Jimmie Ward Moves To Full-Time Corner
- Jimmie Ward has transformed from strong safety to slot cornerback to someone with a strong chance of starting at corner to begin 2016. The former first-round safety earned the bulk of the first-team reps for the 49ers at corner opposite Tramaine Brock at minicamp, Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com reports. Ward rated as a top-40 Pro Football Focus corner last season for his work in the slot. He of the infamous Iron Bowl field goal return in 2013, Chris Davis took most of the reps at slot corner at San Francisco’s minicamp.
Kaepernick on 49ers’ Offense, Kelly, Baalke, Health
Despite having requested a trade out of San Francisco in February, 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick will go forward with the team this year after its front office, led by GM Trent Baalke, wasn’t able to move him. Kaepernick, who is looking to bounce back from a subpar season that ended early thanks to a torn left labrum, will now attempt to beat out fellow veteran Blaine Gabbert for the 49ers’ starting QB job this summer. The 28-year-old spoke to reporters Thursday about several important topics, including whether he and Baalke have talked to each other this offseason (they haven’t). Here, courtesy of the Bay Area News Group’s Cam Inman, is a rundown of interesting quotes:
On new head coach Chip Kelly, the team’s offense, and the support Kaepernick has gotten from teammates and fans:
“I’m excited to be here with Chip (Kelly) and these coaches. The offense has been amazing. My teammates have been great with their support. I’m excited to be back on the field with them. It was a great feeling out there this week (at minicamp). The fan support I’ve gotten through everything, especially seeing people out, it’s amazing and really made me excited to be out here and play.”
On why he asked for a trade:
“Organizations at the end of the season evaluate personnel and opportunities “That was something I sat down with my team (of agents and support staff) and did the same thing. That’s how we handled the business.
“We were looking at different opportunities. I really don’t want to get into specifics about what happened or why things happened. At this point everything is football and I’m a 49er. Again, I’m excited to work with Chip and this coaching staff.”
On the 49ers’ depth chart under center:
“They haven’t said anything about a pecking order or anything like that. All I’ve heard is Chip has told me it’s going to be a competition. That’s going to be my mindset and I’m excited to do that.”
On his health:
“At this point I’m close to being 100 percent healthy, close to where I can start training again and really looking forward to the progress I can make this summer in being ready for training camp.”
“I have a lot of work ahead of me. I’m in a situation I’m a little bit behind, because I’ve been rehabbing and trying to get back to 100 percent where I can start training. At this point there is a lot of work to be done.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Harbaugh: I Wanted 49ers To Draft Julio Jones
- If former 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh got his way, the 49ers would have drafted Julio Jones, as Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com writes. Recently, Harbaugh (now the coach at Michigan), caused a stir when he was spotted wearing a Jones jersey at a satellite camp. “I’ve always had a ton of respect for Julio Jones,” Harbaugh said in this video on Scout.com. “When I was with the San Francisco 49ers, we were hoping to draft Julio. Always have had tremendous respect for him, competed against him. … I’m just a big fan of a lot of pe0ple. And I’m a jersey guy. I like jerseys.”
49ers Notes: A. Davis, Kaepernick, Miller
If Anthony Davis returns to football, 49ers line coach Pat Flaherty says that nothing will be given to him, as Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes. 
“And he knows this, coming from me, if he wants to play, then he’s got to come back and prove he can play,” Flaherty said. “It’s got to come from within. You can tell him exactly what I just said, ‘Listen, you’ll have an opportunity to play. But that’s all it is. You decided for whatever reason to retire. If you come back in the game, nothing is going to be handed to you. You’re going to have to work your tail off.’ And the conversation that I’ve had back when I first got here, was he was acceptable to that. Now, I don’t see him. I don’t know why. So I can’t answer that one.”
As of late May, Davis still hasn’t filed for reinstatement from the NFL’s reserve/retired list. Davis also slammed the Niners via social media this offseason when he tweeted, “I do not want to work with a front office or anyone else who seemingly doesn’t want to win as bad as I do.” If he does come back, Davis will be under 49ers control through the 2019 season.
Davis, 26, was San Francisco’s first-round pick in 2010, coming off the board 11th overall. Prior to his retirement, he started 71 games at right tackle for SF, playing all 16 regular season contests in his first four years before being limited to seven games in 2014. Davis dealt with hamstring and knee issues, and also battled concussion problems, which may have contributed to his decision to step away from the game temporarily in 2015. It remains to be seen whether he’ll try and return for 2016.
Here’s more out of San Francisco:
- Quarterback Colin Kaepernick will not be cleared in time to participate in the 49ers’ minicamp this week, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The hope is that Kaep will get the green light closer to training camp.
- At Central Florida, Bruce Miller made his name as a defensive end. Then, when he was drafted by the 49ers, he was asked to move to fullback. However, coach Chip Kelly isn’t interested in using a fullback, so he now has Miller working out at both tight end and wide receiver, as Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee writes. If the former seventh-round pick can’t adjust to the new role, however, he may not have a spot on San Francisco’s roster.
- Recently, free agent wide receiver James Jones indicated that he would like to join the 49ers. Of course, at this stage of the offseason, Jones isn’t in a position to be picky. Jones is intrigued by staying close to home in SF and would like to join a contender, but he confesses that he’ll “play wherever.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Chip Kelly: Gabbert, Kaepernick Have Similar Traits
- 49ers head coach Chip Kelly made a radio appearance on 95.7 The Game (audio link), touching on everything to the club’s selection of DeForest Buckner, the role of Bruce Miller, and the stress his offensive scheme will put on San Francisco’s defense. Perhaps of the most note, though, were Kelly’s comments on his quarterback room, which contains both Colin Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert (thanks to Niners Nation for the transcript). “They have a similar skill set,” said Kelly. “They’re both 6’4″+. They both can really run, which will help keep plays alive. Obviously we’re not a quarterback-run offense, but if the quarterback can run, you can use a little of that to your advantage. And they both have extremely strong arms.”
James Jones Would “Love” To Join 49ers
Wide receiver James Jones is still without employment here in the month of June, but he has an idea of where he would like to wind up. In an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio, Jones suggested that he wants to get a phone call from the 49ers. 
[RELATED: Best Available NFL Free Agents: Offense]
“I’m right here in San Francisco, in the Niners’ backyard,” Jones said (via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com). “You know what I mean? I’d love to stay here at home and play for the Niners – don’t have to move my family or any of that stuff. My kids get to stay in school. But, at the same time, I’m just ready to play. I’ll play wherever. I’m just ready to get it on.”
Jones, now 32, has indicated that he’d like to play for awhile longer, though the Packers have reportedly moved on. The wide receiver says he has heard from some teams that have told him they like him, but he has yet to receive a contract offer. That comes as a surprise to Jones after he ranked fourth in the league with 17.8 yards per reception in 2015.
The veteran says that he wants to play somewhere where he can win, but he also understands that beggars can’t be choosers. Ultimately, Jones’ goal is to “play 12 years” in the league. Last year marked Jones’ ninth season in the NFL.
Jones led the Packers in 2015 with 890 receiving yards off of 50 receptions. He also led Green Bay’s wide receivers with eight touchdowns. That was a different stat line than 2014, a year in which he corralled a career-high 73 receptions for just 666 yards and six touchdowns for the Raiders.
Recently, we ranked Jones as one of the top ten best available offensive free agents.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
49ers Notes: Kaepernick, Davis
- 49ers offensive tackle Anthony Davis still hasn’t filed for reinstatement from the NFL’s reserve/retired list, according to Maiocco. Davis sat out last season and then tweeted in January that his return to San Francisco was “guaranteed.” The 26-year-old backed that up in April, but he took a shot at 49ers general manager Trent Baalke in the process. That continued a few weeks later when Davis wrote, “I do not want to work with a front office or anyone else who seemingly doesn’t want to win as bad as I do.” If he does come back, Davis will be under 49ers control through the 2019 season. After the Niners used a first-round pick on him in 2010, Davis started in all 71 of his pre-retirement appearances.
After enduring months of trade rumors that ultimately didn’t lead anywhere, quarterback Colin Kaepernick has attended every 49ers workout since their program began April 4 and is poised to collect a $400K bonus, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Kaepernick must partake in 90 percent of the team’s workouts to earn that money, which he’s on his way to accomplishing despite not yet having been cleared for football activity since undergoing surgery on a torn left labrum in November. In lieu of actually participating on the field, Kaepernick has lined up 10 yards behind the quarterback during drills and gone through the footwork and “mental reps,” writes Maiocco, who adds that the 28-year-old should be ready to go by training camp. Kaepernick is expected to compete with Blaine Gabbert this summer for the 49ers’ starting job.
49ers Notes: Kelly, Reid
It doesn’t appear that new 49ers head coach Chip Kelly is ready to change his uptempo offensive ways. During the team period at OTAs on Wednesday, the 49ers ran 24 plays in an eight-minute span, good for one snap every 20 seconds, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter). As noted by Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk, Kelly’s taxing, fast-paced attack eventually wore out its welcome with some of his Eagles players during his three-season tenure in Philadelphia.
- One of Kelly’s players, safety Eric Reid, said Wednesday he’d like to sign a contract extension to remain with the 49ers for the long haul (link via Maiocco). San Francisco already has control over Reid through 2017, having picked up his fifth-year option earlier this month. General manager Trent Baalke stated in April that he’d be open to inking the 2013 first-rounder to an extension, though that was before the fifth-year option decision. The 24-year-old Reid has been a full-time starter for the 49ers since entering the league and has a Pro Bowl nod under his belt. He failed to record an interception last season, however, after piling up a combined seven during his initial two campaigns.
Lynch: Competition Could Be Good For Kaepernick
- In something of an upset, Colin Kaepernick is still on the 49ers‘ roster, and if he wants to earn the starting quarterback job, he’ll have to defeat favorite Blaine Gabbert to do so. As Kevin Lynch of SFGate.com writes, that level of competition could end up being a positive for Kaepernick.
Why Darren Sproles To 49ers Wouldn't Make Sense
Darren Sproles makes his offseason home in California and, on paper, his experience be a welcome addition to the 49ers‘ roster. However, Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee can think of a few reasons why he wouldn’t be a great match for the Niners. 
Darren Sproles makes his offseason home in California and, on paper, his experience be a welcome addition to the 49ers‘ roster. However, Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee can think of a few reasons why he wouldn’t be a great match for the Niners.
For one, the 49ers likely would be wary of striking a new deal with a runner who turns 33 next month. San Francisco has already bid farewell to several notable names that were north of 30, including Frank Gore, Vernon Davis, and Anquan Boldin. And, even if SF really wanted him, the Eagles would probably be hesitant to help out their former head coach in any way. For what it’s worth, the Eagles say Sproles is not available, even though the team reportedly received trade inquiries on him during the draft.
- 49ers coach Chip Kelly was asked if the door was left open for recently retired running back Jarryd Hayne to return to the 49ers. He answered, “We didn’t even talk about that,” (Twitter link via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com).