The Mercury News

It’s early, a perfect time for optimism

- For more, see Tim Kawakami’s Talking Points at blogs.mercurynew­s. com/kawakami. Contact him at tkawakami@mercurynew­s.com. Follow him on Twitter at twitter. com/timkawakam­i.

This is the summer of Jarryd Hayne, it turns out, and maybe it’s a lot more than just an exhibition fling.

This could also be the time Blaine Gabbert finally figures it out, Khalil Mack gets launched into superstard­om and Ben Heeney breaks through. This is, I should make sure to say right here, the precisely perfect moment to be thoroughly noncynical about the Raiders’ and 49ers’ specific summer endeavors.

Hey, the first few weeks of training camp and the first weekend of the NFL exhibition season can mean whatever you want it to mean.

And we all know that 80 percent of what we see in August will be just a wisp of a sun-dazed glimmer of a forgotten memory once the real games start Sept. 13 and 14.

But I visited each team’s camp recently, was at the Raiders’ preseason-opening victory over St. Louis and watched the telecast of the 49ers’ opening loss in Houston as closely as logic and patience allowed.

So why not throw out a few gauzy, peppy, probably over-optimistic thoughts on some of the teams’ recent activities?

The 49ers have a better backup quarterbac­k than they had last season — even though it’s the same guy.

That’d be Gabbert, who bumbled around in the 2014 preseason and convinced Jim Harbaugh’s staff that they had to do everything and anything to make sure Colin Kaepernick was not put in harm’s way.

But the 2015 debut edition of Gabbert was poised, threw accurately (8 for 11 for 86 yards and a touchdown) and actually seemed like a calm, credible option if Kaepernick should miss some games this season.

Which means Kaepernick doesn’t necessaril­y have to be over-protected and the offense doesn’t have to be kept to the bare basics.

Maybe this is Jim Tomsula and Geep Chryst’s mini version of the Alex Smith reclamatio­n project, which symbolized Harbaugh’s entire 49ers resurrecti­on.

If the new coach and offensive coordinato­r can revive Gabbert — in his second 49ers season and fifth in the NFL — that’s a little step that could signal greater things.

The Raiders know what they’re doing. This is a news alert: The Raiders know what they’re doing.

Let’s just run through the list of what a good team needs: a good, steady QB, weapons on offense, a sturdy offensive line, an edge pass rusher and playmakers on defense.

Derek Carr looks better and better, Amari Cooper is going to catch a ton of balls, the offensive line should be a strength of the team and Mack — at his new defensive end position — sometimes looks as if he can’t be blocked on his way to the opposing QB.

Even better for them, the Raiders — at camp and in Week 1 of the exhibition season — look like they know they’re prepared to make significan­t strides.

I don’t want to over-analyze the Raiders’ performanc­e at the Coliseum on Thursday, but new coach Jack Del Rio’s utter calm seemed to run through the entire team.

Heeney, the Raiders rookie inside linebacker, was everywhere when he played with the second unit Friday, and I would not be surprised if he works his way into a lot of action in the regular season.

When was the last time the Raiders had a reliable, active, ball-hawking, every-down inside/middle linebacker? Kirk Morrison? Greg Biekert?

No, Rolando McClain and Miles Burris do not quite qualify.

Hayne isn’t just a novelty act anymore.

A couple of big plays from Saturday’s game — including a 53-yard bolt to set up the 49ers’ only touchdown — doesn’t mean that the former Australian rugby league star is guaranteed a roster spot or regular-season playing time.

But we all said let’s wait and see on this guy until he puts the pads on and goes full speed … and Hayne’s full speed Saturday was faster than everybody else trying to catch him.

He also tossed in a 33yard kickoff return and a solid punt return.

Hayne is big, he has fast feet in traffic and he can run away from second-level defenders, that’s for sure.

He’ll have to prove a lot of other things in the ensuing games and practices; but if Hayne can make one or two big plays every week this summer, he’s going to be on the team in the fall.

This is the right kind of summer for big jumps like this — the 49ers could use some more playmakers on offense, and they sure could use a great, positive internatio­nal storyline, too.

 ??  ?? TIM KAWAKAMI
COLUMNIST
TIM KAWAKAMI COLUMNIST

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