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Kory Sheets. Thomas Clayton. Dominique Zeigler. Jay Moore. These are all players who have, at one point or another, been the target of San Francisco 49ers fandom obsession. Not wide-spread obsession, mind you, just regular obsession from a few fans who can't help themselves.
Another solid example of this kind of thing: third-string quarterbacks. How many of you talked up Nate Davis like he had what it takes to make things happen? The fact of the matter is this: we, as fans, like to obsess over things in training camp and preseason. We see a player who seemingly has a lot to offer -- be it the hard running from Clayton, the big-play ability of Sheets or the solid fundamentals of Zeigler -- and we latch on to that player.
It's not always unreasonable. Zeigler made the roster and showed some solid stuff on the field in-between various injuries and Fooch probably squealed with joy the first time Moore made the roster. But the fact remains: by and large, these guys are unknown and are ultimately longshots to make things happen.
We're nearing the start of training camp and there's a fresh group of guys I know absolutely nothing about. I'll formulate the bulk of my opinions on these guys during camp and preseason, and I'm sure I will find someone to latch onto now that I've recovered from the loss of Ziggy, who was my unknown-crush for some time.
Who are the guys you're excited to see? We're not talking about guys like A.J. Jenkins or Quinton Patton, we're talking the undrafted guys, or the lesser-knowns in general. Ricardo Lockette is probably the biggest one there, though he just barely qualifies at this point given how much Jim Harbaugh seems to like him. Is Lockette your target, or someone else?
I know many of you will be looking at Lawrence Okoye. He's a bit more well-known than the rest due to his Olympic pedigree, but he's got an uphill climb ahead of him. Maybe you're looking at guys like Marcus Cooper or Carter Bykowski -- or perhaps you're hoping Luke Marquardt will be ready to participate. Personally, Marquardt is my guy at this point, though I'm not sure he'll be fully recovered.
So who is it? What's the player you're looking to watch? Are there any that you already are totally confident in? Are you a believer? Sound off in the comments.