San Francisco 49ers

When the 49ers let All-Pro safety Dashon Goldson test the free agent market (and subsequently sign a five year, $41.25 million dollar deal) it gave them a legitimate ‘need' heading into the 2013 NFL Draft. Fans and pundits everywhere suspected the 49ers would address the need at free safety with one of their first few selections. In the hours leading up to the first round, rumors swirled the 49ers were looking to aggressively move up. Those same fans and pundits figured a move up meant the 49ers were looking to address another position...depth along the defensive line, perhaps; or even a dynamic playmaker. Instead, the 49ers moved up 13 spots (in a trade with the Dallas Cowboys - the Cowboys also received the 74th overall pick) and selected former LSU safety Eric Reid. The move may have been a slight reach. But with picks to spare the 49ers confidently made a move to get their guy. More on Reid: Off the field Medical information Introductory press conference Twitter reacts to the selection At 6-1, 213lbs, Reid has a solid frame and above average speed and flexibility (although he can get a bit stiff in one-on-one coverage - more on that later). Reid posted a 4.53 forty at the NFL combine in February where he was also a top performer in the vertical leap (40.5 inches) and the broad jump (134 inches). Reid is a physical free safety with above average ball skills. He'll be an asset in run defense and could develop into a ball-hawking safety with some time. Reid enrolled in LSU as a four star safety (both Rivals and ESPN) and immediately earned playing time. As a freshman, Reid started two games while also contributing on special teams. He tallied 32 total tackles, two interceptions, and three passes defended. As a sophomore, Reid was a full time starter and led the Tigers with 76 tackles. He also grabbed two more interceptions, two forced fumbles, and five passes defended. As a senior, Reid accounted for 91 tackles, again grabbed two interceptions, and defended nine passes. Over the course of his career at LSU Reid received numerous accolades including SEC Academic Honor Roll (2011 & 2012), All-SEC (second team in 2011, first team in 2012), and All-American honors (2011, second team Rivals; 2012 first and second team honors by various publications). Needless to say, Reid has had an impressive career thus far and he'll be expected to produce early as he attempts to fill the shoes of an All-Pro. Reid actually reminds me a little of Goldson. Reid has better ball skills at this point in his career than Goldson, but Goldson is a better tackler. Let's take a look at some of Reid's strengths: Superb read and react skills: Watching Reid on tape you can tell he has a great football IQ. He diagnoses plays wells and reacts immediately to the ball. Aggressive and physical play: While Reid isn't the most technically sound tackler, he is a powerful hitter. He'll need to wrap up better in the middle of the field but excels in cut tackles in open space (like Goldson). Reid loves to make plays in the box and covers a ton of ground in a short period of time to meet ball carriers. Ball skills: Because Reid is a ‘read/react' defender he's been able to develop a knack for making plays on the ball. He is extremely competitive on jump balls and will not be out worked on the 50/50 balls. (See the 2011 Alabama game.) Areas where Reid will need to improve: Aggressive and physical play: Yes, I've listed it as a strength and a weakness. That's because Reid can get a little too aggressive and over run plays or be easily looked off by the quarterback. Reid likes to peak into the backfield and read the eyes of the QB, experienced QBs will hold him to one side of the field with their eyes long enough to let a receiver on the opposite side work through his route. Reid's physical play will mimic Goldson's so he'll make a lot of big hits and likely write a lot of checks to the league office. Tackling technique: I'm nit

The San Francisco 49ers announced a five-year contract extension with “The Voice of the 49ers,” Ted Robinson.

Since the news of Michael Crabtree's torn Achilles, the media has been firing off tweets, posts and videos about just who could replace the production that Crabtree would have brought to the 49ers in 2013. Most are quick to point out A.J. Jenkins due to his quiet rookie season during which he mostly rode the pine. A lot was already expected of him simply in order to show that he wasn't a bust of a draft pick. Others take the easy route and point to Vernon Davis. Sure, he's athletic, a mismatch, and has been a huge part of the offense in the past ... but oftentimes Crabtree had good stats in those games, too. That means there's still a hole to be filled, and besides ... do we really think it's as easy as throwing the ball to Vernon more? Like defenses won't just key on him, expecting the added looks?? It's not that simple. Then there's rookie Quinton Patton, on whom I'm very high. That didn't sound right. You know what I mean. I think Patton has the raw tools, but he may take some time to develop. We just don't know yet. He is certainly going to have a larger role than he would have before Crabtree's injury though. So you see, I've done just what everyone else has done; I started with the obvious. Except I'm going to actually mention another viable option to step up and fill in for Crabtree, one that nobody seems to be mentioning: Kyle Williams. I get it. The muffed punts in the NFC Championship Game two years ago. The injury last year. Those are the only things that stick in most people's minds. They use those memories to discount or dismiss Williams as someone who could carry any sort of heavy load. It's easy, but it's also lazy. The fact remains that we don't know about the status of his knee. We know that he's already taking part in individual drills during 49ers OTA sessions, and that he posted a green light and mentioned getting good news from the doctor. Maybe he's back to form, 100% of his former self. If that's the case, I say he becomes a prime candidate to replace Crabtree. Sure, they're not built the same. Are we trying to find Michael Crabtree's exact body and skill double? Yeah, that would solve the problem; plug-and-play, right? But that's a silly way to look at it. When your car breaks down, do you go try to rent the exact same model? Is that what everyone does because that's the best way to do it? You can't get to work unless it's a 2005 Chrysler 300 just like yours? No, that's not what anybody does. The 49ers need someone who can catch passes that gain yards and potentially score points. How the guy does that, the size or shape that the player comes in, the skills that he has -- those things don't matter nearly as much as: Can he get it done? Williams has quickness, some speed, great hands, and is fearless. Anyone remember him blasting defensive lineman Will Smith with a wham block on Alex Smith's TD run vs. the Saints during the 2012 postseason? What about the come-back route he turned into a touchdown before the Rams could even touch him? Then there's the deep pass from Kaepernick during his coming-out party where Williams gained separation, something 49ers receivers have struggled to do down the sideline for years. Or the touchdown against the Bills where Alex Smith trusted him on a deep come-back and he again burned two guys running into the end zone. Go even further back to 2011 when he showed great hands and feet, extending to make a beautiful catch on a fade route to the back of the end zone, tiptoeing inbounds for the score. Are these plays, which are among very few opportunities he had while being buried on the depth chart, not enough evidence of the kind of skills Williams possesses? For a guy with limited chances to touch the ball, he sure made the most of them. In 2012 he posted 212 yards, averaging 15.1 yards per catch, in just 11 games. Those are solid numbers for a No. 3 wide receiver, and now Randy Moss is gone, Manningham seems to still be injured, so is Crabtree, Ted Ginn is g

The San Francisco 49ers are heading back to practice today for the third day of OTAs, but we should catch up on Wednesday's happenings. We spent most of yesterday afternoon talking about Michael Crabtree's Achilles tear, so it was easy to overlook a full day of practice. There were a couple reports on the day's festivities, courtesy of Cam Inman and Grant Cohn. Eric Branch also chimed in with an attendance report. According to the beat writers, the participation report breaks down as follows (anybody not listed participated in full): Absent: NaVorro Bowman, Anquan Boldin, Tarell Brown, Jonathan Goodwin, Mario Manningham, Darcel McBath, Joe Staley Present, not participating: Ahmad Brooks, Tank Carradine, Quinton Dial, Mike Iupati, Luke Marquardt, Nick Moody, Aldon Smith, Justin Smith Stretching, some individual work, but no team reps: Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter, Kyle Williams Non-contact black jerseys: Demarcus Dobbs, Will Tukuafu Chris Culliver gave up the only touchdown of the day, and Cohn pointed out that it did not come because of bad coverage, but rather an inability to locate the ball. As znk916 pointed out in earlier comments, that has been an issue for Culliver, and one he needs to improve ASAP. LaMichael James and Chad Hall were handling punt return duties, and all indications were they performed well in windy conditions. James did a solid job as a kick returner late last season, but struggled mightily with punt return duties in the preseason. If he has solidified that, it would be pretty big. It would give him some more work, and also would impact some of the other speedsters looking to prove they belong as a returner. Jonathan Goodwin has been working out closer to home, which means Daniel Kilgore has gotten the starting center snaps. While the team cannot simulate the physicality in OTAs, working on first-team line adjustments and other such issues is a big opportunity for Kilgore. Goodwin will be back for the mandatory veteran minicamp later next month, and then of course during training camp. But in the meantime, Kilgore can use this opportunity to his advantage. Keep Reading: Michael Crabtree injury story stream 49ers 90-in-90 roster breakdown 49ers salary cap news

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports The San Francisco 49ers lost a key offensive weapon this week, as wide receiver Michael Crabtree suffered a torn right Achilles’ tendon on Tuesday during an OTA practice. He reportedly underwent surgery on Wednesday and will be sidelined for at least six months. Crabtree emerged as a primary target for 49ers’ quarterback Colin Kaepernick late last season and during San Francisco’s run to the Super Bowl, so he will be missed as the team looks to put themselves in position for another deep postseason run. The 49ers looked toward the opposite sideline during February’s Super Bowl to bolster their wide receiver group this offseason, trading a sixth-round pick to the Baltimore Ravens for Anquan Boldin. He did not have a terrific regular season with the Ravens in 2012 (65 receptions for 921 yards and four touchdowns), but a strong postseason (22 catches for 380 yards and four touchdowns) may have put rumors of his demise to rest. Boldin now becomes by far the most proven wide receiver on the 49ers’ roster with Crabtree out, but should fantasy football owners view him as a top option for 2013? Boldin will turn 33 during the coming season, and he has not topped 1,000 yards or had more than 65 catches in a season since 2009 with the Arizona Cardinals. Durability is also a primary concern for fantasy owners, as he has played all 16 regular season games just once in the last six seasons, and that will definitely not go away even after the production he had late last season. San Francisco attempted the second-fewest passes in the NFL in 2012 (436-27.3 per game), and that is unlikely to change much in 2013 with running back Frank Gore still around and the running ability Kaepernick brings to the table. Young wide receivers A.J. Jenkins and Quinton Patton should have a chance to earn more playing time with Crabtree out, but Boldin and tight end Vernon Davis are the two players who stand to benefit most in terms of increased targets. Crabtree’s injury has little impact on my overall opinion of Boldin for 2013, as I already considered him a solid WR2 or WR3 in standard leagues. It’s easy to bump Boldin up preseason rankings based on the likelihood for increased production, and there is certainly good reason to do so, but he has just 18 touchdowns over the last four seasons and I think his fantasy value will only change significantly in PPR leagues. Brad Berreman is a contributing writer at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter @bradberreman24.

In case you were planning on checking out Fast & Furious 6, or you just wanted to hang with Vernon Davis, the 49ers tight end is conducting a private screening of the movie this Saturday. Proceeds from the screening will go toward his "Foundation of the Arts". Packages range from $50 to $110, and include at least one ticket to the movie, an hour-long meet-and-greet session with Davis, a concessions coupon and a raffle ticket for an autographed jersey. I believe there are less than 25 tickets remaining, so if you're looking to go, purchase your ticket package ASAP. We've spent a lot of time talking about Michael Crabtree over the last day, and we'll be talking about him plenty in the coming days, weeks and months. It will sufficiently exhaust us, so things like this are occasionally worth posting just for entertainment value. And what says entertainment value like fast cars and sizable summer movie franchise? I've never actually seen any of the Fast & Furious movies. I imagine I could enjoy it fine without having seen any of the others. How much could it really take away? It looks like it has most of the people from the early ones, and we even get The Rock in this one. Speaking of which, he shot some love Davis' way after Davis tweeted about the screening. Good times! @vernondavis85 Thank U brother. Though you went to the "other UM" I love ya anyway. Enjoy the movie and keep bringing it! #TheBay — Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) May 23, 2013

As the news of Michael Crabtree's Achilles tear has sunk in, 49ers fans have moved on from despair to selling themselves on the quick turnaround of a guy like Terrell Suggs. The Ravens outside linebacker tore his Achilles last offseason and worked his way back by late October. socalisteph put together some thoughts on the medical side of things, and mentioned Suggs' recovery. The same type of injury in two players will differ because of the contextual nature of injuries. Every person's body is built differently. Injuries happen in a different manner. And in the case of Suggs vs. Crabtree, you are talking about players built incredibly different and playing unrelated positions. While it is tough to consider that, another wide receiver weighed in on Achilles injuries. Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas suffered an Achilles tear in February 2011, and returned to practice in early September. He spoke with media on Wednesday: "He's a great player and I'm sure he's going to work hard to get back and listen to all the people that he's got to listen to," Thomas said Wednesday. "But it's difficult at first, because it took a while for me to be able to do anything. You know, I had to wear a boot for six to eight weeks, and I couldn't do anything but upper body stuff. Once I got it off, I still had to take time, because it's a serious injury, and you don't want to take it too fast." Thomas also indicated he didn't feel 100% until seven months after the injury. Thomas did not return to game action until October 23, 2011, but that stretch between his return to practice and returning October 23 was due in large part to breaking his left pinkie finger in his first practice back. When Thomas suffered his injury, he asked the doctor what was the quickest anybody had returned. The doctor said five months, and while Thomas took longer, he was clearly motivated to get back as quickly as possible. Willis McGahee spoke about Thomas' injury and recovery, and it applies to Crabtree as well: "That's something you have to do yourself," McGahee said. "Nobody can tell you. The trainers can tell you that you can do this. The coaches can tell you that you can do this. You have to tell yourself before anything. I think he found it within himself, like, 'Hey, I can go out here and play to the top level that everybody else is playing at.' And that's what he's doing." Coach Harbaugh was at the hospital visiting with Crabtree after his surgery. According to Coach Harbaugh, after Crabtree learned he would not necessarily be out for the season he said, "got no choice but to be back." That's just one statement, but it hopefully means Crabtree is in the right frame of mind to hit rehab hard. Keep Reading: Internal options to replace Crabtree production External options to replace Crabtree production Medical insight into Achilles injuries Jim Harbaugh talks Crabtree injury

After losing Michael Crabtree to a torn Achilles tendon, the San Francisco 49ers begin the process of replacing the wide receiver’s production. View full post on Yahoo! Sports – NFL – San Francisco 49ers News 49ers Blog

49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh met with the media on Wednesday after practice, and of course he was asked plenty of questions about Michael Crabtree and the 49ers wide receiver position. He was asked to compare the injury to Kendall Hunter's Achilles tear. He said it was the same injury, but Hunter waited on surgery because there was more time to come back. Hunter suffered his injury in late November so there was no need to rush since he could not come back the rest of the season. Coach Harbaugh would not comment on potential replacements, other than to say the team is excited about the options on the roster and "[r]eally feel that somebody's going to emerge there because they have to." I have to think the team is looking at external options for at least due diligence purposes. If they were to add a receiver, I imagine it would be sooner rather than later in order to get him up to speed. And yet, I just don't see the team adding anybody of significance. I mentioned some external options yesterday, and the list is far from inspiring. I think the upside of the 49ers young guys is worth considering over the safe nature of some of those veterans. Opening statement: "[WR] Michael Crabtree underwent surgery to repair his Achilles tendon, that he tore yesterday. Surgery was successful, and we do not anticipate that it'll be season ending for Michael." Was it partial, or was it full? "It was completely torn, and completely repaired." How did he do it? "He was coming in motion and just was planted and started a route. And felt like somebody kicked him in the Achilles, which sometimes people say it feels like. But, good news is he woke up from the surgery and first thing he asked [the] doc how it went. So, he talked about the success of the surgery and that didn't anticipate that he'd be out for the year. And his comment to that was he's got no choice but to be back. So, every day now is a healing day. And that starts today." Was this the same foot that he had surgery on before, for the broken foot? "No." Would the best case scenario then be for him to come back in November? Is that fair? "Where we're at now, day one, successful surgery. He'll start his healing. We do not anticipate that it will be season ending." Did you visit him? Were you there with him? "Yes." Was it at Stanford? "Yes." How disappointed was he that you can tell so far? "Well, it's a setback. But, Michael's young. He's strong. With everything he'll be positive approach to healing and we'll anticipate great things." Will you look outside the team? "And then another thing right now is that you look at the young receivers on our team that will emerge, because they have to emerge. So, excited to watch them compete for that spot." Is this similar to what RB Kendall Hunter went through, the exact same thing? "Same injury, yes." Same thing. So, is he kind of on a similar timetable of what Kendall went through? "There was a different process with Kendall because there was more time. They took more time after the injury to do the surgery. And it's a bit of a different approach the way I understand it talking to the doctors." Is it his right, or his left? "His right." Will you look at other receivers? "Again, as we always say, we don't comment on anybody but the players that we have here on this team." WR Randy Moss was a part of this team last year. Is that a consideration to bring Randy back? "Again, the same response, we're excited for the young receivers that we have. Really feel that somebody's going to emerge there because they have to. And competition will create that. And we'll look forward to watching that." Are you encouraged that WR Ricardo Lockette and WR A.J. Jenkins spent so much time with QB Colin Kaepernick this offseason? "Yeah, the guys they are, the players that they are, and the opportunity that they have, I think all those things will facilitate their emergence." Where is WR Anquan Boldin? Is he not p

I woke up this morning in Australia to some of the worst news we could have received. Michael Crabtree has torn his achilles tendon and is out around 6 months. Doing the math shows that he could come back late in the year. Terrell Suggs suffered a similar injury and came back in time to be a non-factor in Baltimore's run to the title. It's going to take a minor miracle for him to produce anything of value this year. Talking value to the team, and there are few players whose absence would have a bigger impact. Colin Kaepernick, of course, sits atop the pack, even more so with the trade of Alex Smith. Aldon Smith and Justin Smith could be argued to have more value to the team. But even the likes of Patrick Willis and Frank Gore, if they missed time, can be replaced due to depth at their position and other capable fill-ins. That's just not the case at wide receiver. I've seen a fair bit of optimism on Twitter and around the web. Examining the position group leaves us with a lot of question marks and an instant and absolute need for growth and production from some younger players who have yet to do much. Anquan Boldin is a solid No. 2 receiver who will now be the No. 1. The only guy on the roster who qualifies as a No. 3 receiver is Mario Manningham but he's slow to recover from his own leg injury suffered late last year. Kyle Williams was an average No. 4 receiver who is also recovering from injury. A.J. Jenkins had no success last year as a No. 5 receiver in his rookie campaign. And Quinton Patton is a rookie. Each of the last two will need to step up more than previously anticipated. Another option for step-up-ness in the passing game is Vernon Davis. A return to being the number one option in the passing game from VD seems like the easiest route to passing success. We have a lot of weapons in our offensive arsenal so it's not the end of the world, but we've lost the biggest threat we've had in the passing game in the last decade right after his arrival on the big stage. To the links... And...sorry they're late and a bit unsorted. I was running late from work, but with the quantity of links and the magnitude of the days news, I felt it was important to get them all up, even if late....OK...now to the links. Michael Crabtree's Injury Crabtree to have possible season-ending achilles surgery (Branch) Harbaugh says Crabtree's torn achilles is not season ending (Gin) Kaepernick, players react to Crabtree's injury (Inman) Crabtree's season doomed (PFT) Harbaugh transcript: "We do not anticipate that it will be season ending" (Inman) How it Affects 49ers 49ers can't rest hopes on potential late-season return by Crabtree (BASG) 49ers options as Michael Crabtree has surgery (Sando) What do the 49ers do without Michael Crabtree? (Mercury News) With Crabtree injury, who steps in for 49ers? (Kawakami) Michael Crabtree's injury has 49ers' passing attack reeling (NFL.com) Crabtree injury leaves Harbaugh with three options (Ratto) 49ers all in on 'next man man up' philosophy (CSN) Replacing Crabtree is not a one man job (Maiocco) Moving on from Michael Crabtree (49erswebzone) Six ramifications from Crabtree's injury (SF Gate) Ramifications of Crab's Injury Michael Crabtree's injury and the NFC West race (Sando) Go-to guy: Michael Crabtree by the numbers (Sando) Crabtree's injury could loom large in competitive NFC West (SI.com) Speculation About Replacements Crabtree injury could open door for Randy Moss, others (PFT) Randy Moss not an option, Jim Harbaugh says (NFL.com) Niners mum on plans to replace Crabtree (PFT) Other News 49ers sign LS Kyle Nelson; cut P Anthony Santella (Branch) 49ers OTA notes: Day 2 (Gin) 49ers stadium under construction (NBC) Colin Kaepernick's play hard to predict, Jed York says (NFL.com) Niners keep finding gold nuggets (NBC) WR Quinton Patton becomes 6th of 11 draft picks to sign (Inman) LaMichael James looks to spark 49ers in 2013 (49ers.com) Matt