Colin Kaepernick keeps building his understanding of the 49ers offense at the team’s Organized Team Activities. Off the field, Kaepernick is growing his marketing appeal.

Months removed from a Super Bowl appearance, the 49ers quarterback has been racking up endorsement deals. Kaepernick’s commercial appeal was the recent subject of a Forbes.com piece.

Kaepernick, however, is not mixing publicity with football. The 49ers quarterback has been “sharp” this offseason according to his coach, Jim Harbaugh.

“He’s been really strong,” the 49ers coach told reporters on Wednesday. “Running the offense, throwing the ball extremely well. He’s in great physical shape with a total command of the offense.”

Kevin Lynch of the San Francisco Chronicle shared six ramifications of Michael Crabtree’s injury.

Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News offered OTA notes.

Steve Corkran of the San Jose Mercury News shared Harbaugh’s outlook at being involved with the Indy 500.

Rael Enteen of CSNBayArea.com discussed Quinton Patton’s comments on Crabtree and Kaepernick.

49ers.com recapped the OTA workout open to the media, Harbaugh’s comments on Crabtree, plus caught up with second-year running back LaMichael James.

CLIP OF THE DAY

TWEET ABOUT IT

I go hard for my friends family and fans, just felt like I let everybody down.. But I'll be back ready!! I promise! #yungcrab—
Michael Crabtree (@KingCrab15) May 22, 2013

Stronger than you think.

Jim Harbaugh will drive the pace car on Sunday at the 97th installment of the  Indianapolis 500.

The 49ers coach, who is a racing fan and has a principle role with Panther Racing, said it will be a “tremendous thrill” according to a news release sent out by track officials.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle talked about the 49ers looking forward to next year’s Super Bowl more than Super Bowl L.

Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News caught up with A.J. Jenkins.

Nate Stuhlbarg of CSNBayArea.com shared Carlos Rogers’ post OTA comments.

49ers.com caught up with third-year linebacker Aldon Smith.

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Today was a good start to OTA's. We just got to get a lil better everyday! But in the mean time Ima be wearing my "… say.ly/itx5Sk7—
Patrick willis (@PatrickWillis52) May 21, 2013

Day 2 of OTAs are next.

The rookie class will join veterans at Organized Team Activities on Tuesday. The NFL newcomers have been working with their new teammates at San Francisco’s “Football School” workouts, but now they can all practice together with helmets at OTAs.

The rookies will also have fourth-round draft pick Quinton Patton in attendance. The Louisiana Tech wide receiver was the only draft pick who couldn’t remain at the team’s facility following rookie minicamp. Patton had to wait until the conclusion of Louisiana Tech’s graduations ceremonies on Saturday.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle spoke with Patton who’s set to join veterans at OTAs.

Patton’s initial arrival to San Francisco was pretty epic. He shouldn’t have any problem sticking around the facility now that graduation is over.

Mark Purdy of the San Jose Mercury News previewed the upcoming Super Bowl location announcements.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com caught up with 49ers co-chair Dr. John York in Boston.

49ers.com spoke with former tight end Brent Jones who is joining the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame.

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The Super Bowl Selection Show is now live on #49ers.com. 49ers.com/live—
San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) May 21, 2013

Watch the show on 49ers.com/live

Following a third week of “Football School,” the San Francisco 49ers will finish the month of May with two sets of Organized Team Activities (May 21-23, May 28-30).

Those voluntary workouts are expected to have a great turnout. The 49ers offseason program has been heavily attended every step of the way from many of the team’s veterans. Now, the rookie class can participate in the offseason schedule. With the signing of fullback Jason Schepler, the 49ers are at a 90-man roster.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee analyzed San Francisco’s personnel and noted the holdovers from the 2012 NFC Champion squad. Wide receiver and inside linebacker are two positions with the most change heading into 2013.

More 49ers headlines and upcoming appearances can be found in today’s Morning Tailgate.

Kevin Lynch of the San Francisco Chronicle shared Patrick Willis’ latest shoe commercial.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle discussed Frank Gore’s production at the age of 30.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com shared insight on potential consulting candidates for the 49ers coaching staff.

Steve Corkran of the San Jose Mercury News noted that Colin Kaepernick will be featured in ESPN The Magazine’s “Body Issue.”

49ers.com checked in with Anthony Dixon and rookie tight end Vance McDonald.

TWEET ABOUT IT

Don't miss my FREE summer football camp. Come train & complete w/elite athletes, Q&A sessions w/NFL Pros & giveaways! sprts.is/Camp—
Michael Crabtree (@KingCrab15) May 14, 2013

Sign up for Crab’s Camp today.

Jim Harbaugh and Trent Baalke showed a sign of solidarity on Wednesday at the 49ers, Levi’s Brand pep rally.

Both of the key figures wore Levi’s jeans at the rally, so did their players (Patrick Willis, Frank Gore, Vernon Davis, Justin Smith and Colin Kaepernick).

It was especially unique to see the 49ers head coach wearing an all-denim outfit. Harbaugh is known for his everyday attire of khaki pants and a black microfleece top.

This day, however, was a special one for two iconic Bay Area brands.

Having the 49ers coach celebrate the moment with a fashion statement made it even more unique.

Ann Killion of the San Francisco Chronicle covered the potential partnership between the 49ers and Levi’s.

Mike Rosenberg of the San Jose Mercury News listed the top NFL naming rights deals.

Deborah Petersen of the San Jose Mercury News shared the reaction to the announcement.

Aarond Kuriloff of Bloomberg Businessweek discussed the stadium news.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle touched on Quinton Dial’s potential role with the 49ers.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee previewed the upcoming rookie minicamp.

49ers.com provided a social recap of the stadium announcement and pep rally.

CLIP OF THE DAY

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Time to go to work!! instagram.com/p/ZFu49UJMz7/—
Eric Reid, Jr. (@E_Reid1) May 09, 2013

See you soon.

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).

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee discussed the promotions in the 49ers personnel department.

Matt Maiocco of the CSNBayArea.com gave early odds on the 49ers 53-man roster.

Don Banks of SI.com thinks the Boldin trade was the best offseason value move in the NFL.

49ers.com caught up with second-year linebacker Darius Fleming who has returned to the field following a season-ending knee injury.

TWEET ABOUT IT

Great workout today #GodisGood #Questfor6—
Quinton Patton (@4_Turnt_Up) May 01, 2013

Attitude is everything.

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…

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle shared Baalke’s comments on “absolutely” having a target at pick No. 34.

Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News shared a running blog of the draft’s first round.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee wrote about the draft offering a glimpse of the 49ers personnel future.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com discussed Reid’s outlook of starting in 2013.

Jarrett Bell of USA Today covered Reid’s previous history with coach Jim Harbaugh.

49ers.com/draft is your home for all 49ers-related draft content.

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I'm a 49er baby!!!!!! So blessed!! instagram.com/p/YjfnUQpM9M/—
Eric Reid, Jr. (@E_Reid1) April 26, 2013

Glad to have you.

CSNBayArea.com’s Matt Maiocco reported on Tuesday that a son of a 49ers Hall of Famer will visit team headquarters on Wednesday to take part in the team’s local pro day.

Nate Montana would be the player in the report. And yes, he’s the son of you know who.

Montana played as a backup quarterback at three different schools (Pasadena City College, Notre Dame and the University of Montana), before finding a starting role at West Virginia Wesleyan.

Montana started nine games at the NCAA Division II school, completing 51.6 percent of his passes with 19 touchdown passes and seven interceptions. Montana averaged 275.6 passing yards per game. He’s also been preparing for the NFL Draft with quarterback guru George Whitfield Jr.

It’s important to note that several pro day attendees have made their way on to the 49ers practice squad. For example, former Stanford safety Michael Thomas went undrafted, but made the practice squad in 2012 and has been signed to a reserve/future contract with the club. Wednesday’s pro day also marks the last day draft eligible players can visit the team’s Santa Clara headquarters.

49ers.com will cover the team’s annual pro day later in the afternoon and will have a full report on the workout.

More 49ers headlines can be found in today’s Morning Tailgate.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee discussed the 49ers attending a weekend workout for Florida State defensive end Tank Carradine.

Kevin Lynch of SFGate.com wondered if Cal wide receiver Keenan Allen would be available at pick No. 31.

Maiocco also examined the 49ers draft outlook at outside linebacker.

49ers.com continued its offseason strength program coverage by checking in with right guard Alex Boone.

CLIP OF THE DAY

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Sad to hear about Pat Summerall's passing. His commentary and work in football was something I always looked forward to as a child.—
Joe Staley (@jstaley74) April 16, 2013

Well-said.

Football in the Bay Area has been on the rise in recent years. High school, college and professional teams have enjoyed the type of success that earns national notoriety.

With Stanford University, Jim Harbaugh’s former school, earning back-to-back BCS Bowl invitations, the Cardinal have become the leaders in Bay Area collegiate football. Coach David Shaw has continued Harbaugh’s work at Stanford by bringing in academically and athletically gifted athletes. The Cardinal finished as the nation’s No. 7 team according to AP Top 25 results.

Another Bay Area school, San Jose State, also enjoyed impressive success in 2012. The Spartans finished the year 11-2 and No. 21 in the AP’s Top 25 poll.

Stanford remains the top team in the Bay Area entering 2013, but the University of California has visions of changing all of that with the hiring of Sonny Dykes as head coach. The Spartans, too, have hired a new coach who followed Harbaugh at the University of San Diego, Ron Caragher.

Harbaugh recently made a speaking appearance at San Jose State’s spring practice, lending his support to his friend.

The 49ers coach has a familiarity with Stanford players, but has not used a draft pick on one of them in two seasons. Instead, he’s signed several each year as undrafted free agents. Could the trend change in 2013? We’ll find out in a matter of days.

It should be noted that Bay Area talent will come into even greater focus this week with the 49ers announcing that their annual Bay Area pro day will take place on Wednesday.

Which college prospect with Bay Area ties would you like to see the 49ers draft? Leave your thoughts in the comments section of this post.

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…