Blogs

Morning Tailgate: Free Agency Primer

The NFL free agency frenzy is just around the corner. Starting Friday night at 9 p.m. PT, teams can start negotiating contracts with the agents of free agent players, but no deals can be signed until 1 p.m PT on Tuesday, March 12.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle noted the ins and outs of the free agent process in a recent post. “For the first time, the league will tiptoe into free agency by allowing teams to begin negotiating with agents of pending unrestricted free agents in advance of the official start of free agency (1 p.m. PT Tuesday),” Branch wrote. “Contracts can’t be signed until Tuesday. During the three-day negotiating period, a UFA can’t take visits or have contact with another team, other than his own.”

The 49ers would also like to invite their Faithful Fans to a Colin Kaepernick autograph signing on behalf of Gatorade later today from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at Danville Safeway (3496 Camino Tassajara).

The rest of today’s Morning Tailgate looks ahead to free agency and more.

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Morning Tailgate: July 25

Several undrafted 49ers rookies have made their way on to the 53-man roster in recent years based on strong performances in training camp and the preseason. The chances of it happening again will be tougher based on the depth across the 49ers roster.

However, players like Demarcus Dobbs, Ian Williams and Joe Hastings made it happen in 2011, all making appearances in regular season games last season despite going undrafted. Will the trend continue in 2012? CSN Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco examined the likelihood of one of this year’s unheralded prospects making the final cut.

The performances of this year’s rookies will come into better focus once they begin competing with the veterans at the start of training camp. Friday is when it officially gets started. For now, the rookies are practicing for the first time in pads this week as they get acclimated to what training camp will be like.

When the vets officially report on Thursday, things will be, as Harbaugh likes to say, “really real.”

More 49ers headlines can be found after the jump.

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Morning Tailgate: June 14

The final day of San Francisco 49ers minicamp is here, and that means players will soon be on their own to stay fit and mentally sharp until training camp begins. But once practice concludes in the afternoon on Thursday, Jim Harbaugh will address the media on what he saw from his team in the offseason program.

Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio met with the media on Wednesday to discuss the strides being made by his unit. According to Fangio, the squad can be even better than last season, but matching eye-popping statistics like 38 forced turnovers might be difficult to duplicate.

However, Fangio has raised the expectations for the defense, and second-year linebacker Aldon Smith, whom Fangio expects to become an every-down linebacker in 2012.

More 49ers headlines can be found after the jump.

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Minicamp Update: June 12

Carlos Rogers was a full participant at Tuesday’s opening three-day minicamp session for the San Francisco 49ers.

Rogers’ presence has been felt throughout San Francisco’s offseason program; however, the veteran cornerback who signed a new four-year contract with the 49ers did not recently participate in Organized Team Activities.

Rogers told The San Francisco Chronicle a right calf strain, suffered last month, has kept him out of action.

Tuesday, however, Rogers was back on the field wearing a gold 49ers helmet along with the rest of his teammates.

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49ers Promote CB Brock, Waive S Maragos

The San Francisco 49ers announced on Wednesday they have promoted CB Tramaine Brock to the active roster from the team’s practice squad. The team also waived S Chris Maragos.

49ers Re-Sign CB Brock to Practice Squad

The San Francisco 49ers announced Thursday morning that they have signed CB Tramaine Brock to the team’s practice squad. In order to make room for him on the unit the 49ers released FB Jehuu Caulcrick.

49ers Announce Roster Moves

Late Tuesday afternoon, the 49ers announced they have claimed S C.J. Spillman off waivers from the San Diego Chargers. In order to make room on the roster for Spillman, the team waived CB Tramaine Brock. FB Jehuu Caulcrick has also been released from the team’s practice squad.

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49ers Waive LB Briggs; Promote CB Brock

The San Francisco 49ers announced Monday that they have promoted CB Tramaine Brock to the active roster from the team’s practice squad. In order to make room for Brock, the team has waived LB Diyral Briggs.

49ers Sign CB Brock to Practice Squad

The San Francisco 49ers announced they have signed CB Tramaine Brock to the team’s practice squad. Brock originally made the team’s 53-man roster this season, but was released Tuesday to make room for WR Jason Hill on the roster.

Willis Returns to Defensive Huddle

You will never hear Patrick Willis question the importance of practice. Not in mid-June, or in any month for that matter.

The 49ers three-time Pro Bowl linebacker and unquestioned defensive leader has been eager to return to the practice fields ever since he underwent a minor knee surgery this offseason.

In recent weeks, Willis has been slowly working over 49ers head athletic trainer Jeff Ferguson for permission to practice, asking him what he’s allowed to do each and every day he’s been around 49ers headquarters. And while Ferguson has limited Willis to individual work in last week’s organized team activities, this week was a different story.

Willis’ self-described gnat-like behavior must have paid off as Ferguson gave him the clearance to join 11-on-11 periods during Monday’s OTA session.

The wait was difficult for Willis, but he understood Ferguson’s reasoning and respected it.

“He’s one of the best trainers in the league and with my injuries before he’s done a great job of getting me ready, preparing me,” Willis said while standing in front of his locker. “I was just going to listen to him and let him tell me what to do, but at the same time, I had to bug him a little bit to let me get back out there. He gave me the ‘OK’ to participate in some of the drills and it felt good to get my feet wet and get back on the field with the boys.”

The feeling was beyond mutual.

Once Willis stepped into the huddle, outside linebacker Parys Haralson remarked, “The X-Factor is back!” Others chimed in, “Welcome back 52!”

Willis wasted no time validating the opinions of his teammates. He instantly got involved in the action by perfectly timing a delayed blitz for a would-be sack of quarterback Alex Smith.

Several plays later, he read an inside handoff to running back Glen Coffee and was in perfect position to make a play on the second-year back.

Not bad, considering Willis told reporters how he felt slower with his eyes than his feet after Monday’s practice.

With Willis back in the fold for the remainder of the offseason, the leader of the defense only sees a better performance for the entire unit in 2010.

“I think our defense can be exceptionally good. It’s going to take a lot of hard work. It’s going to take guys continuing to grow and be hungry and want to be stronger than we were before. We want to be No. 1, but if we can get in the top-3, I feel like that’s putting us in a great spot as an overall defense.”

Notes and Quotes

With Willis amongst his teammates for team periods, safety Taylor Mays took the opportunity to stand beside head coach Mike Singletary and secondary coach Johnnie Lynn deep in the 49ers defensive backfield. That location, some 40 yards behind the play, was Willis’ destination for most of the offseason. But on Monday, Mays took mental reps and asked questions in between the plays he participated in during the team period.

The first and only turnover of the day took place in the first team period, when safety Michael Lewis intercepted Smith’s pass intended for tight end Joe Jon Finley. The deep crossing route was first deflected high in the air by cornerback Kary Paymah, which allowed Lewis time to catch the ball and run it down the right sideline for a nice return.

The best offensive play took place later in practice as third-string signal caller Nate Davis found rookie wide receiver Kyle Williams 35 yards down the field on a go route over the coverage of undrafted cornerback Tramaine Brock.