Camp report (84): 49ers' full team takes field

Aug. 4, 2011MAIOCCO ARCHIVE
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Matt MaioccoCSNBayArea.com
Practice No. 6
Summary: The 49ers moved practice back to 5 p.m. to allow as many players as possible to get onto the field. It was the first time the newly signed free agents were allowed to practice because of the rules governing the transition to a new collective bargaining agreement. "It was a different feel," 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said. "You know we definitely had some reinforcements out there (Thursday night), but it had a lively feel, a fun practice. I thought there was a lot of energy, a lot of juice. So it seemed to fly by." In team drills, QB Alex Smith threw a deep pass that S Curtis Taylor intercepted. Smith later hit TE Vernon Davis with a touchdown in a red-zone drill. Rookie QB Colin Kaepernick worked exclusively with the second team. He lofted a nice 9-yard TD to RB Anthony Dixon, who beat the coverage of OLB Parys Haralson. The practice concluded with a two-minute drill. Smith led the first-team offense into position for a field goal against the 49ers' second-team defense. Kaepernick was intercepted by CB Tramaine Brock on a pass intended for WR Lance Long to end the second-team offense's try against the first defense.Injury report: CB Shawntae Spencer (left hamstring) sat out his third full day of work... LB Ahmad Brooks, CB Phillip Adams (left hamstring) and DL Brian Bulcke missed their third day in a row... NT Isaac Sopoaga (hamstring) missed his sixth practice. LB Alex Joseph did not practice for the fourth day in a row. WR Michael Crabtree (left foot), WR Dominique Zeigler (left knee) and FB Bruce Miller (shoulder) are on the physically-unable-to-perform list... TE Nate Byham (torn left ACL), WR Dontavia Bogan (torn right ACL) and CB Curtis Holcomb (ruptured left Achilles tendon) are out for the season.Returning to work: LBs Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman were back practicing after undisclosed injuries kept them out of action for two days apiece.
Personnel report: Newly signed additions WR Braylon Edwards, C Jonathan Goodwin, CB Carlos Rogers, S Madieu Williams, LB Larry Grant, LB Antwan Applewhite, LB Blake Costanzo and FB Jack Corcoran all suited up and saw their first action with the 49ers on the practice field. Edwards wore No. 81 -- Terrell Owens' old number. He emphasized that 81 is a temporary number. Dominique Zeigler currently wears Edwards' old number, No. 17. But Edwards said he might want to change it up to get a fresh start.
Stock rising: S Reggie Smith has performed well during, and appears to be in line for a starting job. The 49ers were never able to reach an agreement with free-agent Dashon Goldson, and the club signed Donte Whitner. Smith is more of a free safety and Whitner is a strong safety.Stock falling: S Taylor Mays worked mostly with the first unit when C.J. Spillman could not practice. But Mays was back with the second- and third-team defense. With the additions of Whitner and Madieu Williams, the 49ers consider Mays expendable. His size (6-foot-3, 230 pounds) and straight-line speed is impressive, but the coaches do not believe he moves well enough laterally to succeed at safety in the NFL. The 49ers sent a mass email to the other 31 NFL teams on Thursday to announce Mays was available in a trade.Notable: Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick both were wearing braces on their left knees -- on their plant leg. Neither is injured. It's Harbaugh's idea as a safety measure. "Yes, it's like a seatbelt," Harbaugh said. "You can't fight the odds, on wearing it on the plant leg, that leg that strides out and it's something that can prevent MCLs (medial-collateral ligament injuries). That's the thing that it's there to prevent, the impact from the side of the leg. Even if you were to get a shot that would be a grade-three (sprain). The brace could make it a grade-two or a grade-one or eliminate it all together. We're trying to find ways to dodge bullets out here and give ourselves the advantage over the bullets."Next practice: The 49ers hold their first open practice of training camp on Friday. The workout is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. and last approximately three hours.