Anquan Boldin looking sharp in OTAs

The big news out of practice today covered a strong performance by wide receiver Anquan Boldin. There was plenty of coverage at today's open practice, so feel free to click on any of the practice reports down below. Coach Harbaugh met with the media, and he was asked a few questions about Boldin:

This was our first time seeing WR Anquan Boldin out there. He looked like he's still in playoff form, what he's done all those years. What'd you see out of him?

"Well, very impressed. Today, you got a good look at what he's been doing. Really picked up the system fast and making plays. Big catches in tight areas. You saw what we've been seeing for a couple of weeks now, very good."

You've got a host of inexperienced guys at wide receiver. Do you see Anquan talking to those guys and having an impact in the locker room, on the sideline as well?

"That could be. That could be something that develops. Right now, Anquan is not a talkative guy. He's not a small-talk guy. He's just very serious about competing, and very serious about football and winning. I think it'll speak volumes if the young guys observe that."

In those team drills the ball seems to be going to him a lot. Is that because the play's designed to him? Or the quarterbacks already feeling like they want to get it to him, choosing him?

"There were some plays that were designed for him today. And we got him in on those plays where he was the primary guy."

According to the practice reports, Boldin caught ten passes in the team's seven-on-seven drills. You can only get so much out of playing in short and helmets, but it sounds like he left most folks impressed with his work.

The most interesting comment to come out of Boldin's post-practice press conference was this: "I want Kap to be comfortable; I want the other quarterbacks to be comfortable enough where even if it doesn't look like I'm open, they'll give me a chance to make the play."

This is not a shocking comment from the wide receiver, but it will be interesting to see how things develop between Colin Kaepernick and Anquan Boldin. We've been wondering which receiver will step up in place of Crabtree, but for a lot of the discussion, it has centered around the player opposite Boldin. Whether or not Boldin can put up big numbers this year remains to be seen, but what's to say he can't step into that number one role? The confidence is there, so why not?

Maiocco
Inman
Lynch
Gin
Kawakami (Boldin transcript)
49ers.com
Cohn