Good morning everyone.The 49ers open up Levi's Stadium on Sunday against the Broncos and it should be awesome. Not the game mind you. I'm sure it will be almost unwatchable after Kap exits. Maybe one preseason game isn't enough time to learn to loath severely dislike a player, but I might be approaching that point with Blaine Gabbert. I hated severely disliked him as a prospect in 2011, and had no idea why everyone seemed to be in love with him. Nobody really knew who Aldon Smith was on draft night, but I was doing somersaults and my own special dance (which will never be revealed) over the fact that we bucked the "obvious" route and didn't go QB first.
Jeff Garcia would apparently like a shot at backing up Colin Kaepernick. My first reaction, as I'm sure everyone elses was "Stay retired you old fool!" Then, after a moment or two, we remember who is currently backing up Colin Kaepernick. Suddenly, the idea of a 44 year old Jeff Garcia doesn't sound too bad. I know it has absolutely no chance of happening, but I would love it for sentimental reasons alone. I was an elementary school kid when Steve Young went down. So when I finally started really watching Football, Jeff Garcia and Terrell Owens were the stars of the team. Maybe, it would be just so I could feel like a kid once more, but the I don't hate the idea of Jeff Garcia getting one last run. As for Jim Harbaugh's praise of Blaine Gabbert yesterday, I really don't put much stock into that. I saw somebody say it on twitter, but it's just in Harbaugh's nature to talk a guy up even if its total BS, rather than drag anyone down. Anyways...To the links!
Jim Harbaugh sticks by Blaine Gabbert (ESPN)
Shakeup at No. 2 QB? Not so fast, Harbaugh says (Barrows)
Harbaugh ‘very pleased’ with QB Blaine Gabbert (Branch)
Blaine Gabbert will get another lengthy audition as No. 2 behind Colin Kaepernick (Inman)
A lighter, faster Crabtree: "I see a lot of people talking about this and that." (BASG)
Training camp finale: Crabtree returns, says 2014 will be "different story" (Barrows)
Michael Crabtree practices fully (ESPN)
Catching up with Michael Crabtree: he’s healthier, slimmer, still confident in himself and teammates (Inman)
Harbaugh accepts ice bucket challenge -- but not from Carroll (Maiocco)
Harbaugh takes dunk, eyes next 'challenge' (ESPN)
Patrick Willis not participating in Levi’s Stadium practice (Inman)
Harbaugh on Marcus Lattimore: "Not quite there yet" (Barrows)
Tank Carradine Gets Rolling in Preseason (49ers)
49ers' Lattimore 'making gains' in rehab (Maiocco)
Harbaugh on Carroll’s challenge: ‘I’ve got another challenge with him’ (Branch)
49ers' Ellington too quick for his own good (Maiocco)
What to know: 49ers to christen Levi's Stadium on Sunday (Barrows)
Banjo Man to be strumming away at new 49ers' stadium (Mercury News)
With one practice remaining, time to catch up on those five questions entering 49ers camp (Inman)