SANTA CLARA, Calif. — If you ask 49ers’ tight ends Vernon Davis and Delanie Walker, there’s a difference catching a pass thrown by current quarterback Colin Kaepernick and previous starter Alex Smith.
“It’s a little different going from Alex throwing a nice firm ball to going to Kap, he throws a little heater,” Walker said Friday. “So you just got to be really focused and concentrate on catching [a Kaepernick pass] because it gets on you real fast.”
Added Davis: “They are different just like every quarterback. Kap’s arm is extremely strong. Alex, he has his own style, but they are totally different.”
* Criminal charges won’t be filed against wide receiver Michael Crabtree after an alleged sexual assault in a hotel after the team’s playoff victory over the Packers, San Francisco’s district attorney said.
After examining information submitted by police, District Attorney George Gascon said his office determined that no charges would be filed “at this time.”
* Coach Jim Harbaugh has a strained relationship with the media because of his tight-lipped approach and penchant for not revealing information.
When asked what his team rules would be in New Orleans, Harbaugh said, “Protect the outside world from the media and protect the media from the media.”
Later, when asked how he was dealing with all of the media attention, he said with a straight face: “I don’t know where you get the impression that I don’t enjoy talking to the media or the fans. I do enjoy these sessions.”
* Harbaugh’s intensity seems to mesh well with his players.
“Everyone on the team loves Harbaugh,” Davis said. “He brings a lot of energy to this team, and that’s what we like most about him. His energy is so high, which is a good thing because we all feed off it.”
Offensive lineman Alex Boone likened Harbaugh’s intensity to one of the grunts.
“Sometimes [Harbaugh] reminds me of an offensive lineman,” Boone said. “He gets into it and is very focused. You can tell he has got a passion for the game, and it is great.
“When he gets fired up, everyone gets fired up. When you see your head coach out there running around banging on guys that is one thing you want to see and kind of gets you ready to go.”
Walker said some of Harbaugh’s various slogans work to motivate the players.
“The funny ones work,” Walker said with a laugh without revealing what the slogans are. “You have got to remember, we bought into the philosophy of Jim Harbaugh — we don’t give away anything.”