Quarterback Alex Smith is, as you might expect, thoroughly
enjoying 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh’s intense tutelage.
Monday marked their fourth day of practice together, and both
ranked it as Smith’s best outing of training camp.
”
To get a chance to have him hands on, to have him demonstrate,
to have him jump out there and be competitive, it’s fun,
”
Smith said.
By Cam Inman – Contra Costa Times
SANTA CLARA, Calif.
Quarterback Alex Smith is, as you might expect, thoroughly enjoying 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh’s intense tutelage.
Monday marked their fourth day of practice together, and both ranked it as Smith’s best outing of training camp.
“To get a chance to have him hands on, to have him demonstrate, to have him jump out there and be competitive, it’s fun,” Smith said. “For all (quarterbacks), it’s great to have a visual explanation sometimes, instead of getting it told to you. To get to see it happen, even from an old guy, it’s good.”
Smith is returning for a seventh season and his first under an offensive-minded head coach, having had mixed results under Mike Nolan’s and Mike Singletary’s regimes.
The whistle-blowing Harbaugh is an active presence at practice, especially when it comes to grooming quarterbacks and drawing upon his NFL tenure as one from 1987-2000.
Monday’s session opened with quarterbacks working on five-step drops. After one of Smith’s turns, he turned and listened to the man shadowing him: Harbaugh, who soon showed Smith how he was shuffling his feet.
“Definitely coaching the finer points,” Harbaugh said of his methodology. “They grasp things very quickly so we can start getting into the finer details. I’m really pleased how fast they’ve come along in all regards, mentally and understanding the offense. Now we can really get into the mechanics and finer details of the system.”
Smith and rookie Colin Kaepernick indeed are looking more comfortable with this modern-day version of a West Coast offense, one drawn from the 49ers’ glory years and five Super Bowl titles.
Harbaugh’s instruction goes beyond the field and into the film room. It’s not just video of those old 49ers teams on display. Clips are rolling from the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers (last season’s Super Bowl participants) as well as other elite franchises.
“A lot of the plays we’re running, when you install them, there’s a playbook and that’s on paper with a diagram,” Harbaugh said. “We also want to show them visually the principal and other teams in the NFL that are running them.”
Added Smith: “We look at a lot of different film, tape, a lot of different offenses and quarterbacks and take things from a lot of people. We talk things in general about the quarterback position, and how to play it, from the smallest details of footwork to general decision making.”
Offensive coordinator Greg Roman and quarterbacks coach Geep Chryst are also ever present around Smith and his three rookie understudies: Kaepernick, Jeremiah Masoli and McLeod Bethel-Thompson.
Harbaugh praised both Smith and Kaepernick for not just their grasp of schemes but their high-level execution of Monday’s chores.
Smith’s best pass came in the form of a 4-yard fade throw to Braylon Edwards in the end zone. Smith’s throws have more of an arc to them than Kaepernick’s high-speed bullets. When Kaepernick connected with tight end Delanie Walker on back-to-back touchdown passes, a fan in the maximum-capacity bleachers shouted: “Give him the job.”
Kaepernick also dazzled with a 48-yard touchdown run on a naked bootleg, probably the practice’s play of the day.
-Harbaugh confirmed the return of safety Dashon Goldson, who started every game the past two seasons and tested free agency. Goldson agreed to a one-year, $2 million contract, according to ESPN. He will compete for a starting role with veterans Donte Whitner and Madieu Williams, who were signed last week and lined up Monday with the first-string unit.
-Goldson’s return, at least in Harbaugh’s eyes, wasn’t spurred by Reggie Smith’s injury in Saturday’s practice. Smith tore the meniscus in his left knee and is likely out a couple weeks, the Sacramento Bee reported.
-Harbaugh plans on playing his starting unit about 20 snaps in Friday’s exhibition opener at New Orleans. He wants running back Frank Gore to “get some touches.” Gore’s last action in an exhibition opener was in 2008.
-Left tackle Joe Staley did not practice after suffering an undisclosed injury Saturday. Staley told a Sacramento radio station he plans to return Tuesday.
-Guard Mike Iupati appeared to hurt his left biceps in Monday’s practice and rookie Mike Pearson replaced him. Guard Chilo Rachal had his left hand or wrist attended to be a trainer but finished practice.
-The 49ers’ initial depth chart lists these notable starters (aside from Smith): wide receivers Joshua Morgan and Ted Ginn Jr., cornerbacks Carlos Rogers and Shawntae Spencer (who hasn’t practice in a week because of a hamstring injury), safeties Whitner and Reggie Smith, and center Adam Snyder ahead of Jonathan Goodwin.
-Ahmad Brooks is listed as the starter at left outside linebacker. He returned to action Monday after sitting out a few practices, as did inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman.
-Starting nose tackle Isaac Sopoaga suited up in pads for the first time in camp but only did individual conditioning drills.
-The 49ers announced the signing of tight end Chris Blohm to a three-year deal. Blohm, 22, who played at Yale, is a San Francisco native who starred at St. Ignatius High.
