaddenCoverVote ht.ly/k4UGr—
San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) April 15, 2013

Help Jerry out.

It’s a broad designation, but there’s plenty of talented NFL prospects outside of the NCAA’s power conferences. Our 49ers.com “49 in 49” series continues with the top talent removed from the SEC, Big-12, Pac-12, Big Ten and ACC. We’re calling it, “Best of the Rest.”

Every year impact players are drafted outside of the nation’s top football conferences and they end up carving out highly successful careers in professional football. The 2013 NFL Draft figures to be no different.

The San Francisco 49ers are no stranger to searching through smaller schools with the hopes of finding top prospects. Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice of Mississippi Valley State comes to mind as the best example in team history.  With 13 draft selections in 2013, 49ers General Manager Trent Baalke will have plenty of chances to select a player that stood out on scouting tape more so than nationally televised football games.

This year’s draft class features many intriguing prospects outside of the common football schools. Notre Dame’s 12-1 season stands as the prime example of a team playing its way into the national landscape. Sure, the Fighting Irish are known for its proud football history. However, the team won its first 12 games of the season to regain national attention before losing in a one-sided BCS title game to Alabama.

The Irish boast several draftable players in this year’s bunch and the same can be said for other non-BCS schools. Notre Dame finished No. 4 in the nation and was joined in the BCS Bowl series by Northern Illinois Huskies (No. 22) who made it to the Orange Bowl, losing 31-10 to Florida State.

Which powerhouse players from non-powerhouse schools would you like the 49ers to draft in 2013?

Leave your thoughts in the comment section of this post.

Just like old times.

The Madden 25 cover vote is down to four matchups, including Jerry Rice versus Deion Sanders.

The Hall of Fame players battled throughout their professional careers. The encounters were worth the price of admission, too.

Rice and Sanders were teammates with the 49ers in 1994 and helped San Francisco win a fifth Super Bowl. They’ve since moved on to media careers, Rice with ESPN and Sanders with NFL Network.

And now, they’re back in competition mode. Only this time, fans get to decide the winner. The Madden vote’s quarterfinal round lasts until April 10, so make sure to vote early and often.

Joe Montana also advanced to the next round of voting. He’ll face another Hall of Famer, former Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders.

More 49ers headlines can be found in the Morning Tailgate.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle discussed the Nnamdi Asomugha signing and how it will likely change a trend in the veteran cornerback’s career.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee examined the free agency signing and compared to another 49ers offseason move from 2012, the signing of Randy Moss.

Don Banks of SI.com provided his fourth mock draft of 2013.

Asomugha’s visit to 49ers headquarters was documented by 49ers.com.

TV49’S CLIP OF THE DAY

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Nnamdi Asomugha & Colt McCoy make #49ers stronger! Cant wait for the draft #49erfans. Going against BARRY SANDERS now #maddencover HELP!—
Joseph Montana (@JoeMontana) April 04, 2013

You heard him.

It’s voting season.

NFL.com is asking fans to choose the best play in NFL history and two of San Francisco’s Hall of Fame quarterbacks, Joe Montana and Steve Young, are among the great eight remaining plays. Montana delivered “The Catch,” while Young seemingly broke 49 tackles on his way to a 49-yard game-winning touchdown run against the Minnesota Vikings back in 1988. Fifth round voting ends on April 3.

Another important offseason vote involves 49ers past and present.

Montana, along with Hall of Fame teammate Jerry Rice and current 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, still remain in the Madden Cover Vote for the game’s 25 anniversary edition.

Kaepernick, a No. 1 seed, faces Houston Texans running back Arian Foster in the “New School” side of the bracket.

Montana, a No. 1 seed, faces Super Bowl XIX opponent and Kaepernick fan, Dan Marino, a No. 4 seed, in the “Old School” bracket. Meanwhile, Rice, another No. 1 seed, will match up against Michael Strahan (No. 5 seed) as one of the other throwback pairings.

It’s worth noting that no other team has more than one representative in the Madden tournament.

That’s important if you subscribe to the “Madden Curse” theory. Detroit Lions mega-star wideout Calvin Johnson didn’t fall for it in 2013. Johnson, the most recent player to grace the Madden cover, broke Rice’s single-season receiving record with 1,964 yards for the Lions. Rice’s old record was set in 1995.

Meanwhile, Kaepernick’s Twitter feed has recently been filled with retweets of fans supporting his quest to be on the Madden cover.

If you don’t want to vote for the current 49ers quarterback, Montana and Rice are long removed from their playing careers and will surely accept placement on the Madden cover. Both stars have joined Twitter, too. Connect with them here: @JoeMontana & @JerryRice.

Round three of the Madden vote ends on April 3. Vote often for any three of the 49ers representatives.

Check out additional 49ers headlines in the Morning Tailgate, including reports of a new quarterback joining the team in 2013.

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports first reported the 49ers had traded for Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy. The trade has not been confirmed by San Francisco’s front office. ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter offered details on the deal: The 49ers have acquired McCoy and Cleveland’s sixth-round selection in the 2013 draft in exchange for San Francisco’s fifth and seventh round picks in this year’s draft.

Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee weighs in on the trade and how it potentially shapes a backup quarterback competition between McCoy and third-year pro Scott Tolzien.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com shared quotes from recent 49ers draft picks on their pre-draft dealings with the club.

Eric Branch of The San Francisco Chronicle profiled Nevada safety Duke Williams, a player who met with the 49ers at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Former 49ers Riki Ellison and Shawntae Spencer are among the group of current and former NFL players participating in an investment impact program at Notre Dame.

NFL.com enjoyed the “Jim Harbaugh Collection.”

49ers.com’s ACC Week began with a profile on Florida State cornerback Xavier Rhodes.

TV49’S CLIP OF THE DAY

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I actually would buy some outfits from the Jim Harbaugh Collection if it were real.—
P. Schrager (@PSchrags) April 01, 2013

Maybe we’re on to something…

Quarterback Colin Kaepernick has been a busy man during the offseason. Whether it be working out in Atlanta with his teammates, signing autographs for fans in the Bay Area or taking in a Los Angeles Clippers game courtside, Kaepernick is staying occupied. On Monday, the young signal-caller visited ESPN to discuss his candidacy to be on the cover of the Madden 25th Anniversary edition set to come out later this year.

The 49ers are well-represented in the bracket-style tournament which will crown the newest Madden cover boy, as Joe Montana and Jerry Rice join Kaepernick as No. 1 seeds. Kaepernick also stopped by the set of SportsNation to take on host Charissa Thompson in a football-throwing competition that involved nightvision goggles.

The rest of today’s Morning Tailgate focuses on the 2013 free agency period, which opens at 1 p.m.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle listed the 49ers’ positional needs.

Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com offered his top 85 players on the free agent market.

Mike Sando of ESPN.com rounded up the NFC West’s free agency prospects.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com examined the possibility of Ed Reed joining the 49ers via free agency.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee, Maiocco and Branch discussed Ian Williams signing a two-year extension with the 49ers.

49ers.com wrote about Williams and started Big 12 Week of our 49 in 49 pre-draft series with a look at Texas S Kenny Vaccaro.

TV49′s CLIP OF THE DAY

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Had a great time! RT @sandysandovalea: Good day at @ESPN. Thanks @JerryRice @Kaepernick7
Big ups! http://t.co/iMz1qejD0v—
Jerry Rice (@JerryRice) March 12, 2013

Two 49ers. One Madden cover. Who will win?

With 10 regular season games left to play at their historic stadium, the San Francisco 49ers are asking their Faithful fans to vote all month long on their favorite memories at Candlestick Park.

One of the moments to choose from involves this week’s opponent, the St. Louis Rams, who faced the 49ers in the 1990 NFC Championship game when they were known as the Los Angeles Rams.

San Francisco won that game 30-3 in front of 64,769 fans at Candlestick. Two-time Super Bowl-winning coach George Seifert’s first conference championship victory saw future Hall of Famers Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Ronnie Lott all contribute in a lopsided win over the Rams.

Los Angeles scored the game’s first points and then proceeded to watch the home team score 30 unanswered points.

In the process, San Francisco intercepted Rams quarterback Jim Everett three times on the day. Lott, Tim McKyer and the team’s current VP of Football Affairs, Keena Turner, all recorded interceptions in the win.

Offensively, Montana continued his dominance against the Rams. He completed 26 of 30 passes for 262 yards and two touchdowns.

CLICK HERE TO VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE CANDLESTICK MOMENTS.

BOARDMAN, Ohio – I used to think Disneyland was the happiest place on earth. Maybe I was a pre-teen at the time, but as of Wednesday morning, my opinion has officially changed. That’s because a group of 49ers reporters (Cam Inman, Matt Barrows, Eric Branch, TV49’s Scott Kegley and myself) all jumped in a car and headed to the most wonderful place on earth – The Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

Where do I begin on this…

Let me see, the anticipation of driving up to the Hall of Fame was exciting in its own right. But once you pull up to the building and see the exterior (the same one you’ve seen on television for all those years) it hits you right then and there, this is a place unlike any other.

Joe Horrigan, the Hall’s Vice President of Communication and Exhibits and all of his staff members were more than accommodating to us on our visit. Upon entering the “bust room,” Matt Waechter, the Hall’s website coordinator, found us immediately and showed us the most amazing artifacts in the archive room.

From rare helmets, to unique game-worn cleats, to the first ever pylon used in NFL history, to Pat Tillman’s travel bag – there was history all over the room. 49ers.com’s photo gallery showcased some of the rare sights in the room and other 49ers-related images littered throughout the shrine to pro football’s proud history.

All the beat writers further documented their experiences, a must-read for die-hard football fans.

Inman shared the experience through a storify report, recapping his posts on social media. A highlight was the lunch photo of Taggart’s Ice Cream, a lovely Canton eatery that’s been in business since 1926 – 20 years before the San Francisco 49ers were even founded.

By the time we got back from lunch to finish seeing the rest of the hallowed grounds, the Hall of Fame staff notified us that David Akers’ NFL record-tying, 63-yard field goal ball was prominently displayed in the players of today section of the hall.

I also couldn’t help but hook Jerry Rice up with a 49ers New Era hat. Don’t worry, I held it up over Rice’s head, would never disrespect the bust itself.

Barrows shared some of the rarest things we discovered in the archive room and touched on the newly created Ralph Wilson Jr. Research and Preservation Center that features photos and publications from all throughout NFL history – including the team’s first ever game program from a 1946 loss to the New York Yankees. Barrows: “Some of the best stuff, however, isn’t on display. It’s in storage in the basement, which – special thanks to the Hall’s Matt Waechter – we were able to visit. On one of the shelves is a folded up piece of green carpet. Oh, that’s the section of turf from Three Rivers Stadium on which Franco Harris made the Immaculate Reception.”

Branch shares his personal ties to the Hall of Fame and what it meant to finally make it to Canton. Branch: “As a child, I worshiped Tony Dorsett and the moments when the sermon ended, my dad ferried us home and — glory, glory, Hallelujah! – the voice of the pastor was replaced by Pat Summerall’s. True story: At 8, I watched the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in its entirety (final score: Packers 0, Chargers 0). Thirty-two years, a wife and two daughters later, I arrived in Canton and was transported back to a time when I pulled tube socks to my knees and was riveted by scoreless preseason ties.”

Kevin Lynch of SFGate.com shared the latest updates on the new Santa Clara Stadium progress. A stunning photograph was also included in the report. Lynch: “While the media was there, a large section of escalator was swinging into place in the west suite tower. (Project Executive Jack) Hill said the project is on target and so far he has avoided major hiccups. A Dallas native, Hill oversaw the construction of the Cowboys stadium. Now he’s hoping for a dry winter.”

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com explains that NaVorro Bowman leads the NFL in tackles, a subjective statistic.

TV49’S CLIP OF THE DAY

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Akers 63-yard field goal ball is now on display @ Pro Football Hall Of Fame instagr.am/p/QAqBf8iels/—
San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) September 25, 2012

This year’s team is already represented in Canton.

All offseason we’ve heard commentary and prognostications from members of the local and national media as it pertains to the San Francisco 49ers.

Now, we know how Hall of Famers from the team’s storied past feel. In a recent appearance on ESPN’s NFL Live, Jerry Rice and Joe Montana joined host Trey Wingo to discuss to their former team’s outlook in 2012.

“I think with that defense they can (be successful) because they brought all the guys back,” Rice, an ESPN analyst, said. “It’s going to be up to the offense. They brought in some additional weapons to help Alex Smith out, so now he has to put the ball in the hands of the playmakers, this team is going to go far.”

Montana said he was really impressed by Smith’s 14-yard touchdown pass to Vernon Davis in the team’s Divisional Playoff win over the New Orleans Saints.

“That showed me confidence in his ability to throw the ball,” Montana said of Smith. “He can make those throws, now it’s about managing the game.”

The legendary 49ers quarterback stressed that Smith has to distribute the ball to the playmakers and let them create big plays.

“They should be settled in, they understand what it takes to operate,” Montana said.

NFL.com’s season preview for the San Francisco 49ers has three writers predicting an NFC West crown for the club.

NFL.com’s staff writers also predict NFL awards with one tenured staffer predicting Jim Harbaugh to win back-to-back Coach of the Year honors.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com shares Vic Fangio’s comments on the 49ers defensive learning experience in Denver. Maiocco: “Playing without key defenders Aldon Smith,NaVorro Bowman and Chris Culliver, the 49ers had few answers for Peyton Manning, who threw for 122 yards. The Broncos scored 17 points on their three possessions against the 49ers.”

Maiocco also interviewed reserve quarterback Scott Tolzien on his preparation for Thursday’s preseason finale against the San Diego Chargers.

Nathan Jannke of ProFootballFocus.com shares his impressions from the 49ers-Broncos game.

Mike Sando of ESPN.com looks at the average age of each NFL team and ntoes the 49ers have the 13^th oldest roster after the 75-man roster cuts.

Sando also offers thoughts on San Francisco’s initial roster cuts.

49ers.com looked at young player’s outlooks on the upcoming Chargers game, both offensively and defensively.

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My kids 1st day of school #proud dad—
Tarell Brown25 (@RealTB25) August 28, 2012

Big day in the Brown household.

Fresh off the San Francisco 49ers’ 29-24 come-from-behind win in Denver, the Morning Tailgate has all the top headlines from the team’s second preseason win of 2012.

Sunday’s win was a hard-fought effort that saw the 49ers score 19 unanswered points in the second half to beat the Broncos on the road. All four 49ers quarterbacks led scoring drives, leaving the coaches with plenty to contemplate as they put together the quarterback depth chart. By 1 p.m. PT, the team will trim its roster to the mandatory 75-man limit. Currently, the 49ers have 89 players on the team.

Many of those 89, including running back Anthony Dixon, were singled out by Jim Harbaugh following Sunday’s victory. Eric Branch of The San Francisco Chronicle highlighted Dixon’s hard-running in his game notebook. The 49ers coach mentioned many of his hard-workers, a list that featured 355-pound guard Leonard Davis, who lined up as an extra blocker with the first-team offense.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com noted Dixon and Davis’ efforts in his game notebook.

“(Davis) is eager to please,” Maiocco wrote. “And he likes his new role, which was unveiled on Sunday when he was used throughout game at tight end as an extra blocker.”

Maiocco also notes that Kyle Williams could begin the regular season as the 49ers starting punt returner following Ted Ginn Jr.’s ankle injury against the Broncos. Harbaugh told reporters Ginn Jr.’s x-rays were negative.

Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee offers his game story from Denver which includes details on Colin Kaepernick’s impressive play. Barrows: “Colin Kaepenrick had a strong game in going 4-4 for 80 yards and rushing twice for 11 yards. Kaepernick, who played the third quarter, connected with Kyle Williams for a 46-yard catch-and-run play, the 49ers’ longest pass play of the preseason and a pass described by Harbaugh as ‘a laser.’”

Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News offers his game observations, plus Alex Smith’s thoughts on airing out a deep pass to Randy Moss, who was triple-covered on the play.

ESPN.com’s Mike Sando revisits his three pre-Broncos observations for the 49ers.

FoxSports.com lists 49ers defensive tackle Justin Smith as one of the league’s most underrated players. “There are very few defensive players in this sport that offensive coordinators build entire gameplans against. DeMarcus Ware is one, Darrelle Revis is one, and Justin Smith is one. Smith gets respect, but isn’t often in the conversation of “Best Defensive Players in the NFL,” and he should be. He’s the engine to that top-ranked 49ers defense. An absolute bull, he’s nearly impossible to block both on the rush and the pass. Teams lose sleep over Justin Smith.”

49ers.com’s preseason coverage included a game story on the 49ers edging the Broncos in the second half, a look at Perrish Cox’s return to Denver and David Akers’ continued excellence, plus a video recap of the game and our latest Cover 2 segment.

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DVR alert @49ers fans: Don't miss Joe Montana, @jerryrice and steve young on ESPN's @NFLLive at 4p et.—
bill hofheimer (@bhofheimer_espn) August 27, 2012

DVR alert.

Need more proof that the 49ers-Saints thriller from last year’s playoffs was an all-time classic? After the contest earned the fans’ vote as the Game of the Year at the ESPYs, NFL.com recently called the memorable matchup the top contest from the 2011 season. In all, the 49ers took part in four tilts included in NFL.com’s Top 20 NFL Games of 2011 series.

NFL.com analyst Elliot Harrison broke down the 49ers-Saints matchup and wrote, “This was the game everyone remembers most. Of the 50 or so people I talked to about games from last season, this was the contest that always came up. Much like our No. 1 game of 2010, this one was easily discernible from the rest.”

Find out which other games made the Top-20 cut and see who Alex Smith and Jerry Rice are teeing off with in today’s first round of the American Century Golf Classic. Those stories and more after the jump.

NFL.com also ranked the heartbreaking NFC Championship game as the No. 3 game of the year in 2011, while the 49ers-Cowboys Week 2 matchup checked in at No. 9 and the 49ers-Giants Week 10 regular season contest ranked at No. 18.

Smith was reunited with his college coach Urban Meyer on the golf course today along with Packers LB A.J. Hawk for the first round of the American Century Golf Classic. Rice, meanwhile, was paired with Packers QB Aaron Rodgers and Cowboys QB Tony Romo. Click here to view the full pairings for Friday’s first round. NFL.com also put together a photo gallery of NFL stars on the golf course.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com offered his analysis of the 49ers roster heading into training camp. Maiocco: “Defensive lineman Demarcus Dobbs and receiver Joe Hastings are examples of players who arrived at 49ers training camp a year ago with little or no fanfare and eventually earned  roster spots. Rookies are scheduled to report to training camp in Santa Clara on Saturday, and each will have a chance to climb the depth chart to stick with the team this season in some form.”

Craig Massei of Scout.com discussed the quarterbacks for each team in the NFC West. Massei: “After finishing ninth among NFL quarterbacks last year with a career-best 90.7 passer rating, Smith enters training camp this year as the clear starter, particularly after standing out amongst his competition during a strong spring during which Harbaugh continually praised Smith’s progress.”

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LaMichael James and the rest of the 49ers rookie class are set to report to team headquarters on Saturday.