Saints settle in

OXNARD, Calif. — While the Saints practiced on a postcard-perfect California afternoon, New Orleans owner Tom Benson drove his own golf cart around the practice fields.

"I've just been showing off this ring," Benson said, holding up the gaudy NFL championship ring on his right hand. "I told them, now I need one for the other hand."

The Saints hope a week on the cool West Coast can heat up their preparation for a run at a little more jewelry.

Following a path blazed by the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys in recent years, the Saints have moved five days of their preseason workouts to this Ventura County town best known for strawberries and surfing.

The Saints went through their first practice Monday afternoon in ideal conditions an hour northwest of Los Angeles, avoiding the heat and humidity of Louisiana while isolating themselves from distractions.

"When you're at home, there's always a lot going on," quarterback Drew Brees said. "When we're here, all you have to do is eat, drink, sleep and breathe football, and that's what we need to be doing right now."

The Saints uniformly echoed Brees' praise of coach Sean Payton's plan, which was only revealed to the players a couple of weeks ago. With a preseason game scheduled for Sunday in Oakland, New Orleans is hoping to bounce back from a disappointing 27-14 loss in Houston last weekend in which both first-team units felt they were outplayed.

"We got off the plane, and instantly the weather was good again," said defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis, a USC product and Los Angeles-area native.

"It's good to get somewhere away from the hot weather, get away from Louisiana and all the distractions, and just focus on what we need to do."

With two practice fields and an entire residence-style hotel available to visiting teams in Oxnard, the Saints are burrowing in for a strong week of work. Coach Sean Payton, a Cowboys assistant coach from 2003-05, estimates New Orleans can get 25 percent more work done in the 65-degree cool because the players need fewer water breaks.

After morning meetings in the hotel, Payton scheduled a 2½-hour practice for Monday, among his longest workout plans of the preseason — and the Saints still finished 20 minutes early.

Hundreds of fans gathered along a sideline, many wearing Saints jerseys as they cheered Darren Sproles' breakaway runs and Marques Colston's big catches during live drills.

"I thought we covered some things that we really needed to address," Payton said. "(Oxnard) has been battle-tested a little bit. Oakland was here, and Dallas before that. All the people involved in bringing a team here understand what it is you have to do. A lot of the little things have been ironed out through the experience they've got."

Brees spent Sunday watching a surfing competition north of San Diego and taking his offensive linemen to the Del Mar racetrack. The quarterback still spends offseason time in San Diego, his home for his first five NFL seasons before he signed with New Orleans in 2006.

"As hot and humid as it is in New Orleans, you can only go so long outside before you're totally drained," Brees said. "Out here, you can get more reps and stay out longer, and yet still be on grass, unlike going inside like we have to. This is as good as it can get, weather-wise."

Witnesses sought after 49ers stadium shootings

(AP)

SAN FRANCISCO - The mayors of San Francisco and Oakland and the NFL called for an end to acts of violence at sporting events, after two men were shot and wounded following a San Francisco 49ers-Oakland Raiders preseason game.

Investigators Sunday looked for suspects and interviewed witnesses to the violence the night before in the parking lot at Candlestick Park after the matchup.

Motives for the shootings — including whether they were influenced by emotions surrounding a game involving fiercely rival teams — weren't known.

But the shootings evoked memories of another recent disturbing act of post-game violence involving two rival California pro sports teams — the near-fatal beating this spring of a San Francisco Giants fan outside Dodger Stadium.

In Saturday's attacks, a 24-year-old man, who reportedly was wearing a "F—- the Niners" T-shirt, was shot several times in the stomach. Police said he managed to stumble to stadium security for help despite the severe injuries. He remained hospitalized in serious condition Sunday.

A second victim, a 20-year-old man, was treated for less serious wounds in a separate shooting, also after the game.

Sgt. Mike Andraychak said no arrests have been made and that police are looking for "a person of interest" connected to at least one of the shootings. He would not specify which shooting.

Apart from the shootings, a third victim, a 26-year-old man, was also hospitalized in serious condition Sunday after he was knocked unconscious in a stadium bathroom during the game. That attack appeared unrelated to the other two, police said.

The victims' names have not been released as the violent spree overshadowed the 49ers' 17-3 victory over the Raiders.

The crimes prompted San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and Oakland Mayor Jean Quan to issue a joint statement saying that violence at stadiums in both cities will not be tolerated.

"The incidents ... are completely unacceptable and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," the mayors said. "Fans come to our stadiums to enjoy an afternoon of football, not to be subjected to intimidation or violence. These games are family events and the types of images we witnessed last night have no place in our arenas."

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello echoed similar comments, saying "we deplore the activities of a handful of fans at last night's game and pledge our full support to Mayors Lee and Quan and to state and local law enforcement agencies."

49ers coach Jim Harbaugh, who once was a coach in the Raiders organization, said he was saddened to hear about the violence.

"I didn't know anything was going on during the game. I wasn't aware of that," Harbaugh said. "I feel bad for the people who got injured and the people who had to see that, for those who had to witness it."

The team said that "these kinds of events are disquieting to everyone in the Bay Area community. We are working to assist the San Francisco Police Department in any way possible to understand how and why this happened."

Raiders CEO Amy Trask said in a statement that "the incidents at last night's game are not acceptable to the Raiders or to any National Football League team and our thoughts are with all affected."

Head Coach Hue Jackson also shared his desire for a safe fan-friendly environment "where we wish that people come out and enjoy a game and hopefully that those things don't happen."

On Saturday, Sgt. Frank Harrell said the man shot wearing the T-shirt drove his truck to a gate and stumbled to stadium security. A second man shot before that in the parking lot and had superficial face injuries, Harrell said.

He said the two shootings were being treated separately "but we believe they are related."

The attacks come nearly five months after San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow was severely beaten by two men in Los Angeles Dodgers gear outside Dodger Stadium after the archrivals' season opener in Los Angeles. Two men charged in the beating, Louie Sanchez, 28, and Marvin Norwood, 30, have pleaded not guilty.

Stow, 42, a Santa Cruz paramedic, suffered severe brain injuries and remains hospitalized in serious condition.

That attack drew widespread attention and focusing the spotlight on security at Dodger Stadium, and the intense rivalry among Dodgers and Giants fans.

Christian End, an assistant professor at Xavier University in Cincinnati, who specializes in sports fan behavior, said there are several factors for unruliness at sporting events — including the magnitude of the game, if it is between arch rivals, adrenaline and alcohol. There's also "deindividuation," when fans supporting a particular team adopt a group mentality and may become uncivil.

"The anonymity of large crowds can afford some fans the opportunity to act in a way that they typically wouldn't because there's less accountability and less fear of repercussion," End said.

End said violence between fans of opposing teams can typically begin with light banter, followed by "one-upping" each other with statistics or other chatter that could draw a crowd.

"Then it could be taken up a notch where the fun aspect is gone and it just escalates," End said.

End said he doesn't believe fan violence has increased in the last 10 years but may appear that way partially due to new technology at hand.

"There are more cameras covering games and more fans using their smartphones," End said. "Any acts of aggression have a higher probability of being captured and being shown over the Internet and on television.

"It would give the impression that, `Boy, fans are engaging in all of this aggressive behavior.' But you have to remember that a vast majority of them are not."

Oakland Raiders receivers hope to make good impression against San Francisco 49ers

Denarius Moore isn't the only Raiders wide receiver playing himself into position for a roster spot and playing time with his performance during training camp.

When the Raiders visit the 49ers on Saturday night at Candlestick Park, five-year veteran Derek Hagan plans on adding to an impressive three weeks and hopes to shake up one of the NFL's least productive corps of wide receivers.

"I didn't come here just to be here," Hagan said. "I came here to help this team win. It doesn't matter if I am starting or the third or fourth receiver."

Early indications are it's a good year to be a wide receiver in Oakland. The Raiders brought in offensive coordinator Al Saunders to upgrade the passing game, and the loss of tight end Zach Miller to free agency removed a security blanket for Raiders quarterbacks.

The last time the Raiders had a wide receiver finish with 1,000 yards and 70-plus catches was 2005, when Randy Moss had 1,005 yards and Jerry Porter had 76 receptions.

Last season, 16 wide receivers gained at least 1,000 receiving yards, and 19 had at least 70 receptions.

Coach Hue Jackson expects things to change this year.

"Somebody will jump out of the pack and have a bang-up season, and I suspect there will be a couple of players who will do that," Jackson said.

Moore, the fifth-round draft pick from Tennessee who has been making both routine and spectacular plays since camp began, was working with the first team Friday along with Darrius Heyward-Bey.

Hagan, whose 85 career receptions split between Miami and the New York Giants are the most of any receiver on the roster, signed the day camp opened Aug. 6 and produced almost instantly, showing himself to be a polished route runner with good hands.

At 26, Hagan is the closest thing the Raiders have to a veteran presence.

"The guys are young, and obviously, that's where I come in, as a veteran trying to help some of these younger guys, showing that work ethic and that habit of coming out and getting better every day," Hagan said. "Hopefully, the guys are learning."

Asked how Hagan could assimilate so quickly to a new offense, Jackson's response surely will be relayed to the rest of the receivers on the roster.

"He understands that instead of going in and playing Xbox at night and trying to figure out how to score on that video game, he goes in, takes his (play)book, opens it and works on it," Jackson said.

Moore and Hagan haven't missed a day of practice and have made the most of the extra work available because of injuries to Heyward-Bey, Jacoby Ford (broken wrist), Chaz Schilens (knee) and Louis Murphy (undisclosed).

Add Nick Miller to the mix, and that makes seven strong candidates on a team that rarely carries seven receivers and in most seasons keeps five.

"We're going to keep giving guys an opportunity to make plays, and guys that make them will get the most opportunities," Jackson said.

Jackson had not worked out his rotation for the 49ers game but said he probably would play the first team deeper into the game. The first-team defense got only six snaps against Arizona in the exhibition opener last week.

The Raiders went through a brisk 90-minute, no-contact practice heavy on work in the red zone and situations such as third-down conversion.

One difference Jackson has seen since the arrival of Rod Woodson as cornerbacks coach -- more physical play at that position.

"Contact courage is something he talks about all the time," Jackson said. "I do see our guys tackling, or being more involved in the ruckus than they have in the past."

49ers' Harbaugh began NFL coaching life with Raiders

During Jim Harbaugh's first season as the Raiders' quarterback coach, Rich Gannon won the league's MVP award and led the team to the Super Bowl.

But it wasn't until the next season -- a wretched string of defeats and mounting internal hostility -- that Gannon recognized he was in the presence of a future NFL head coach.

The realization came during a tense team meeting in 2003, when a veteran Raiders player rose from his seat to launch a verbal assault on head coach Bill Callahan. "It began as a discussion," Gannon recounted, "and it kind of escalated."

The meeting room fell silent. Gannon thought punches might be thrown.

And then Harbaugh got up.

"Now, keep in mind that Jim was the youngest person on the staff. You had people in that room with more than 30 years of coaching experience," the quarterback recalled. "But it was Jim who stood up and confronted the player.

"He said, 'You're wrong. And you don't talk to coaches like that. You need to sit down.'

"And Jim was right. The player was way out of line."

The player backed off. Order was restored. The meeting resumed. "I think the situation speaks a little to the staff we had at the time," Gannon said, "but it also spoke volumes about Jim Harbaugh."

Within a year, Harbaugh was the head coach at the University of San Diego, which led him to Stanford, which led him to Saturday night, when Harbaugh will lead the 49ers against Raiders in an exhibition game at Candlestick Park.

The only surprise about Harbaugh's home debut as an NFL coach is the sideline he'll be roaming: Al Davis never wanted him to leave the Silver and Black.

Harbaugh this week recalled breaking the news to the Raiders owner in late 2003 that he planned on taking the head coaching job at the University of San Diego.

"He wanted me to stay," Harbaugh recalled this week. "At the time he thought I really wanted to be a pro coach."

Upon hearing Harbaugh's plans to head back to school, Davis advised him against leaving the NFL. Harbaugh respectfully pointed out to his employer -- whom he still calls "Mr. Davis" -- that he was emulating his career path. Davis worked his way up as a college coach.

"Yeah," Davis responded, "but that was at U-S-C, not U-S-D."

Harbaugh laughed as he recounted the story. He went to USD anyway, guiding the Toreros to a 29-6 record from 2004-2006 and then replicating that success at Stanford. But Harbaugh said this week that wherever he goes, he carries with him his two seasons' worth of lessons from Oakland.

The Raiders job was Harbaugh's first real coaching experience. He served as a "volunteer assistant coach" for his father, Jack Harbaugh, at Western Kentucky from 1994-2001, but that mainly involved helping his dad as a scout and recruiter and making the occasional game-day appearance. Harbaugh's gig with the Raiders, though, was the real-deal -- hands-on grunt work complete with 20-hour workdays and a $50,000 salary.

Gannon said it was a tad awkward at first, considering that they had both broken into the league in 1987, "and here he was coaching me." But the awkwardness vanished when it became clear that Harbaugh wasn't just clinging to the NFL life -- he was embracing his next adventure.

"He had been a very good player, but he didn't assume anything. He knew that he was earning his stripes," Gannon recalled. "He didn't need the money. But I remember him dragging himself into the office, looking like he hadn't slept, after working till 3 a.m. the night before. That was the great thing about Jim -- he respected the profession."

Harbaugh made his assistant coaching debut with a team that was loaded with offensive talent. Under offensive coordinator Marc Trestman, Gannon threw for 4,689 yards and 26 touchdowns, and receivers Jerry Rice, Tim Brown and Jerry Porter enjoyed big seasons.

Asked this week about what he learned from that Oakland experience, Harbaugh said: "How to coach.

"I'd never coached before full time. I learned how to be detailed. So many things," he continued. "(I sat) in on personnel meetings with the best -- Mr. Davis and Bill Callahan, a tremendous football coach. And I was exposed to great players like Rich Gannon. There were so many things, a thousand things really, that I learned over there."

The question now, of course, is whether Harbaugh can save the team on the other side of the bay. He inherits a 49ers team that hasn't reached the playoffs since the 2002 season. The former quarterback coach's biggest challenge is extracting a breakthrough performance from Alex Smith, the perennially disappointing former No. 1 pick.

Can Harbaugh fix him?

"I think he can," Gannon said. "Alex wants to be great. He wants to do the work. I'm not trying to make excuses for him, but if you look at what he's gone through -- all those coaches, all those coordinators, different systems -- that would have ruined Tom Brady and Peyton Manning and anybody .?.?.

"There are enough good things I see in Alex Smith that I haven't given up on him yet."

Former Raiders backup quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo said Harbaugh had a knack for getting the most out of his quarterbacks, in part because there was no such thing as downtime. "He never let us rest a second," he said. After the final snap of practice, for example, Harbaugh might spring a pop quiz on his passers about short-yardage situations and goal-line plays.

And if they got one wrong?

"He'd just look at you and say, 'Come on, you can't play quarterback if you don't know these things,'?" Tuiasosopo said.

Tuiasasopo, 32, is now a fledgling coach himself. He's in his first year as an offensive assistant at UCLA. Like Gannon, he's not surprised to see Harbaugh in charge of a Bay Area team -- albeit the one across the bridge from where his coaching career began.

"We would talk every now and then about his desire to be a head coach," Tuiasosopo said. "And there was just so much passion. I knew it was just a matter of time."

Warriors' owner pursues perfect fan experience

Walking into Peter Guber's Mandalay Entertainment Group office is like walking into a posh sports-memorabilia gallery.

Stepping off bustling Wilshire Boulevard in Hollywood and into a quiet haven filled with photos, athletic equipment and jerseys can be a little jarring, so the powerful film producer and executive is quick to direct guests toward the most important pieces.

The Warriors' co-owner beams as he shows off his Boston Bruins sweater from the 2011 Stanley Cup, his signed jersey from the Boston Celtics' 2008 championship and a Tom Brady offering from the 2004 Super Bowl.

That these three keepsakes are the ones closest to Guber's heart exemplify the approach he's taking to building the Warriors' fan base.

"I'm a legacy fan," Guber said late last month. "I grew up (in Newton, Mass.) cheering for those teams. The Patriots weren't even around when I was in Boston, but I'm a fan."

Legacy fans, ones who cheer their teams through ups and downs without hesitation, are few and far between in this era of free agency, franchise relocation and fantasy games. Guber aims to change that.

He has seen some devastating failures and equally overwhelming successes in minor-league sports, and Guber wants to bring that experience to the major-league level.

He owned a minor-league hockey team in Las Vegas that failed, because "fans didn't give a puck." He has had triumphs in minor-league baseball, including the ultimate success story in Dayton, Ohio.

The Dayton Dragons, a Class A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, set the professional sports record for consecutive sellouts at 815 games last month. A city that has gone through two recessions and lost about 80,000 jobs has purchased almost 8,000 tickets a game for the past decade.

Despite a 24-game home losing streak last season, the seats were always full and the outfield berm was, too. A waiting list for season tickets has grown to more than 9,000 people.

"No one could have guessed we'd have this success in that market, but there was an attention to detail from the beginning." Guber said. "We decided to build the integrity of authenticity and let that shine through."

Because the Dayton team is run by the big-league club, Guber, and his partners, Magic Johnson and Archie Griffin, have little control over the roster or coaching staff. Everything else has their fingerprints.

Everything.

They built a state-of-the-art stadium. They train for friendly customer service from ticket sellers to parking attendants and ushers to vendors. They have been acclaimed by local media for their food, merchandise, uniforms, mascot and in-game entertainment.

"You're putting on a performance every day," Guber said. "Doing it exactly the same in another market, wouldn't work, but the secret sauce anywhere is being interested in the audience, not just be interesting to the audience."

Guber wants to bring that method to the Bay Area, where he and Joe Lacob are less than a year into their ownership of the Warriors. They've already made major changes in the business and basketball operations, and they're completely renovating the team's headquarters and practice facilities in downtown Oakland.

More is coming.

A dazzling orator and storyteller, Guber managed to talk about the Warriors for nearly an hour without ever mentioning the NBA, basketball, the Warriors or any of their players. All the while, the topic was abundantly obvious.

"Every touch point from the time a fan decides to buy a ticket to the time they leave the arena is important. If it's difficult to get out of the parking lot, we've just ruined the dessert of their dinner," Guber said. "Music really counts. It sets the emotional tone of the audience. It's like an IV to your heart.

"Introductions will be different. We can't just turn off the lights, have a disco ball spinning and an announcer you can't hear. That's not show biz. That's not good enough."

The Warriors' new ownership team has little control of the arena, which it leases. The parking attendants are controlled by the city and could be getting a different company message from the Raiders or A's, who share their services.

That hasn't stopped Guber's marketing vision from developing Technicolor dreams. He wants to add more health-food options, find better ways to entertain the 1,500 or so fans who show up 1 1/2 hours before tip-off, and polish every crevice of Oracle Arena.

"We need constant and never-ending improvement," Guber said. "I mean, we've got no (spot)light at center court. That's simple drama. ... Our music sometimes sounds like it was chosen by a passing truck.

"No detail is small, but we can't fix every detail all at once. I ain't the master of the universe, but I'll take my shot."

Guber rarely has taken an out-front role with the Warriors. More often, he sits in the owner's suite instead of sitting courtside with Lacob, whom Guber calls "a visionary who has the audience at heart and deeply cares about the product he's fielding."

Guber is trying to figure out a way to make that product available to all - a tough sell when the Warriors' proposed schedule includes no Sunday home games and all home tip-offs at 7:30 p.m.

"I'd like to draw heavily on a diverse family experience," Guber said. "If you make all of the games during the week at 7:30 p.m., when does a 9-year-old come to the game? How does a family bring its 9- and 11-year-old to the game? How do you develop legacy fans?

"The Warriors have a great legacy, but we've got to honor that and find ways to continue it."

Smith making strides in 49ers' quarterback battle

SANTA CLARA -- Two superb practices and Alex Smith has taken a step forward in the competition with rookie Colin Kaepernick for San Francisco's starting quarterback job.

"If you were going by today, yesterday, there's some separation there, and Alex has done a fine job," coach Jim Harbaugh said Tuesday night after practice. "But Kaep is doing a phenomenal job. He is going to be one heck of a talent and one heck of a player."

Smith, the 2005 No. 1 overall draft pick out of Utah, has been sharp this week -- connecting with a handful of different receivers on deep balls while making good decisions in the pocket. All along, he has been the front-runner to begin the year as the starter in Harbaugh's first season as coach.

"It felt better the last few days, kind of getting back in the groove of things, throwing it well, just seeing things well," Smith said. "Still a lot ahead of me but, yeah, I feel I've put a few days together that are pretty decent."

While Harbaugh on Tuesday didn't rule out signing veteran Daunte Culpepper to be a third QB, he said the 49ers would first give some others a look before any decision is made.

Harbaugh said some other quarterbacks also would come in for workouts.

"We're looking. But no differently than we're looking at the waiver wire every day," Harbaugh said. "The right guy, if it's the right fit for our situation here. We worked a guy out and had a good workout. We'll evaluate some other guys and see what the best fit for us is. ... A third quarterback is something we'd like to have. I think if you don't you're rolling the dice a little bit."

On Saturday, Harbaugh said the competition was still open for the QB job -- though the incumbent Smith always has been considered the favorite.

Smith is still treating it like the job is open. He knows it's his gig to lose.

He was slightly behind after missing the initial six practices of training camp per the new labor rules for when free agents could start workouts.

"I've been so dug in, I really haven't (noticed separation from Kaepernick)," Smith said. "I've just been focused on me and playing better, stringing together some good plays and good practices. I feel like I've done that."

The 27-year-old Smith threw for 2,370 yards and 14 touchdowns in 11 games and 10 starts last season, but he also threw 10 interceptions and was sacked 25 times. He shared the starting role with Troy Smith.

Smith's return to the 49ers as a free agent surprised many considering he wasn't expected to be back when last season ended with a 6-10 record and an eighth straight year out of the playoffs and without a winning record.

Smith has been getting the majority of reps with the No. 1 offense. Neither he nor Kaepernick were particularly effective in a 24-3 loss at New Orleans in the Niners' exhibition opener last Friday night.

The Niners host the Oakland Raiders on Saturday night at Candlestick Park.

Smith has made pretty deep throws recently to tight end Vernon Davis, newcomer Braylon Edwards and veteran wideouts Joshua Morgan and Ted Ginn Jr.

"I feel great about how the offense is set up," Smith said. "We're together. Everybody's on the same page. There's really one voice."

Kaepernick understands his role for now: the franchise's quarterback of the future waiting his turn.

"Right now, he's the veteran, I'm just buying my time trying to get better and work into that spot," said Kaepernick, a second-round draft pick out of Nevada. "He has seven years of experience so you expect him to have a little more knowledge of defenses and checks, things like that than a rookie coming in. Right now I'm just trying to get up to speed and make sure I know all those things so I can really make this a competition."

Culpepper auditions with 49ers

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) -- Daunte Culpepper threw passes to tight end Nate Lawrie once again, on a little bigger stage this time than during their stint together last year with the United Football League's Sacramento Mountain Lions.

Culpepper worked out for some 30 minutes Monday in front of the San Francisco 49ers brass -- and Lawrie called it a crisp, impressive session.

"I was catching balls for him during the workout, and he was throwing it around pretty good. He's spinning it well," said Lawrie, who signed a one-year deal with San Francisco on Sunday. "Daunte's got a ton of experience. He's got a lot of success in this league. And the guy can play, he can throw the ball. That's what it all boils down to."

The Niners apparently believe Culpepper can still bring it despite a year in the minors.

They were considering adding Culpepper to their quarterback mix after coach Jim Harbaugh said Saturday there's a need for a veteran backup behind projected starter Alex Smith and rookie Colin Kaepernick. Harbaugh's offense was ineffective in a 24-3 exhibition loss at New Orleans on Friday night -- and he is determined to be better come Saturday's home preseason game with the Oakland Raiders at Candlestick Park.

Tight end Delanie Walker made it sound like Culpepper had already joined the team. The 49ers had not made any kind of announcement other than Harbaugh acknowledging Sunday that Culpepper would get a tryout. Culpepper wasn't on the field when practice began.

"I'm just happy that we got him. He can help the team out with his expertise and give the quarterbacks some pointers on what he's seen, and help Alex and Colin out," Walker said before Monday afternoon's practice. "I think it's going to be a good look for us and I'm glad to have him out here."

The 34-year-old Culpepper, who was still at team headquarters for lunch, last played in the NFL for the Detroit Lions in 2009. He started five games and played in eight total. In 11 NFL seasons, he has passed for 24,153 yards and 149 touchdowns.

A three-time Pro Bowler, he spent his first seven seasons with the Vikings, then one year each with Miami and Oakland before two years in Motown.

"Just experience, knowing the game and having been in it," receiver Ted Ginn Jr. said of Culpepper's potential positive influence. "It's something that we can't worry about. Whoever steps in there, you should be right for him."

Smith, the 2005 No. 1 overall draft pick out of Utah, is still the front-runner to win the starting job -- though Harbaugh hasn't named him the top guy yet. In recent days, Harbaugh has called it a competition between Smith and second-round draft pick Kaepernick.

Culpepper could provide guidance to both QBs -- and some insurance to a franchise eager to finally turn around its fortunes. San Francisco hasn't had a winning season or reached the playoffs in eight years.

Lawrie appreciated Culpepper's veteran presence and humility in the UFL last season. They ran what Lawrie referred to as a "hybrid" version of the West Coast offense, so he sees Culpepper having no problems picking up Harbaugh's playbook in a hurry.

"He'll fit right in," Lawrie said. "He's friendly, outgoing and connects well with players, which is a great asset for a quarterback. He has played for years and done a lot of great things. He knows football and that's pretty clear. It comes from taking a lot of snaps."

Notes: WR Michael Crabtree, missing his third straight training camp, was all smiles and said he is "encouraged" by the progress of his injured left foot. Crabtree -- on the physically unable to perform list -- was moving around without his walking boot Monday.