What has changed about the San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback this offseason?
The team's tight end shared some clues with the media on Friday.
Colin Kaepernick and Vernon Davis were two of the four team representatives who spoke with the press inside of Levi's ® Stadium. It was the first time players had spoken with the local media since the team's offseason conditioning program got underway on Tuesday.
Of all the noteworhy comments that were made by Kaepernick, Davis, head coach Jim Tomsula and safety Antoine Bethea, it was Davis' instant feedback on his quarterback that will earn the instant-headline treatment.
"When I saw him yesterday," Davis began, "I didn't even know that was Colin. Seriously, he was working on his drop-back, (I said), 'Who was that?' You guys are in for a treat. He looks like a totally different guy."
Shortly after the comments were made, Tomsula jumped in to praise Kaepernick as one of the league's top signal-callers in recent years. The new 49ers coach commended Kaepernick for spending time this offseason at a sports training center in Phoenix, where he worked with Super Bowl MVP quarterback Kurt Warner.
Tomsula stressed that Kaepernick's initiative should be celebrated.
"He took something good and made it better," Tomsula said.
Kaepernick, for his part, said his focus was on improving and that being resistant to change, even with his throwing motion, was not an option this offseason.
"You have to be able to change and adapt to be the best player you can be," he said. "I just want to do everything I can to get better, and do what I can to help this team win."
San Francisco's quarterback estimated that his workload wasn't greater than previous offseasons, but that his attention to detail was the highest it has ever been.
"I feel like there has been quite a bit of change," the quarterback said of his mechanics. "Obviously, it's noticeable. Vernon said something to me right away when we started throwing."
Kaepernick and Davis aren't allowed to work with their respective position coaches just yet. They'll be allowed to get on the field with them until the third week of the team's nine-week offseason program. For now, the players will resort to meeting with their coaches in the classroom so they can pick up the offensive scheme being installed by coordinator Geep Chryst.
When Kaepernick does get a chance to work with Chryst and his new quarterbacks coach, Steve Logan, there should be a considerable change in how Kaepernick looks and plays.
"(I) became a better quarterback," said Kaepernick, who pointed to his mechanics and mental approach being improved from his time in Arizona.
