courtesy John Burgess Press Democrat

Is anybody else remotely stunned by this image of the Raiders and 49ers scuffling during practice up in Napa yesterday?  According to reports:

The scuffle and ensuing scrum erupted shortly after the morning practice began, and occured even as coaches were warning players to avoid "live" tackling . . .

But Raiders linebacker Edgerton Hartwell didn't get the memo. He leveled 49ers fullback Moran Norris with a shoulder tackle on a 7-on-7 passing drill. Norris got to his feet and immediately went after Hartwell. There were a few punches thrown as players from both sides joined the fun.

Forty Niners coach Mike Nolan, who coached Hartwell with the Ravens, tried to calm him down. Hartwell pleaded his case to Nolan. He told Nolan that Norris came at him.

As long as nobody gets hurt in this kind of thing, I honestly have no problem with things getting heated.  Normally, the 49ers practices usually only get heated when Vernon Davis decides to get in somebody's face (although it's usually justified).  The 49ers seem to have entered the "dog days" of training camp so I think something like this is perfect to get the edge back.

As long as nobody gets hurt, what's the big deal, right?  I'd imagine Hartwell will be looking forward to Friday when he can get another shot at Norris.  Of course, the 49ers offensive linemen may get back at him and put him on his butt.  Just one more thing to look forward to on Friday!

Mike Nolan quotations:

"Shaun Hill is resting his shoulder. So since it was his turn to work with the first group, that’s why J.T. O’Sullivan worked with the first group. Because if he’s going to replace somebody’s repetitions, in fairness that’s what you do. And it is still wide open. So they’re all competing, but that’s where it’s at.”

On whether J.T. O'Sullivan is "back" in the mix for a starting job:

“No, he’s been in it all along. We did say that it would be difficult to get repetitions for the third guy. And now that he’s getting some repetitions, we’re doing it in a fashion that keeps it fair . . . Again, J.T. O’Sullivan still has less reps, but he had an opportunity to get some, so he got them. But this quarterback position is open. They’re competing for it, as I said all along.”

Huh????? 

Color me just a little bit confused.  First, I'll talk about what I actually think I understand in all of this.  Shaun Hill has thrown more passes in this training camp than probably every previous training camp combined.  He's never been in a battle to be the starting QB so that makes sense.  So, his arm got sore and they rested him, replacing his reps with J.T. O'Sullivan. 

I start to get a little confused because they say they want to keep Smith and Hill's reps with the first team even.  The problem is that Smith is already going to get more reps because Hill is missing time.  Of course, now today I read that Smith might get a day or two of rest.  Is J.T. O'Sullivan throwing a monkey wrench into the QB plans?  I could have sworn that last week it was a 2-man battle.  Did the rest for Hill open it back up?  I was going to guess maybe O'Sullivan got a little pissy about lack of playing time, but I really don't think that's something that Nolan would allow.

I was going to use this to re-assess the QB competition, but I really don't know what to think right now.  As would be expected with the installation of a new offense, things are a little sloppy right now.  Martz says it takes more than a week for it to start to flow and that is certainly understandable.  At the same time, we're all impatient because we've been waiting 3+ years for it to "start flowing" in a more general sense.

Obviously I'm willing to give Mike Martz the benefit of the doubt.  The man is an offensive genius and helped turn an Arena Football QB and former grocery store employee into a Super Bowl winning QB.   At the same time, I can't imagine things will be all that pretty in the first game.  Martz says more repetitions will get the offense in sync and things will start to look better.  Of course, the QBs in this case are splitting reps down the middle (maybe down in thirds now) meaning less reps for each QB.

While that has worried me recently, one thing has kept a little more positive lately.  In 1999, Trent Green was the clear-cut starting QB heading into training camp.  I believe it was during a preseason game that he got his knee shredded to hell and back, at which point Kurt Warner took over.  I don't know how many reps Warner had with the first team before Green went down, but clearly he could handle that offense.

My biggest concern is in the timing.  I'd imagine there is a bit of a difference between chucking passes to Jason Hill, Ashley Lelie and Josh Morgan versus Isaac Bruce, Bryant Johnson and Arnaz Battle.

So, I guess this opens up a few questions.  What exactly is up with J.T. O'Sullivan in all of this?  Will the offense really become fluid in the coming weeks?  Or will the split competition water down the final winner?

One of the bigger story lines in camp so far as been the use of the tight end in the Mike Martz offense.  The 49ers have two extremely talented tight ends, something Mike Martz has never had.  Maiocco ran the stats and came up with the following:

1999, Rams: Roland Williams 25 catches, 226 yards, 6 TDs

2000, Rams: Williams 11-102-3

2001, Rams: Ernie Conwell 38-431-4

2002, Rams: Conwell 34-419-2

2003, Rams: Brandon Manumaleuna 29-238-2

2004, Rams: Manumaleuna 15-174-1

2005, Rams: Manumaleuna 13-129-1

2006, Lions: Dan Campbell 21-308-4

2007, Lions: Sean McHugh 17-252-0

Last season, Vernon Davis finished with 53-509-4 and Delanie Walker finished with 21-174-1.  I first thought of this post after reading a Mike Sando post at the ESPN NFC West blog (a quality read every day):

I see no obvious evidence the 49ers are making a concerted effort to tailor the passing game for tight end Vernon Davis. I'm hesitant to read too much into that because Martz continues to install the offense; this might not be the time to get that specific.

Sando had a chance to chat with Mike Martz about Davis and others and received some quality insights from the mad scientist. While Martz wants blocking from his tight ends, he also recognizes the unique abilities of Vernon Davis.

The most interesting point was that the Duke's reception total may not increase, but they'd like a nice increase in his yards per catch.  On this point, Sando made a comment that I think I disagree with:

As for Davis: We should not become preoccupied with the number of receptions. In fact, if Davis is catching a disproportionate number of passes, the offense might not be functioning very well.

I don't know if I buy that in regards to Davis.  He is significantly more athletic than your traditional tight end that stays close to the line of scrimmage.  Even if Davis is just receiving a dump off, he's got the size and speed to break it into a big play (see his first touchdown reception as a rookie).  He is enough like a wide receiver that if his reception numbers go up, I don't see it as a necessarily bad thing.  Although, as Sando mentions in that article, it'd be really nice to see his yards per reception go up.

The preseason usually sees teams run rather vanilla offenses.  While we won't see a lot of trickery, I hope we'll get a chance to see what Davis and Walker can do on the field together.  Earlier this month I made my semi-rational irrational prediction that Vernon Davis would make the Pro Bowl.  I don't know what kind of numbers to expect from Walker, but I'd imagine he'd fill a slightly more traditional tight end role.  We won't get all the answers we want in August, but it's certainly one more reason to watch preseason football.

The 49ers got through their second day of padded practice with a few bumps and bruises but some interesting developments as well.

1. Mr. Goldson, please answer the white courtesy phone.  Mark Roman had to sit out today's practice with a hamstring strain, meaning Dashon Goldson practiced with the first team defense.  As long as Roman gets back to healthy I'd imagine he'll hang on to the starting free safety job for at least the beginning of the season.  However, if Goldson continues to make plays, as he's done in practice so far, he could snatch the job away.  Of course, if both are playing well, I'd imagine the team would find ways to get both in the lineup.  Goldson played a good bit of cornerback in college so he has the necessary flexibility.

2. Now if only Jennings could stay healthy and keep his head on straight, for crying out loud. Both MM (see the comments at the bottom) and Barrows have pointed out that Jonas Jennings has been the best offensive lineman in camp, with MM also giving a plug to Eric Heitmann.  Heitmann struggled last season after coming back from a busted up leg.  Jennings has had off the field issues and injury issues crop up ever since he signed his 7-year deal with the 49ers.  If these two guys can stay healthy and have bounce back years, I think this offensive line goes from weakness to strength.  Staley still has to prove himself at left tackle and Baas/Wragge/Rachal have their work cut out for them.  However, the talent is there for the 49ers to have a very good offensive line this season.  That would be HUGE for whomever is leading the team at QB.

3. QB numbers. Maiocco has been so kind as to provide his unofficial pass statistics for the 11-on-11 dills: Alex Smith is 65 of 99 (65.7%) with 1 TD and 3 INTs.  Shaun Hill is 60 of 94 (63.8%) with 1 TD and 4 INTs.  A couple things to keep in mind on those statistics: 1) The 49ers have worked inside the redzone in only one practice, 2) It's not a TD if it's not caught in the TD or there is no defender between the receiver and the end zone when he catches the ball.  So those numbers certainly have to be taken with a grain of salt.

4. Thank the lord he didn't pull a Jay Moore. Kentwan Balmer injured his ankle when a teammate fell on it during a running drill.  There were worries it was a high ankle sprain, but it appears to only be a mild sprain.  Moore suffered a high ankle sprain last year and missed the whole season.

5. Some other injury news.  Arnaz Battle was held out of practice but it appears to be a simple precautionary measure.  He has had knee injuries and other bumps and bruises in the past.  Battle has reached that point where he's turning into an established veteran where you know what you're gonna get from him.  You never want a guy losing reps in practice, but if it keeps him healthy I suppose it works.

I wanted to wrap up with an interesting quote from Mike Nolan after practice:

"Yesterday we had three turnovers and a couple of incomplete passes that when we get our timing and all down will be big gains. They turn into interceptions because they bounce off a guy’s pads or something happened that we might have gone to an inside guy instead of the outside with the ball. Just little things that when we get it down is an opportunity for a big play. We have to understand that. Guys come out and say, ‘Well I saw this with turnovers.’ But when you analyze it, it’s the right decision and makes us a big play that we didn’t have before. So there’s excitement. The guys see it, but you have to point it out so they’re not wondering, ‘Did I really see that, or did I not?’ When the coach talks about it, it’s a little bit more real than them looking at each other and saying, ‘Did you almost make a big play?’ ‘Yes, I did.’ Players are always going to say, ‘Well I almost hit it out of the park.’ And they popped out. It’s not really the same thing.”

This is one thing we all have to keep in mind as we roll through training camp.  With the new offense, it will definitely take some time for the offense to come together.  Mike Martz mentioned he had never been in a situation like this with an even split of snaps between the top 2 QBs.  I certainly hope that isn't detrimental to the development of some sort of cohesiveness in the offense.

This continued development of the offense will be something to keep an eye on through each othe preseason games.  I definitely want to try and do some charting of plays and see what kind of success Smith and Hill have early on.  It's only preseason, but for a small stretch Smith/Hill will still see #1 defenses so there should be some valuable analysis available.

WR Robert Jordan was released by the 49ers today and replaced by free agent WR Robert Ortiz.  While Jordan was released it was not the usual cut, as Jordan asked for his release.  Jordan has had a death in his family and will be away from the team for an indefinite amount of time.  It's a shame, but hopefully he'll get a second chance with the team.  Mike Nolan specifically said he'd like to bring Jordan back at some point.  Best wishes to the Jordan family.

Robert Ortiz was previously with the Patriots, where he was waived last week.  He was originally signed by the Chargers as an undrafted free agent out of San Diego State.  From his old Chargers bio:

COLLEGE: Home-grown product finished career at San Diego State with 137 catches for 1,620 yards and 13 touchdowns…became starter after walking on to school’s football team…team’s second-leading receiver junior and senior seasons…had breakout junior season, tying for team lead with six touchdown catches and ranking second with 52 catches for 728 yards…caught seven passes for career-high 125 yards and touchdown in 2004 game against Michigan in “Big House”…redshirted in 2001…played at San Diego State from 2001-05…earned degree in communications.

Throw in 27 receptions for 255 yards and two TDs in NFL Europe in 2007 and we'll see if evolves into more than just a camp body.  I'd take Jordan over him because of the Cal connection, but maybe Ortiz can show something in camp.

Yesterday I mentioned how Dominique Zeigler had impressed folks in the early part of camp.  While that certainly doesn't meant he'll make the roster, we're always going to get excited when an underdog makes a statement.  As previously stated, every training camp sees some unknown (or just lesser known) player make some plays and makes a name for himself with the media.  This year is no different and I thought I'd take a look at some of the guys who have impressed so far.

Zak Keasey: Zak Keasey is certainly not unknown and may not even qualify as lesser known.  He's spent time on the practice squad over the last couple years and actually made appearances in 13 games, primarily on special teams but also on offense occasionally.  I mention him first because he has clearly impressed the coaching staff.  When the team has used a fullback, Keasey has seen a majority of the first-team action over previous starter Moran Norris.  Also, Mike Martz had some interesting comments when chatting with the media yesterday:

"I think Zak has a real good feel for getting through traffic and getting on linebackers and DBs as a blocker. He's unusual that way. It's kind of a lost art, if you will. He sees things and reacts to things very, very well -- very quickly. He's got such good body control, he can avoid and get into little tiny holes and get to a linebacker. It's hard to find guys who can do that. He does that very well. Mo (Moran Norris) is more of a real powerful, get-on-that-line-and-blow-them-up kind of deal. So they're different kinds of fullbacks, but they're both effective."

Considering the fact that there are not an unlimited number of roster spots, I'm curious if the team would keep both fullbacks.  Keasey brings special teams value, which is certainly a plus for him.  Throw in the fact that the fullback is not exactly the most utilized position in the Martz offense and it leaves me wondering if Moran Norris might see his time with the 49ers coming to an end.

Josh Morgan: Again, not an unknown guy, but somebody I thought was more destined for the practice squad.  I've read nothing but good things about Morgan going back to June OTAs and they continue into minicamp.  MM said about Morgan:

There is competition at the wideout spots. The competition right now is for spots on the team. As Mike Nolan said, the question is who are the five receivers? And, then, do they have a sixth who should make the squad.

My opinion: Josh Morgan makes the team. But Ashley Lelie better back in a hurry or he's going to have a difficult time making the final roster.

Morgan continues to shine. When asked what kind of impression he's making, Morgan answered, "I'm not sure -- hopefully a good ones."

He's getting a lot of reps and -- to the untrained eye -- does not appear to be doing much wrong. Seems like he has a decent grasp of the offense and he's catching most everything in sight.

I can honestly say at this point that I'd rather add Morgan to the roster and cut ties with Lelie.  Realistically, Lelie would be no more than the #4 receiver on this roster behind Bruce, Johnson and Battle and maybe ahead of Jason Hill.  All things considered I'd rather just roll the dice with Morgan as the #5 and give Hill reps as the #4 receiver.  Maybe Hill and/or Morgan don't pan out, but right now I think we all realize the limited upside of Lelie.  Consider me officially on the Morgan over Lelie bandwagon.

When I began this post I was hoping to discuss the likes of Lewis Baker, Louis Holmes and Brian De La Puente among others.  Barrows and Maiocco have pointed out that they're looked good in practice.  Unfortunately there has not been anything beyond that.  If anybody has seen or heard anything about some of the undrafted free agents, we'd all love to hear more.  Holmes and Baker are both practice squad candidates as I think the numbers game would keep them off the 53-man roster.  I'd imagine they'd have to absolutely blow up to make the roster.  And even then, they might need an injury to somebody ahead of them.

Matt Maiocco and Matt Barrows have done an excellent job of covering the 49ers first few days of training camp and today was no different from MM. 

Apparently Smith struggled out of the gate this morning in practice overthrowing several receivers.  Mike Martz told him to remember to bend his knees a little more when passing.  When Smith returned to the practice field after Hill took his reps, the difference was immediate:

Smith completed his final 10 passes of practice, including two beautiful throws to split end Bryant Johnson. One was a deep out in which he squeezed the ball into Johnson at the sideline despite good coverage from Nate Clements. Another notable pass was a 24-yard TD strike to Johnson against the coverage of Shawntae Spencer and Mark Roman.

"He (Martz) sees so much stuff," Smith said. "He sees the body and the feet. Today, he mentioned that about my knee bend. You never want to stand straight up, but as a quarterback you're not always thinking about your knee bend. When he mentioned that, I just wanted to get back there and play catch."

I recall Martz working with the Senior Bowl QBs and drilling the necessary mechanics into their heads over and over again.  I'd love to hear a scout's take on Alex Smith before Martz arrived to see if mechanics were an issue (aside from small hands of course!).

Another interesting point relates back to the Urban Meyer interview after Smith was drafted:

Smith said he's received some coaching on technique in the past with the 49ers, but nothing compared to what he's getting from Martz this year.

Like Smith has said, Martz leaves nothing to chance. In learning the offense, one thing that struck Smith is that there is little gray area in the playbook. As Smith said, Martz supplies all the answers in his offensive scheme.

The same can be said for a quarterback's mechanics. His reminders to Smith this morning proved immediate dividends.

It's only been one day of practice in pads, but I have to admit, I'm gaining optimism as training camp wears on.  I know this will probably come back and bite me in the ass but training camp is where we're supposed to have optimism.

The 49ers wrapped up their third day of practice today.  Apparently the original plan was to have a morning and afternoon practice, but Mike Nolan decided to cancel the afternoon practice.  The team starts practicing in pads tomorrow, so it sounds like a chance to give everybody a little rest before then.

On current injury issues
"Arnaz Battle is nursing a little bit of a hamstring that kind of bothers him somewhat. He might take fewer reps at times, although he didn’t today. But someone like Ashley Lelie, naturally that gives someone else the opportunity to take some of those reps so it’d be important for him to get back. He should be back in a few days."

"Walt Harris was held out of practice just because that’s the way we’re doing it. Just like we’ve done the last two years with him: one a day. That is the case with certain players. Jonas Jennings is one of those and Walt Harris, Isaac Bruce, Arnaz Battle – those are the four that come to mind. Joe Staley should be in at the middle or end of the week. We’ll see how it keeps going, but it will not be tomorrow. Aubrayo Franklin should be in the next day or two. [Damane] Duckett will be a few days. Michael [Robinson] has got a strained knee, and they’ll look at it when they go inside . . . it just looks like a strain.”

On the WR battle
"There are a few established guys and a couple I can speak of right away: naturally Isaac Bruce and Arnaz Battle. [Bryant Johnson] might be in that group but, at the same time, he’s in a new situation and a new offense, and it’s important for him to stay in the competition as far as doing everything he can to get better.”

On whether Battle and Bruce are considered the "starters," with Johnson the #3
“No, I would consider all three of them. I would just talk about a three-wide situation because that’s definitely the case. We’re trying to get our best out on the field, so they may be part of the best 11 as it looks right now when you compare them to a fullback offense or a tight end offense.”

On Josh Morgan
“He’s caught a lot of balls, so he has made a good impression. He’s done a very good job, and he’s working hard. He needs to continue to do those things not only on the field but off the field as far as taking care of his body . . . It would be nice if he factors in because he’s certainly done a very nice job for three days and five practices.”

On whether they'll keep 6 receivers on the 53-man roster
“No, I would hope for at least four. Five would be reasonable, but six would mean that we’ve got a decent core of guys. So, I was hoping for guys to show up and then we’d have six, but I wouldn’t go that far today.”

On whether Tony Wragge and Chilo Rachal are battling for a starter role or backup role
“You know, at this point, if everybody’s healthy, it will be a long shot for one of them [to start over David Baas]. But they keep getting better. I’d like for one of them to prove me wrong. You get your expectations too high on a rookie and you’ve either got a bad football team or you’re getting ready to be bad.”

MY THOUGHTS (Fooch, not Nolan)
It sounds like Josh Morgan is making quite an impact on the coaching staff.  Maiocco and Barrows indicated back in June that Morgan looked impressive in OTAs.  If Ashley Lelie can't get healthy, it wouldn't surprise me in the least to see Morgan get a roster spot over Lelie.  Considering the team has 3 solid receivers already, it would not be like cutting your top receiver by any stretch.  Lelie continues to frustrate.  He's out for several days and that's just not going to help him, especially considering he was in the dog house most of last season.

As for the battle at right guard, Nolan makes a good point about getting high expectations for a rookie.  Even if Rachal isn't able to step up, Wragge has been a decent offensive lineman when called upon.  And, as previously discussed, even if Wragge or Rachal doesn't take the starting job, they can work to providing some excellent depth.