Emptying my recorder from last week, I came across this quote from Jim Harbaugh, who did a walk-and-talk interview to his car Tuesday. "It's been great watching them come into the facility and seeing those guys work," Harbaugh said. "I can't imagine that there's many other facilities around the NFL with this many guys pumping iron and out there running and doing what our guys are doing. And I think they feel the same as well."
One of results of last year's lockout, and the new collective bargaining agreement that came out of it, is that there won't be as much organized offseason activity as there's been in the past. In previous years, a team's offseason training program would begin in March. This year it begins April 16. That is, every 49er at the facility these days is there on a voluntary basis.
It also means there can be no formal instruction until next month. When Randy Moss visited earlier in the month, for instance, Harbaugh threw him passes, not Colin Kaepernick, who was on site that day. That's also why midweek rumors that Kaepernick was throwing passes to free agent Mike Wallace were absurd.
After staking out the facility most of last week, here are the faces I saw:
DE Ray McDonald
DE Justin Smith
NT Isaac Sopoaga
OLB Ahmad Brooks
OLB Parys Haralson
OLB Aldon Smith
ILB Tavares Gooden
NT Ian Williams
OT Anthony Davis
G Mike Iupati
TE Nate Byham
QB Colin Kaepernick
FB Bruce Miller
RB Anthony Dixon
RB Kendall Hunter
I'm also told that quarterback Scott Tolzien, center Chase Beeler and tight end Konrad Reuland have been working out. After Alex Smith signed his contract Wednesday, he worked out that day and then was back on Thursday. Other players undoubtedly have been working out in their home towns as was the case last year.
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Perusing the photos from the 49ers' Winter Fest gathering at Lake Tahoe, many of you noticed the bandage on Aldon Smith's left hand. The team doesn't give out injury information during the season and naturally isn't divulging anything in the offseason. I do know that it's not a hard cast on the hand. I have a feeling he'll be just fine by the season opener in September.
-- Matt Barrows
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