The San Francisco 49ers have a hole at the wide receiver position. After leading receiver Michael Crabtree went down with an Achilles tear early in offseason workouts, the 49ers after trying to figure out how to replace. Crabtree is likely to be sidelined until at least November so while San Francisco feels no pressure to go out and sign someone, they need another target. So far into training camp, all signs point to tight end Vernon Davis being that guy.
Davis has spent all of training camp lining up with the wide receivers despite being listed as a tight end. Davis has the speed and athleticism that make him a big matchup problem for opposing defenses. He plans on doing whatever the 49ers want him to do, as long as he can get his hands on the ball.
"I'm willing to step up and do whatever they ask me to do," Davis said. "They've been having me line up at wide receiver, pretty much all over the place. It's a good thing that I get the opportunity to work with those guys because it not only helps me at the wide receiver position, it also helps me at the tight end position. My feet get quicker, my route-running is better."
Davis has a Super Bowl ring on the brain and wants to do whatever it will take to get the team over the hum and into the big game once again. He is taking inspiration from Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez who is doing the same thing for his team. Gonzalez postponed retirement for a year in order to help the Falcons possibly win a title this year.
"This is a guy who has nothing to prove," Davis said. "He's already (deserving) of the Hall of Fame, he's broken all the records. This tells me how important it is to him to get a ring. I don't play for the Pro Bowl, I don't play for statistics. Maybe in my younger days I played for statistics. It's all about that ring."
Davis has some experience playing wide receiver after getting some time at the position in both high school and college. Coaches deemed him too big for the position, moving him to tight end primarily. Head coach Jim Harbaugh did not specify whether or not Davis would play wide receiver or tight end, opting to focus on the improvement Davis made in the offseason.
"I see a lot of improvement, in his ability as a football player, his route-running," Harbaugh said. "He looks really good, in the prime of his career."
