The bait was dangled in front of Alex Smith, but he didn't take it. The quarterback said he is not champing at the bit to face his former nemesis, Mike Nolan, on Friday. In fact, Smith said he didn't consider a nemesis at all. He conceded that there were rough patches in the relationship but that those had been smoothed over by the time Nolan was relieved of his duties last year. Asked if he would meet with Nolan, Smith said he would "at least say hello." If that happens, it won't exactly be a Mangini-Belichick meeting at the 50-yard line, but you can bet the cameras will be rolling.
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Early in practice, the 49ers concentrated mostly on running plays. Glen Coffee was back after sitting out yesterday's session with a sore ankle. There was more passing as the practice went on. Smith had perhaps the prettiest catch of the day, floating a 25-yard sideline attempt over a linebacker and into Dominique Zeigler's arms. Zeigler, by the way, is another receiver who has stepped forward in Brandon Jones' absence. The quarterbacks love him because he is tall, rangy and catches everything in sight. That is, he makes quarterbacks look good. Still no word on which quarterback will start Friday's game.
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Scary moment during seven-on-seven drills when Josh Morgan leaped high to take a sideline pass from Dre Bly. Morgan landed with his legs caught in an awkward position under his and the cornerback's weight. It was the kind of play that, had it been on an artificial surface, could have done real damage because his cleats would have gotten stuck in the turf. Morgan lay on the ground for a moment, got up slowly and a few plays later was back in action.
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Remember how Bear Pascoe was struggling with his pass catching last week? Well, the rookie seems to be coming out of hibernation. He caught almost every pass that came his way this morning, including a pass from Nate Davis that was well out in front of him but which he still managed to pull in.
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So where is Patrick Willis? The team's star linebacker has been out since the opening day of training camp with an ankle injury. But all indications are that it's not serious and that his absence may be related more to preservation than his medical condition. Willis, however, has attended every practice and was even rallying his unit in the middle of the defensive huddle today before team drills began.
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Delanie Walker continues to sit out practice after last week's concussion. Isaac Bruce (eye) also missed practice. Moran Norris (personal) missed his second straight day. The good news is that rookie cornerbacks Terrail Lambert and Carlos Thomas were back in action.
-- Matt Barrows
