49ers LB Nick Bellore Returns to the Field

Nick Bellore made his return to practice on Wednesday afternoon. The San Francisco 49ers linebacker practiced for the first time this training camp. Bellore, who was activated off the Active/Illness list prior to practice, was thrown right into the fire by defensive coordinator Eric Mangini and special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey, Jr. Bellore adds depth to the 49ers middle linebacker corps and was seen dropping back into coverage on tight ends and running backs on a regular basis.As for special teams, McGaughey said last week that Bellore would be a player he leaned on. The two spent the 2014 season together with the New York Jets and both came to San Francisco this offseason. Bellore never missed a game in his four seasons with the Jets, recording 61 total tackles. Other notes and observations from Wednesday’s practice at the SAP Performance Facility: Tight end Vernon Davis continues to impress. He and quarterback Colin Kaepernick connected on the offensive play of the day. Kaepernick hit Davis perfectly in stride down the field, over the outstretched arms of a pair of defenders. Davis later showed off his wheels, catching a quick pass to the left and sprinting up field at full speed. Kaepernick made a similar throw to wide receiver Anquan Boldin, threading the needle in between coverage for a medium-sized completion. Linebacker Corey Lemonier was one of the 49ers defenders to get pressure on the quarterback. Defensive lineman Tony Jerod-Eddie was also in the mix, recording what would have been two sacks in 11-on-11 work. Backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert made an impressive throw to running back Reggie Bush, dropping a beautiful pass over Bush’s right shoulder as he ran up the left sideline. Kenneth Acker performed well on Wednesday. The 49ers second-year cornerback has been a steady contributor throughout training camp and the beginning of preseason. During the group period, running backs worked on blocking blitzing cornerbacks. Quarterbacks and receivers worked a 2-on-4 drill against corners and safeties. During a field-goal period, Kaepernick was seen working with Torrey Smith and Davis individually, primarily on deep balls. Both pass-catchers were sent down the field multiple times with Kaepernick hitting them on deep passes.