Rookie tight end Vernon Davis signed a five-year deal worth about $25 million today. He joined his new team for the morning practice session and was the first player on the field for the 49ers afternoon practice. He was joined by offensive tackle Kwame Harris.
The following are some quick notes from the 49ers afternoon practice, the first session open to the public.
The afternoon session started with the quarterbacks practicing and warming up their arms. Alex Smith and Jesse Palmer (now wearing #7) played a little catch while Shaun Hill and Trent Dilfer did the same.
The entire team then moved on to stretching and warming up before beginning passing drills.
Alex Smith practiced with the tight ends while Jesse Palmer and Shaun Hill practiced with the running backs. Then all the quarterbacks (minus Dilfer who sat out the practice) rotated and passed to the wide receivers.
The funniest and probably the most memorable moment was when Vernon Davis caught a pass from Smith, turned upfield, and when Shawntae Spencer attempted to make the tackle, the only thing he got was Davis' shorts. They were pulled down revealing Davis' underwear to the entire crowd. At least he held on to the ball and finished the play.
Davis did seem to have some first day jitters. He dropped a couple of balls and jumped offsides on a play. However, he is a big presence on the field and did pull the ball in a number of times. After some early drops, he started to catch the ball a lot better. When he started practicing blocking, he looked very polished.
Punter Andy Lee has some booming punts, obviously trying to keep Tom Rouen from taking his job.
Safety Keith Lewis picked off an Alex Smith pass. Smith's only pick of the day.
Defensive end Bryant Young, safety Tony Parrish, center Jeremy Newberry and wide receiver Arnaz Battle did not participate in practice, but they were on the field.
Linebacker Manny Lawson looked like a beast, constantly beating offensive lineman including one play where he blew past Kwame Harris.
Alex Smith completed a long pass to Bryan Gilmore. That got the crowd really fired up.
Wide receiver Antonio Bryant had an amazing practice as he consistantly caught everything the quarterbacks threw at him. Bryant stole the show and the crowd certainly noticed.
Other than the interception and one dud pass, Alex Smith looked much better on the field. He seems more confident and took control of his offense.
Wide receiver Derrick Hamilton appeared to have injured his hamstring on a passing play. He immediately grabbed his leg after the play and looked as though he was in pain. While he was escorted by the training staff, he was able to walk off the field on his own. He returned to the field but did not continue participating in practice.