San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick addressed the media today. Here is what he had to say.
Are there things that you want to see from the time that, head coach Jim Tomsula mentioned yesterday perhaps a quarter that the starters will be on the field, are there things that you want to see from yourself and the offense during that time?
"Yeah, you always want to make sure you're on the right track, doing the right things to get you prepared for the season."
Is there anything specifically as far as the mechanics? I know a lot of time has been spent on just breaking the huddle and getting to the line of scrimmage. Do you want to be able to kind of experiment with those things in a game setting?
"The biggest thing is being able to go out there, have continuity and just play good offense."
I know how difficult it is to lose a player of the caliber of former 49ers LB Aldon Smith. I know you guys came in the same draft class. I imagine you are close friends. Is it a personal blow to you that he's no longer with the team?
"It's really tragic. And, I mean, I wish him the best. I hope he's doing well. I hope everything turns out alright for him and he can get back on track. I mean, the biggest thing is, I know this team misses him and misses his presence here."
You two are close friends, right?
"Yeah, I was good friends with Aldon. He had just come to my camp, to my golf tournament for Camp Taylor this past June. He showed support and helped the kids out."
Can you address the internet rumors or report about you two being at each other's throat last week?
"Well, if I was a reporter I would go about things logically and I would realize that I have a deal with Jaguar. I've had it for a few years now. So, I wouldn't be driving a Mercedes. I would also realize that we didn't have practice on Thursday, so no one was at the facility. So, along those lines, I feel like anyone that believes that and goes about that, reporting that is, just doesn't have the best integrity in my mind. I mean, to try to prey on athletes' livelihoods while one is going through a tough time is embarrassing to me for people that do report that and put that out there and jumped on that bandwagon just to get internet clicks and get attention to their website or reports. It really is embarrassing that people do that."
Can you just comment, offensive coordinator Geep Chryst came in and spoke how the new play calls are so short, single syllable. How has that transition been for you? Has it been as easy as it sounds to just pick up the new language and how play calls are called?
"It took a little bit of time in the spring to get used to it. But, at this point I think everybody is comfortable with it. We've had a lot of time at it. And, it's something that Geep had talked to me about prior to, something that I've done in the past that he's done in the past. So, I think it helps simplify our offense."
So, you'd say that you can see the effects of this training camp?
"Very much so."
I ask this because the clock-management issues are obviously a big topic this summer. So, I don't ask this to be a jerk, but perhaps the most famous clock-management issue with the 49ers recent years came at the end of the Super Bowl where it looked like you were going to score a touchdown and you guys would win the Super Bowl, and there was a timeout called. Does that, however long later, does that ever still pop in your mind, how close you were and the what-ifs of that play?
"There's always what-ifs. I don't live in a what-if world. I live in, what can I do to make the future what I want it to. And, that's what we're trying to do, eliminate any chaos, any mess we can to make our offense cleaner."
What areas of your personal camp have you been most satisfied with as far as, I mean, Geep had talked about it, a pass, a throw you made along the sideline to WR Jerome Simpson yesterday. Are there any aspects of your game where you think that you have made significant strides?
"I think I made a lot of strides in a lot of different areas. It's really trying to put the complete package together, get comfortable with the offense, get comfortable with new weapons, get comfortable with the new language. All of those things have played a factor into what we've been working towards to get ready for the season."
Part of that language, with the play calls, Geep was just in here talking about how the quicker, one syllable play calls are needed for an up-tempo offense. Can you describe how that came about and how receptive you were to those changes?
"They were things that we had talked about prior to this year. How can we operate faster? How can we get a jump? And, they were things that he was excited to implement."
You didn't have WR Torrey Smith at the practice yesterday, but you did as noted earlier had that pass to Jerome Simpson. Does he do a lot of the same things that Smith does and where are you as far as a rapport with Jerome Simpson on the deep stuff?
"Yeah, he does have similar attributes to Torrey as far as his speed and ability to stretch the field. I think I have a good relationship with Jerome as far as knowing how he's going to run routes, the speed he's going to run them with and ultimately being able to get the ball into his hands."
Geep was talking about that throw to Jerome Simpson yesterday. He said you executed everything perfectly on that play. Could you take us through what you did on that play, what you saw on that play?
"In my mind it was pretty clear cut. I saw a one-on-one matchup out there, liked where the corner was sitting versus Jerome's speed and took the shot. Jerome made a great play to stretch the field, go down there and get the ball. Really wasn't a whole lot on my part other than putting it out there and letting Jerome go get it."
T Joe Staley said Sunday that going against this defense, they are blitzing more now in camp than probably the previous six years combined. How much is that helping you and especially knowing that you are going to play teams like Arizona and some other teams that blitz a lot at this point?
"I think it's great work for us. To me, I think you always want practice to be harder than anything you'll face in the game. So, it allows us to solve those problems in practice and get practice at where our quick answers are, how we want to adjust protections, things like that so come game time it's not something we're not used to seeing."
What are you seeing from WR Quinton Patton in this camp and maybe describe some of the strides he's made over the years?
"He's been doing a lot of things well. The biggest thing, he's playing fast, he's playing with speed, which I love to see. And, he's someone that's grown over the last few years as far as his understanding of the game, his ability to get open and ultimately just go out and make plays."
What was it like for you to get on the field or for RB Reggie Bush to get on the field and work in pads on Sunday and develop that short passing game?
"Well, I've had quite a bit of work with Reggie before that, so we had a pretty good feel for each other as far as how he was going to run routes, his body language, things like that. But, it's great to have him on the field. I think everyone kind of saw the effects that he can have on a defense and the things he opens up for us as an offense when he's on the field."
* Transcript provided by the San Francisco 49ers
