Stallworth looks ahead to future that's likely without Ravens

Donte' Stallworth has warm feelings for the Baltimore Ravens, the franchise that gave him a second chance as a football player.

It was the Ravens who signed Stallworth after the one-year suspension and short jail term that followed a driving under the influence manslaughter conviction in 2009. But the wide receiver, who will become an unrestricted free agent when the lockout is lifted, has regrets about his limited time on the field in Baltimore.

“Yeah, there’s mixed feelings,” Stallworth told the Carroll County Times in Friday's edition. “The organization was nothing but great to me. I appreciate the opportunity they gave me. The guys were great and the fans welcomed me. They tell me all the time they hope things work out for me and that I would come back. From the foot injury standpoint, it definitely derailed a lot of things that I was looking forward to doing.”

Stallworth broke his foot in an Aug. 28 preseason game and didn't make his Ravens debut until October. By that point, the team had signed veteran receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, relegating Stallworth to a reserve role. Stallworth finished the season with just two catches for 82 yards and five rushes for 45 yards.

“We picked up T.J. and he played really well and I was hoping that maybe at some time I would get an opportunity to do what I feel like I can do,” Stallworth said. “I didn’t really get that chance for whatever reason, but I still have a lot left in the tank.”

Stallworth's fate with the Ravens is all but sealed, a reality the receiver is aware of. The team drafted University of Maryland speedster Torrey Smith in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft and it's expected the rookie will assume a key role in the offense.

Stallworth has no ill feelings toward Smith, who he's worked out with in Miami this offseason.

“That’s my boy,” Stallworth said. “I’m excited that he got drafted by Baltimore. I know the coaching staff wanted to get younger and faster at that position and that’s exactly what they did. He’s a really good kid.”

It remains to be seen what kind of interest Stallworth would draw among NFL teams. The free-agent and trade market figures to be flooded with veteran wide receivers like him. It's certain he won't get a contract that comes close to the seven-year, $35 million deal he got from the Cleveland Browns before his suspension.

“I can’t say exactly where I’m going to go, but there are a few teams that like me that I’m interested in as well,” Stallworth said. “I’m only 30 years old. I feel like I have a lot of years left. I can still do good wherever I end up next year. Hopefully, I’ll have that opportunity.”

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Kaepernick looks good, ailing Crabtree sits at 49ers' practice

Colin Kaepernick decided to skip a symposium for NFL rookies this week to spend time with his San Francisco 49ers teammates and learn some of the playbook.

He's doing a little more than that.

The second-round draft pick out of Nevada was a full participant on the first day of an informal minicamp Tuesday in San Jose, Calif., showing off his strong arm and moving swiftly for the first time since having surgery on his lower left leg in early May. Kaepernick said he doesn't feel limited at all but is waiting for an upcoming doctor's appointment before he resumes his complete training program.

"Definitely have to get back a little of the timing, get back to the pace of the routes, the timing of certain things," he said. "That's just going to take a little bit of time. For the most part, I felt like I was on time with most of my throws today and felt good out there."

Kaepernick was among about two dozen players at the workout led by quarterback Alex Smith, a free agent expected to re-sign with San Francisco once the NFL lockout is lifted. While Smith is the presumed favorite for the starting spot, Kaepernick figures to put some pressure on the veteran next season.

That competition already might have started.

The hard-throwing Kaepernick even knocked down a couple of receivers in some drills, giving a glimpse of an arm that registered the fastest throw during the NFL Scouting Combine four months ago at 59 mph. Kaepernick also took snaps, dropped back and moved in the pocket -- all things he didn't do during the first minicamp earlier this month -- with relative ease.

"He doesn't have that rookie, deer-in-the-headlights mentality," left tackle Joe Staley said. "I think he's going to be a good quarterback."

Kaepernick called his fellow 49ers rookies once he decided not to attend the NFL Players Association-operated rookie symposium this week in Bradenton, Fla. The only rookies at the previous minicamp who didn't attend were running back Kendall Hunter and guard Daniel Kilgore.

Kaepernick said he came to the decision to skip the conference after seeking advice from his agent, Scott Smith, and other rookies and teammates.

"We thought it would be best if I was here for this camp, especially being able to fully participate now, just being with my teammates," Kaepernick said. "Also, we had heard that a lot of the rookies weren't going. We thought this would be a great reason to miss that. Not to say that that wouldn't be very helpful, but we thought that this would be more important at this time."

The 49ers' workouts this week are still heavily focused on offense.

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The group on hand included most of the key offensive players and almost all the receivers, including Michael Crabtree. He was part of the classroom session but mostly watched on the field at San Jose State's Spartan Stadium while he recovers from sore feet, teammates said. He didn't speak to reporters.

This is similar to the 49ers' first round of workouts earlier this month, when Crabtree sat out all workouts but one because of discomfort in both feet. Teammate Josh Morgan said at the time that Crabtree had developed the sore feet because of new sneakers he had worn in his initial June 6 workout, according to The Sacramento Bee.

The primary difference in this workout was the addition of film from new coach Jim Harbaugh's West Coast offense. That included Harbaugh's offense at Stanford and NFL clips from Steve Young's 49ers and Rich Gannon's Oakland Raiders.

Smith has primarily led the classroom sessions with receivers, and Staley is breaking off into groups with the offensive lineman.

"I think everything is going good so far," Morgan said. "Camp Alex is a success."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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