The San Francisco 49ers continue to give Vernon Davis looks at wide receiver.
Davis has played tight end exclusively since coming into the NFL in 2006, but the 49ers could be looking to improvise with Michael Crabtree on the shelf after Achilles tendon surgery and three other wideouts hurting. Davis worked with the receivers during minicamp, and he also has done so at the start of training camp.
"I'm willing to step up and do whatever they ask me to do," Davis said Sunday, via The Associated Press. "They've been having me line up at wide receiver, pretty much all over the place. It's a good thing that I get the opportunity to work with those guys because it not only helps me at the wide receiver position, it also helps me at the tight end position. My feet get quicker, my route-running is better."
It makes sense to find ways to take advantage of Davis. He's arguably the most explosive player on the 49ers' offense. If Davis and Colin Kaepernick can build on the chemistry they exhibited during the 49ers' postseason run, big things might be in store.
As you might expect, Jim Harbaugh is tight-lipped about how Davis will be used. The coach wasn't shy about praising his tight end, however.
"I see a lot of improvement, in his ability as a football player, his route-running," Harbaugh said. "He looks really good, in the prime of his career."
It's easy to blow what we see in training camp out of proportion, but there's legitimate logic to Davis lining up in different spots on the field. It's never a bad idea to find new ways to get the ball into a playmaker's hands.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.
