Colin Kaepernick has mostly been absent from the 49ers scene this offseason.
While the team has been busy putting together a new coaching staff and general manager Trent Baalke and his staff have been getting ready for this week’s NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Kaepernick has been in Arizona working with former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner and other coaches on his skills.
The quarterback-immersion program has covered everything from reading defenses to throwing mechanics.
And, it’s something Baalke, for one, has been very impressed with. As the Niners head toward a new season, it sounds as if Baalke is loving his quarterback’s offseason diligence.
“Colin is working his tail off,” Baalke told the media Wednesday at the Combine.
Huge question marks arose last season about Kaepernick after the young QB seemed to regress. As the 49ers struggled, so did Kaepernick. He was sacked 52 times and his interceptions went up and his TD passes went down.
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But Baalke is confident that Kaepernick will get back on track.
“I know he’s working awfully hard,” Baalke said. “He knows what he needs to work on. He’s a very dedicated player. I’m sure he feels good about the progress he’s made up to this point. The only reason you go down there and do the things he’s doing is to get better. That’s the mindset. I think he feels comfortable right now with where he’s at and hopefully that transfers to the field.”
Kaepernick, in fact, has been tweeting throughout his Arizona stay about the work he’s been putting in.
Wednesday, after a serious day of study and workouts, he tweeted: “1000 abs ...arm workout … 10 min straight on the jump rope … 2 hour study session in Feburary ….That’s what we call a recovery day!”
It sounds, too, as if Baalke is staying in touch with Kaepernick.
Baalke told the 49ers’ website that his quarterback is working on his footwork, his throwing mechanics and the pace of his throws -- getting to know better when to zip them and when to take some speed off his passes.
“Kurt knows a little something about the game and his willingness to share that with a young guy like Colin I think is admirable,” said Baalke.
