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How ironic is it that you get your panties in a bunch about us wanting this to be a AZ board yet at any chance you post about how we wanna keep it that way (panties in a bunch there lil guy?) Or maybe the fact your at the Cards Stadium yelling, or at least in your case, joining the ones that alrady are, yelling at opposing fans for being in out Stadium with the others jersey on?
Mike Martz looking to use both of his tight ends.......
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SANTA CLARA – When Vernon Davis watches film of Mike Martz's past offenses, he doesn't follow the tight end. He is told instead to watch receivers Isaac Bruce or Torry Holt streaking downfield.
And therein lies one of the biggest differences between Martz's St. Louis Rams offenses from early this decade and the one he is building in San Francisco. He'll still use four receivers to put pressure on defensive backs. Two of those receivers just might happen to be tight ends.
"I don't know if anyone in the league can run like he can at that position," Martz, the 49ers' first-year offensive coordinator, said of Davis. "He gets down the field so fast. I don't know who beats him in a footrace."
Martz said none of his offensive players worked harder this spring than Davis, who was on the field before practice started and hung around after it ended to hone his receiving skills.
Davis entered the NFL in 2006 very much the opposite of most young tight ends. He was a willing and able blocker who relished the opportunity to put an opposing linebacker on his back.
But sometimes that ability worked against him.
Davis caught a respectable 52 passes for 509 yards last season, but he disappeared from the passing game for long stretches because he was being used as a blocker.
"I would say I didn't have many opportunities to really showcase my talent," Davis said.
That shouldn't be an issue in Martz's offense. Davis said his biggest task this offseason has been polishing his pass routes. And he has used film of Bruce, Holt and other former Martz receivers as a model, signaling that the 49ers' tight end will run routes atypical for his position.
"Instead of breaking down and head-faking and doing all these things, we're going to use his speed," Martz said. "And I think he understands that really well at this point."
While Martz was familiar with Davis upon joining the 49ers, he said he has been pleasantly surprised by another 49ers tight end, Delanie Walker. A wide receiver in college, Walker always has shown quick hands and elusiveness after the catch in practice. But he has been lightly utilized in games.
Martz was so impressed with Walker during organized team activities (OTAs) that Martz has over the past two weeks installed new plays just for him.
"He has some real wow factor to him," Martz said. " … You talk about some jets and some ability to run and eat up the field. Holy cow. I didn't know anything about Delanie until I got here."
Having Davis and Walker in the game also will keep defenses guessing.
Davis in particular is one of the league's premier blocking tight ends, and that ability meshes well with what running back Frank Gore, the focal point of the offense, does best.
"He's such a violent, physical blocker," Martz said, noting that many modern tight ends are more finesse-oriented, content to simply keep defenders at bay. "Vernon will try to knock you out. He's such a pleasant blend of power and physical with speed.
When the 11-on-11 period of practice began this morning, 49ers quarterback Alex Smith got off to a rough start.
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He overshot Frank Gore down the field, he gave Delanie Walker a difficult pass to handle (Walker caught it), then he overthrew Walker, resulting in a Patrick Willis interception. His fourth pass was low to Zak Keasey. Incomplete.
That's when offensive coordinator Mike Martz reminded Smith to bend his knees. Smith, frustrated with his subpar series, grabbed a ball and threw a few passes to rookie quarterback Kyle Wright while Shaun Hill was working with the No. 2 offense.
When Smith returned to the field with the offensive starters, he looked like a completely different quarterback.
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
49ers' Staley one of the 10 best LTs?
July 30, 2008 3:33 PM Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando StaleySANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The 49ers are excited about Joe Staley taking over at left tackle. Others are taking notice as well. Former NFL scout Tom Marino, now with Scout.com, ranks Staley among the 10 best left tackles in the NFL, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Marino's top five: Buffalo's Jason Peters, St. Louis' Orlando Pace, Seattle's Walter Jones, Dallas' Flozell Adams and Carolina's Jordan Gross. Marino then lists Staley among five players receiving honorable mention.
The other four: New England's Matt Light, Washington's Chris Samuels, Cleveland's Joe Thomas and Philadelphia's Tra Thomas.
Marino's assessment draws three of the 10 left tackles in the league from the NFC West. Pace has hardly played over the last two seasons, however, and Jones has battled through injuries that have prevented him from dominating as thoroughly. Pace and Jones are feeling better this summer. Their teams will improve if they regain top form.
Martz calling plays for Gore and Davis is scary though.
Mike Martz' offense is a gimmick and without a defense the Niners aren't going to win squat.....and their QB's are gonna spend the entire year on their backs and/or on IR.
__________________
"The obvious thing is you understand the season is meant for a growth process,and you hope your playoff position is good enough you can make an effort in the playoffs." Phil Jackson
Eavesdropping on the St. Louis Rams Front Office http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU3D5C1XnV0
__________________
"The obvious thing is you understand the season is meant for a growth process,and you hope your playoff position is good enough you can make an effort in the playoffs." Phil Jackson
Eavesdropping on the St. Louis Rams Front Office http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU3D5C1XnV0
Two things jumped out in the late practice here in Napa. One, Alex Smith looked sharp directing a two-minute drill with the second-team offense. And two, Mike Martz - who up to this point had shown a zen-like calm - went ballistic a few times when his receivers failed to run the right routes.
First, let's talk about Smith, who had the least amount of first-team repetitions in the morning drill. Martz initially tapped him to run the two-minute offense with the first-team offense. That team, however, went four and out when Robert Ortiz dropped a pass on fourth down. When the second-team offense replaced them, Martz decided to leave Smith in. "I wanted to see how he handled it," Martz told me. "I wanted to see him in that situation."
Here's how the drive, which began on the San Francisco 24 played out:
- 1st down. Smith connects on a deep pass to Dominique Zeigler at the 50 yard line
- 1st down. Another nice pass to Zeigler to the 40.
- 1st down. Smith incompletion to Cam Colvin
- 2nd down. Smith incompletion to Jason Hill, who nearly collides with Zeigler on the play. Zeigler gets an earful from Martz
- 3rd down. Smith connects on the right sideline with Zeigler to the 22
- 1st down. Pass to Colvin dropped.
- 2nd down. Smith connects again with Zeigler at the 9
- 1st down. Pass behind Colvin, but judging from Martz's reaction, the receiver ran the route improperly. Martz: "Come on, Cam! Let's go!"
- 2nd down. Smith to Zeigler inside the five. Martz: "Outside, Cam! Outside!"
- With ball on the one, Thomas Clayton just makes it to the goal line for a touchdown.
- Joe Nedney nails a 40-yard field-goal in the final drill of the day.
That drive, of course, came against the Raiders second-team defense. Still, Smith also looked good earlier in team drills when the first stringers were in. He had two picture-perfect touchdown passes to Jason Hill, the first from the 19 yard line when he hit Hill in the left corner over cornerback DeAngelo Hall. The second was from closer in and was in the right corner of the end zone.
.....we havent had a decent reciever since T.O.
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