SANTA CLARA – One of the things 49ers offensive coordinator Mike Martz is stressing this summer sounds basic enough: He wants his quarterbacks to get rid of the football before the defense gets to them.
After all, the 49ers surrendered a franchise-record 55 sacks last season, and defensive coordinators traditionally have countered Martz's high-powered offenses by sending waves of pass rushers after his quarterbacks.
But Martz believes all that blitzing makes a defense vulnerable.
Not only does he want the ball in the air quickly, he wants to make sure it finds the receiver who can inflict the most damage.
With that in mind, Martz has stressed to his quarterbacks the importance of "hot reads" – the receivers they must hit when defenses blitz.
"The hot (read) thing is new around here," quarterback Shaun Hill said following Tuesday's practice.
In fact, tight end Vernon Davis said he never has been the so-called "hot" receiver despite his potential for turning short passes into big gains.
"No," he said when asked whether the team used hot reads last year, "… not toward my direction."
Suffice to say, Martz has made Davis one of the primary hot targets this season.
Et cetera – The 49ers claimed former USC defensive tackle LaJuan Ramsey off waivers. The Eagles used a sixth-round pick on Ramsey (6-foot-3, 300 pounds) in 2006 but waived him last week.
• The 49ers signed offensive tackle Ramiro Pruneda from Monterrey, Mexico. Pruneda spent last season on the Chiefs' and Eagles' practice squads. Because Pruneda is an international player, the 49ers will be allowed to keep nine players on their practice squad this season.
• Former NFL defensive lineman Joe Salave'a has been working alongside the 49ers' coaching staff during organized team activities. Salave'a, who was made a defensive assistant at San Jose State in April, played for Tennessee, San Diego and Washington.
Read Matthew Barrows' 49ers blog at www.sacbee.com/blogs.
