Boldin is a guy with an established reputation in the league

The sight of Anquan Boldin is bittersweet for San Francisco 49ers fans. On the one hand, he played a vital role in the first Super Bowl loss in the history of the franchise.

At the same time, however, none will complain if those same playmaking skills are displayed with his new team. Boldin is a guy with an established reputation in the league, his hands and physical style of play ranking among the elite.

With Michael Crabtree set to miss the majority of the season due to a torn Achilles tendon, those same skills that Boldin is renowned for have become even more important to his team. He will now be asked to be the No. 1 option on a Super Bowl contending team.

Now, on the surface level, this is nothing new for him. It’s a role he is very familiar with, having functioned as that with both the Arizona Cardinals (before being bumped to No. 2 by Larry Fitzgerald) and the Baltimore Ravens. Here’s the thing, though. Boldin is no spring chicken anymore.

Now 32 years old and entering his 11th season in the league, Boldin has endured an incomprehensible amount of punishment over the course of his career. That is the price he must pay to maintain his reputation as the toughest, most physical receiver in the league.

The inevitable question must then be asked: How much longer can he continue to play his style of game before the rigors of the NFL finally takes its toll? Well, when looking at the numbers, the answer might be sooner than what 49er fans might want to hear.

While he was the No. 1 option with Baltimore by title, the numbers don’t quite add up to that billing. In his three years with the team, not once did he crack the 1,000-yard benchmark, 921 last season serving as his highest total.

The touchdowns have diminished over the years as well. While he caught a respectable seven in his first year with the team, 2010, the last two seasons have brought three and four, respectively. Not quite what you would expect from your No. 1 option.

Many would argue that the Ravens had a dominant running back, Ray Rice, taking the bulk of the offense. That was more myth than reality last season. Rice carried the football 257 times last season, leaving him tied with Steven Jackson of the St. Louis Rams (now the Atlanta Falcons) for 13th in the league.

In comparison, Joe Flacco, his former quarterback, threw the ball 531 times, 317 of which were completed. Those numbers left him at 14th and 15th, respectively, in the league. That’s about as balanced an offense as you can get.

So who is Anquan Boldin? What will his role on this 49ers team be? Is he still capable of being the focal point of a teams passing game?

While I will never claim to be Nostradamus, I will offer my insight as to what I think the 49ers and their fans will receive from Boldin.

While Crabtree now appears to be the Boldin of old reincarnated, Boldin himself is not who he used to be. It’s not like his magnificent skills are gone. I still expect him to catch anything that hits his hands and break a great many of tackles.

I also, however, don’t expect him to be as open as much as he used to. Age and wear and tear does that to a player.

Football is a young man's game, and Boldin is no longer a young man. He’s lost a step. A small step, but a step nonetheless. And for a player like Boldin, that small step is the difference between being great and simply being good.

What I’m saying is that expectations should be tempered. 49er fans are thrilled that they’re getting the Boldin that they remember on their team. But the Boldin that they remember might not be there anymore.

He will be a consistent, steadying force for the offense. But he also is no longer the indestructible force that he once was. The statistics speak for themselves.

The Boldin that Ravens fans were treated to is most likely whom the 49er fans will get as well. About 800-900 yards and five or six touchdowns seems like a safe benchmark at this point in his career.

And for a player who has gone through the most extreme of NFL gauntlets over the course of his career, not much more should be expected. The same qualities that made him a dominant receiver with the Cardinals are what has made him who he now is: a very good No. 2 receiver.

Fans were expecting big things out of Crabtree and for Boldin to be the perfect compliment to the great things he would do. When Crabtree went down, the expectations for what Boldin would bring went up as a result. At this point in his career, those expectations are just not fair, and honestly, not likely.

A 32-year-old Boldin is not a 25-year-old Crabtree. As similar as their games may be, one was hitting the pinnacle of his career and the other is in the twilight of his.

Boldin has taken far more punishment than your average 32-year-old receiver. Expect the stats to reflect that.

Fortunately for the 49ers, they don’t need him to be great. Arguably the most talented roster in the NFL, they simply need him to be good. And that is exactly what he will be. For a man who has given as much as he has to the NFL, that will be good enough.

-- This article from: bleacherreport.com

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While Eric Reid is the rookie many expect to make the biggest impact, a close second could come in the form of tight end Vance McDonald

The 49ers waived Brandon Carswell with an injury designation on Tuesday, the NFL disclosed in its transaction log.

The 24-year-old Carswell suffered an ACL tear last Wednesday, the same day he signed with the club.

Carswell, who played collegiately at Southern Cal, had a brief stint on the Raiders’ practice squad a season ago.

The 49ers now have 11 wide receivers on their roster, including Michael Crabtree, who figures to miss at least a portion of the 2013 campaign after tearing his Achilles in May.

While Eric Reid is the rookie many expect to make the biggest impact, a close second could come in the form of tight end Vance McDonald. The 49ers second-round pick is expected to get a significant opportunity to replace Delanie Walker as the 49ers number two tight end. Given how frequently the 49ers include two or more tight ends, that opens the door for a lot of playing time for McDonald.

The 49ers moved up six spots in the second round to select McDonald, marking their third trade in as many picks this past April. McDonald was a tight end at Rice University, but he had extensive experience working outside the tackle box. He has the size of a big tight end at 6'4, 267 pounds, but his 4.6 40 makes it easy to see him galloping down the field from all over the place.

Nick put together a scouting report on McDonald, and it emphasizes his size/speed combination. The question mark facing McDonald is his blocking. He will also need to work on getting off the break from the traditional tight end spot, but really we'll be keeping a close eye on his blocking this preseason. The good news is he gets to work with one of the best blocking tight ends in Vernon Davis. Additionally, the 49ers offense as a whole does a good job at blocking, so the examples are there for him.

What to expect in 2013

McDonald will likely settle in to the No. 2 tight end role. While we wouldn't expect McDonald to get past Vernon Davis on the depth chart, he should be able to get past Garrett Celek. We have some Celek fans in the crowd, but I'm just not sure I see Celek having the right combination of size and athleticism to upset McDonald in the tight end position battle.

Assuming McDonald is in that number two tight end role, I actually think we could see greater statistical production from him than we saw from Delanie Walker last year. Walker had 21 receptions for 344 yards and three touchdowns. With Michael Crabtree out for much of the year and Anquan Boldin not quite the young buck he once was, the 49ers tight ends will prove extremely important to developing their offense.

The Davis/McDonald duo has a chance to become the top pair of receiving tight ends in the league. That's saying a lot considering Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez are out there, but injuries aside, I think the talent is there. For McDonald though, his chance to do that will require he show some skills as a blocker.

 

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Smith got off to good start

Confidence has never been a problem for Jimmy Smith.

It’s comfort that the third-year cornerback hasn’t had, but is now gaining. And it’s what could lead to a breakout 2013 campaign for the Ravens’ 2011 first-round pick.

After two disappointing seasons in which Smith lost training camp battles, then battled injuries, he is again competing for a starting spot in the Ravens defense, this year with veteran Corey Graham.

Smith got off to good start, as he ran opposite Graham with the first-team defense with Lardarius Webb still rehabbing. Pundits took notice, placing Smith at the top of the list in terms of positive minicamp impressions.

“I’ve seen a lot of growth from Jimmy,” Secondary Coach Teryl Austin said. “He seems like a different guy right now.”

Smith has changed his ways dramatically since college, particularly in the classroom.

At Colorado, the 6-foot-2, fleet-footed cornerback could overwhelm opponents with his athleticism. Opposing quarterbacks hardly even threw his way. So when Smith was studying for an opponent, he said he was really only watching the action as if he were a fan instead of a defender.

“I didn’t really learn in college how to watch film,” Smith said. “I was watching to see who’s good, who’s fast, who’s strong.”

Smith was among those good, fast, strong athletes. He was talented enough to be drafted 27th-overall. But when Smith arrived in the NFL, he found out a high draft status didn’t equal success.

“When you get drafted high, you’re thinking, ‘I got drafted in the first round because I’m capable,’ not thinking of the extras you have to do,” Smith said. “Sometimes you get drafted just off physical skills. You don’t factor in that this is a veteran league and you’ve got to learn how to play in this league.”

Last year, Smith talked to linebacker Ray Lewis and safety Ed Reed about what they did to become great. Both film junkies, they pointed to dedication in the classroom. Smith started to develop better habits, but once again fell to the injury bug.

On the very first play of his NFL career, Smith suffered a high ankle sprain that knocked him out of that game and four more. Last year, a sports hernia sidelined him for five games, and by the time he returned in Week 15, Graham had seized the starting job.

But Smith’s altered habits paid off in the playoffs, and particularly in Super Bowl XLVII.

In the Ravens’ final goal-line stand in the Super Bowl, Smith diagnosed the final two plays. He left his wide receiver early to break into the flank and clobber 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree, knocking the ball loose on third down and even temporarily blinding the wideout.

Then on fourth down, Smith noticed San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick tap the back of his head before the snap. Smith anticipated a fade to Crabtree, and that’s just what he got. Smith stood up to initial contact and the pass sailed out of bounds.

The study habits that led to that string of plays – among the Ravens’ biggest in Super Bowl XLVII – carried into the offseason.

“I think playing as well as he did the last two playoff games coming off the injury and coming into the offseason knowing that this is a big year for him [was beneficial],” Austin said.

Smith now asks a lot of questions in the classroom. He does his homework too, studying the Ravens’ plays and his practice tape on his iPad. He said he texts Austin nearly every night as he watches film.

“I want to do exactly what they know I can do here,” Smith said.

Smith also took up boxing in the offseason, strengthening his core and shedding 10 pounds. He said he feels like he did in college, and is hoping that the increased strength will keep the injury bug away.

“I guess I’m taking that step to become great,” he said. “I wasn’t doing that to my fullest capability the first couple years.”

Smith still has a tough battle on his hands if he’s going to win a starting job. Graham also looked good throughout minicamp, and also played big in the playoffs. Graham’s two interceptions of Peyton Manning in the divisional playoffs, including one returned for a touchdown and another in overtime, were two of the game’s key plays.

Graham, a former special teams standout, has noticed Smith nipping at his heels in practice.

“He’s doing well too. He’s in good position,” Graham said of Smith. “He’s getting his hands on a few balls. … I’m going to go out there and do my best, and I’m pretty sure he’s going to do the same. Whatever happens is what happens.”

Never lacking in confidence, Smith said he can “taste” the starting job. He said he felt that way every year, but this time he’s in position to actually seize it.

“My rookie season I truly believed I was good enough to go out there and play every single snap,” Smith said with a laugh. “My confidence has never changed, but my preparation has. It makes me a lot more comfortable. I know what I’m doing.”

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