Rookie Mini Camp

[imac_21]

Might want to rein in expectations a bit. From Barrows:

The one-on-one blocking drills between the offensive and defensive lines drew the attention of general manager Trent Baalke. As you would expect, newcomer (to the sport of football) Lawrence Okoye easily was handled by the offensive linemen, mostly Al Netter, who is playing center in this camp.

What's already evident is that Okoye has a gift for getting off the line of scrimmage quickly. That is, the explosion needed by a discus thrower translates to bursting off the line of scrimmage as a defensive lineman. He also tried a spin move that was absurdly good for someone his size who just began practicing football on Friday. What also stands out, however, is that Okoye has long - very long - legs. In fact, the only 49er who can compare in leg length is Alex Boone. The challenge for Okoye and mentor Jim Tomsula will be combining his quickness and innate athletic ability with an understanding of leverage.

Read more here: 49ers Blog and Q&A: Kaepernick watches B.J. Daniels shine; Baalke observes Okoye in action

If Netter is handling him easily, Okoye still has a LOOOOONG way to go. Granted he's got tons of room to improve. We shall see.

I think this is to be expected. I'm sure no one expected him to challenge Justin Smith this year. How to attack an OL is a teachable/learnable skill however.

What I take out of this little blurb isn't that he struggled with Netter, but that he is already showing a great burst at the snap and seems to have a very good spin move without any real teaching on it. Getting off the ball is not a teachable/learnable skill. If he's coachable, and by all accounts he is, then he should develop nicely. Will he ever be roster material? I have no idea. But anyone who expects great insights into what he can or can't be based off 2 days of practice in shells (first time ever for Okoye on the "pitch") is lying to himself (or herself).

 

[deep9er]

49ers schedule
First day of offseason schedule: April 15
OTAs: May 21-23, May 28-30, June 3-6
Mandatory minicamp: June 11-13


so is today the last day for rookie camp? tomorrow is likely the last articles on team activities? where Coaches are present for these activities?

the OTA Phase is more 'getting shape' for veterans, no contact.

 

[Dodub]

Might want to rein in expectations a bit. From Barrows:

The one-on-one blocking drills between the offensive and defensive lines drew the attention of general manager Trent Baalke. As you would expect, newcomer (to the sport of football) Lawrence Okoye easily was handled by the offensive linemen, mostly Al Netter, who is playing center in this camp.

What's already evident is that Okoye has a gift for getting off the line of scrimmage quickly. That is, the explosion needed by a discus thrower translates to bursting off the line of scrimmage as a defensive lineman. He also tried a spin move that was absurdly good for someone his size who just began practicing football on Friday. What also stands out, however, is that Okoye has long - very long - legs. In fact, the only 49er who can compare in leg length is Alex Boone. The challenge for Okoye and mentor Jim Tomsula will be combining his quickness and innate athletic ability with an understanding of leverage.

Read more here: 49ers Blog and Q&A: Kaepernick watches B.J. Daniels shine; Baalke observes Okoye in action

If Netter is handling him easily, Okoye still has a LOOOOONG way to go. Granted he's got tons of room to improve. We shall see.

He just needs a little practice. He needs to practice his DL moves and hand fighting. He'll get there eventually. I expect more practice and a year of time on the practice squad will turn this guy into a much better player this time next year.

 

[supreme_clientele81]

You can force a player on the 53 man though. Teams do it all the time to protect them from getting stolen off the PS. Remember, only 46 of the 53 guys dress on game day. That's how we "protected" Jenkins and James for much of last year. They didn't dress on game day, but they weren't on the PS either.

If the team is serious about keeping Okoye (or anyone) but is concerned about him getting plucked off the PS, they put him on the 53 and deactivate him on game day.

Then we don't have to address it unless we have significant injuries.

Isn't it a players decision to goto another team? So even if Okoye goes on the PS he may stay because of Coach Tomsula.

 

[4lifer9er]

There is a 0% chance that Okoye woukd be pulled from our PS at any point this season and placed on a teams active roster. He literally JUST started playing football this weekend.. THIS WEEKEND..

I am not trying to underestimate him by any means, because his ceiling is unreal.. But his floor is still just a discuss thrower. I want him to succeed more than anything and by all means does he have the physical talent and the coaching, but I am fully aware of how much more of a project he is than even most UDFA's

 

[NinerSickness]

There is a 0% chance that Okoye woukd be pulled from our PS at any point this season and placed on a teams active roster. He literally JUST started playing football this weekend.. THIS WEEKEND..

Yes, but if he's on the practice squad 10 weeks into the season, it could be a different story.

 

[Crimsoncrew]

Isn't it a players decision to goto another team? So even if Okoye goes on the PS he may stay because of Coach Tomsula.

Yeah. A couple players last year could have gone to active rosters but decided not to. I believe Lockette might have been one of those. I do think Tomsula is a real asset in this area.

 

[supreme_clientele81]

Yeah. A couple players last year could have gone to active rosters but decided not to. I believe Lockette might have been one of those. I do think Tomsula is a real asset in this area.

I believe Tony Jerod Eddie was another. Also we are one of the few teams (maybe only) that takes the PS players on road games. Harbaugh creates a "family" atmosphere with the players which I think is one of the reasons our team plays so hard for him

 

[sjballer03]

Yeah. A couple players last year could have gone to active rosters but decided not to. I believe Lockette might have been one of those. I do think Tomsula is a real asset in this area.

Goes to show you how valuable coaching is when players rather stay on the practice squad than ride the bench on game day for another team.

 

[Jikkle]

49er practice squad rejects better offers - SFGate

If Okoye was smart I think he would reject any offers to sign with another team.

Like I said earlier Tomsula is a perfect coach for him and it's obvious the team is serious about developing Okoye so he should figure as long as he develops he'll be in their plans.

 

[BINGO]

I was re-reading the senior bowl coverage about Patton, and I'm getting more excited about the pick. I didn't like Patton in the second, but in the fourth he was great value. He doesn't impress physically in any one area, but he just seems like one of those guys who is solid across the board. Based on the scouting reports, he reminds me a bit of Robert Woods in that regard, another guy I wasn't all that high on in the second, but Patton went almost 90 picks later. If Patton can catch on in the slot, and Jenkins or Lockette can stake a claim on the outside (this is the biggest question mark, obviously, and may prove crucial to our ability to stretch the field), we could have three nice complementary receivers with Crabtree moving around a bit to exploit matchups.

A little. But if you had to force me to make a good NFL comparison, it would be someone like Deion Branch. Like you said, a guy who is good across the board. He will never be "elite" but can have a solid career. He'll have a slow start to his career but eventually he'll outwork his colleagues (strong work ethic) and may last in the pros for a long time.

 

[Crimsoncrew]

A little. But if you had to force me to make a good NFL comparison, it would be someone like Deion Branch. Like you said, a guy who is good across the board. He will never be "elite" but can have a solid career. He'll have a slow start to his career but eventually he'll outwork his colleagues (strong work ethic) and may last in the pros for a long time.

Yeah, we'll see. I've seen a few people throw out the Reggie Wayne comparison, and at the Senior Bowl a lot of people were saying Greg Jennings. I don't see Jennings, who I feel has more speed than either Wayne or Patton, but shoot, I'd take either. I think Patton could contribute relatively early if he keeps up the good work. The #3-#6 spots are WIDE open as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Bemular]

Yeah, we'll see. I've seen a few people throw out the Reggie Wayne comparison, and at the Senior Bowl a lot of people were saying Greg Jennings. I don't see Jennings, who I feel has more speed than either Wayne or Patton, but shoot, I'd take either. I think Patton could contribute relatively early if he keeps up the good work. The #3-#6 spots are WIDE open as far as I'm concerned.

I would add the #1 spot to your list of WIDE open WR positions as well. It seems clear, at least to me, that we would like to have our version of Johnson & Johnson.

 

[Crimsoncrew]

Potentially good news on the CB front. Even if we just keep one or two of these guys on the PS, would be nice to start grooming some corners for next year.

Strong group of corners in 49ers rookie camp | CSN Bay Area

 

[NinerSickness]

Mr. Coorper impressing.

Cooper Makes Positive Impression

In his first few days on the job, Marcus Cooper displayed why San Francisco made him a seventh-round selection in the 2013 NFL Draft.

Cooper, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound cornerback, competed hard throughout the team’s three-day rookie minicamp. He always seemed to be around the football and listened closely to the coaching of 49ers secondary coaches Ed Donatell and Greg Jackson. As a left cornerback at rookie camp, Cooper lined up mostly against the team’s fourth-round pick, Quinton Patton.

Cooper, a former Rutgers cornerback, held his own and recorded a few pass breakups against his fellow rookies. It was a strong debut for a player who was mostly known for his pro day numbers at Rutgers.

“It was a great experience for me,” Cooper said of his rookie camp. “I got a chance to compete, be around the coaches and learn the system I enjoyed it.”

The seventh-round pick continues to grow as a cornerback, a position he’s only been playing since 2010. Cooper began his career as a wide receiver, but was asked to change positions by coach Greg Schiano, the current head coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“I have to give him some thanks,” Cooper said. “He saw the ability in me and he wanted to switch me over. It’s worked out so far and hopefully I can continue to grow at this.”

The position change turned out to be a wise choice.

Cooper never caught a pass in college, but did get on the NFL scouting radar as a defensive back. In 2012, he made one start, but appeared in 13 games for the Scarlet Knights. He recorded 42 tackles, one interception, three pass breakups and also blocked a kick.

Cooper’s 4.45, 40-yard dash and 39-inch vertical jump at Rutgers’ pro day really established his true NFL potential.

"A guy that has the traits you're looking for," general manager Trent Baalke said of Cooper after the draft. "You bring him in and hopefully he can develop."

Cooper continued his ascension at San Francisco’s rookie camp where he appeared to make a positive impression on his coaching staff.

“It was just a great opportunity,” said Cooper, who enjoyed his one-on-one battles with Patton and the team’s other rookie wideouts. “We definitely used it as an opportunity to make each other better.

“Iron sharpens iron. That’s anytime you come out here and compete – you want to make each other better.”

Cooper continues to learn the nuances of playing as a defensive back, but felt like the three-day camp was easier to handle thanks to the 49ers coaching staff.

“They didn’t overload us right at the beginning,” Cooper said. “We started to see things slower and were able to play ball.”

So when Cooper had single coverage duties against rookie wideouts in one-on-one drills, the Rutgers cornerback didn’t back down from the challenge. He actually used his receiver background to gain a better understanding of potential routes.

“I tried to take the years I had as a receiver and use it to my advantage for me,” Cooper said. “I think of all the things I would have done and the splits I would’ve used – things like that. I used that for a guide for what the receiver was going to do.”

For the rest of the offseason, Cooper plans on further developing his cornerback fundamentals. On Monday, he couldn’t help but take a long list of mental notes while watching the movements of veterans like Carlos Rogers and Nnamdi Asomugha.

“I want to take some of their technique and try to implement them in my game,” Cooper said.

Cooper won't be completely unfamiliar with the locker room as he settles into his new surroundings. It helps that Cooper was a college teammate with 49ers right tackle Anthony Davis. But Cooper, the seventh-round pick, clearly wants to build bonds with the rest of the locker room.

“It’s a blessing and an eye-opening experience,” Cooper said of Monday’s voluntary “Football School” workout with nearly the entire roster.

“I got to see these guys who’ve been in the league for a long while and guys who’ve been successful at the position.”