SANTA CLARA – The 49ers were free to go their separate ways following activities Thursday to conclude the mandatory minicamp.
But quarterback Brian Hoyer said there are plans for the quarterbacks and receivers to work together before the club is set to report back to Santa Clara for the opening of training camp in late-July.
“Yeah, we're going to get together and do a little thing, I think,” said Hoyer, who appears to be the 49ers’ unchallenged starting quarterback for the upcoming season.
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“We haven't determined the location, yet. It's still in the works, but we have a good commitment on the amount of guys that are going to be able to make it.”
Hoyer is uniquely positioned to lead workouts because of his previous experience in coach Kyle Shanahan’s system. Hoyer started 13 games in Shanahan’s offense with the Cleveland Browns in 2014.
Hoyer was the starter for seven Browns victories as the primary starter. Over the past two seasons without Hoyer and Shanahan, the Browns compiled a 4-28 record.
“He’s incredibly knowledgeable of the system,” 49ers left tackle Joe Staley said of Hoyer. “You kind of expect that, being with him (Shanahan) before. He’s taken control of the huddle from Day 1. . . He’s done a really good job of communicating.”
San Francisco 49ers
Hoyer’s previous experience with Shanahan has enabled him to build on what he already knew and begin to see the offense through the eyes of the head coach. Like many players on both sides of the ball, Hoyer said he continues to learn a great deal about the deeper meaning of every individual play from Shanahan.
"This time around, I'm trying to see it through Kyle's eyes whereas last time I was just trying to keep my head above water," Hoyer said. "I just tried to know the play and run the play, whereas now with a little bit of background, I want to see it how he sees it.
"One of the coolest things, I thought, is when we have our team meetings Kyle puts up plays and he explains them both from an offensive perspective and a defensive perspective. So, I sit next to (outside linebacker) Dekoda Watson and he's like, 'Man, I never even knew half of this stuff like who has got a certain gap and how we're trying to affect that gap.' I think that's one of the great things about Kyle as a coach, is that he is able to break it down to the simplest level, whereas I think a lot of times in this league that people bypass that and they just want to tell you, 'Just do this.' Kyle is always good about giving you the 'Why.' "
The workouts will be designed for the quarterbacks and receivers to work on chemistry, remain sharp and stay on top of the details the coaching staff will stress once the team reconvenes for high-intensity padded practices in training camp.
“It is such a long period of time that you want to get together at least for some period,” Hoyer said. “We're aiming for right in the middle of when we leave and when we come back. We'll get as many guys together as we can. You can't accommodate everybody because people are going all across the country. We're going to get together and get three days in and then come back ready to go on July 27th.”