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SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The second week of organized team activities began for the San Francisco 49ers without Michael Crabtree but with the tough task of replacing the teams top wide receiver. Anquan Boldin sure seemed up for the challenge. As for the other wideouts, they will likely need more time -- and healthy bodies -- to help fill the void. Boldin caught the bulk of the balls during Tuesdays practice, the first one open to reporters that he has participated in since coming to the 49ers in a trade with Baltimore in March. He looked comfortable as ever in a red No. 81 jersey -- and later in a San Francisco Giants cap walking out of the locker room. With Crabtree out for the foreseeable future with a torn right Achilles tendon, Boldin could be the key to San Franciscos depleted receiving corps this season. "We have to make plays. The passing game goes through us. If we dont make plays outside, we wont be successful as an offence," Boldin said. "Its definitely on us to get better as a receiver corps entirely." Coach Jim Harbaugh has decided to put veterans on one side of the offence and have an open competition among younger players on the other for Crabtrees spot. Last years catchless first-round pick, A.J. Jenkins, and Ricardo Lockette and Quinton Patton are the leading contenders for the "X" role Crabtree so skillfully occupied until tearing his Achilles in 7-on-7 drills last week. Recovery time can often take as long as a year after surgery, though the team is optimistic Crabtree will return at some point in 2013. In the meantime, the NFC champions will rely on Boldins experience to help groom the younger receivers into a bigger role, especially with reliable wideouts Mario Manningham and Kyle Williams both coming off serious knee injuries that occurred late in the regular season. "Anquan is not a talkative guy," Harbaugh said. "Hes not a small-talk guy. Hes just very serious about competing, and very serious about football and winning. I think itll speak volumes if the young guys observe that." Boldin had 65 catches for 921 yards and four touchdowns for the Ravens last season. He also caught six passes for 104 yards and a touchdown in Baltimores 34-31 win over San Francisco in the Super Bowl on Feb. 3. The 6-foot-1, 220-pound receiver said he already feels comfortable in San Franciscos complicated version of the West Coast offence. In his 11th year in the NFL, Boldin said he has run many of the same plays and routes throughout his career but the terminology with the 49ers is the major difference. "For me, its just translating right now," he said. Boldins big frame already has made him a favourite of starter Colin Kaepernick and the other quarterbacks. While it was only one practice without full pads, he was often the first read and easily targeted more than any other player on the field, including while catching a 25-yard touchdown pass from B.J. Daniels between three defenders. "I guess Im looked at as being able to step in right now and make plays," Boldin said. "And thats what I want to bring. I want Kaep to be comfortable. I want the other quarterbacks to be comfortable enough to, even if it doesnt look like Im open, just give me a chance. Ill make a play for you." Thats exactly what Crabtree gave Kaepernick last season. The 25-year-old Crabtree, the teams 10th overall pick in the 2009 draft out of Texas Tech, had career highs with 85 receptions for 1,105 yards and nine touchdowns for the 49ers last season. He was one of the biggest reasons the franchise returned to the Super Bowl for the first time in 18 years, clicking with Kaepernick after his promotion over Alex Smith in November. More than likely, the 49ers will need a collection of players to make up for Crabtrees loss. Williams already was participating in some individual practice drills and said he hopes to be ready by training camp. Harbaugh has said Manningham might need more time to recover. Jenkins and Lockette both trained with Kaepernick in the Atlanta area for about two months during the off-season. The trio even lived together in Georgia and often quizzed each other about the playbook. Back on the practice field at 49ers headquarters, now its up to the veterans to help speed up the learning. "Its a credit to the young guys we have, theyre not afraid to come ask questions, How do I do this? How do I run this route? Against this coverage, what do we do?" Williams said. "For me, Im happy to do that stuff because I want to see these guys progress and move along and become better players. Weve got it. Weve got a bunch of them. Dont sleep on some of the young guys we have." NOTES: Harbaugh said RB Frank Gore has not been participating in practice because he is "working through something," the coachs typical line for an injured player. Harbaugh said the injury is not serious. ... Second-year RB LaMichael James said he is up to 205 pounds, 10 more than his playing weight last season. He credited the off-season weightlifting program with helping him build strength and sees himself as the top option to return kicks and punts with Ted Ginn Jr. gone. ... Harbaugh said he received some tips from three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Johnny Rutherford before driving a high-performance Corvette Stinger at the track over the weekend. He said he got the car up to 118 mph the last two turns. "Of course, by next week when I retell the story it might be up to 138," he joked.NMD_R1 Shoes Australia .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Ultra Boost Australia Online . Nigeria beat surprise package Ethiopia 2-0 in the second leg of their playoff for a comfortable 4-1 aggregate victory. Victor Moses converted a 20th-minute penalty after an Ethiopian handball, and Victor Obinna made certain of Nigerias place in Brazil with his powerful free kick in the 82nd at UJ Esuene Stadium. http://www.nmdaustraliasale.com/superstar-shoes-australia.html . The Swede became the first golfer to win the PGA Tours FedEx Cup and European Tours Race to Dubai in the same season. "It is still taking a little time to sink in what Ive achieved this week as was the case when I won the FedEx Cup but then it just kept getting better and better as the days went on and I am sure this will be the same," he said. NMD R1 Mens Australia . SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. Ultra Boost 1.0 Australia . Laudrup revealed Thursday he was notified of his dismissal in "the briefest of letters which gave no reasons why such hasty and final action was deemed necessary.SEATTLE -- After the Seattle Mariners posted the biggest comeback in franchise history to win in San Diego 16-13 on June 2, they headed off to a series in Texas tied for the lead in the AL West.There was a buzz and optimism about the club. They were playing better than expected, were more entertaining than expected and were giving credence to the idea that maybe the longest playoff drought in baseball could come to an end after 15 years.Then the rest of June happened. And by the time the All-Star break arrived, the Mariners were 45-44, facing a nearly double-digit deficit in the division race as part of a season defined thus far by inconsistency.When Seattles pitching was strong, the offense lagged. When the offense picked up, the pitching often faltered. The Mariners were powerful away from home early in the season, but lost 16 of 20 road games heading into the break. They swept the first place Orioles at home, but were also swept at home by the last place Angels and last place Twins.Thats not to say there werent bright spots. Robinson Cano returned to All-Star form. Nelson Cruz has 23 home runs at the break. Korean slugger Dae-Ho Lee has been a pleasant surprise.There are a number of reasons why Seattle has gone from legitimate contender in the AL West to now trying to get back into the playoff discussion. At the root of Seattles struggles in June was the fragility of the roster created in the offseason.While the makeover that general manager Jerry Dipoto undertook with the Mariners after taking over at the end of the 2015 season created a more competitive, more versatile roster, there is still a lack of depth that was highlighted by key injuries to center fielder Leonys Martin, shortstop Ketel Marte and ace Felix Hernandez.Between May 22 and June 9, the Mariners defense was ailing with Marte and Martin sidelined. Seattle went 8-10 during that stretch and it was the beginning of the downward ttrend that saw the Mariners finish June at 10-18.ddddddddddddHernandez, meanwhile, has been out since June 1 with a calf injury. Combined with other injuries, that left Seattle putting together a makeshift rotation for most of the last six weeks.Not all lost is for Seattle. They are only five games back in the AL wild card race and after an eight-game road trip in late July the schedule becomes far more favorable.Here are a few other things to watch for as Seattle enters the second half trying to climb back into contention:FIND AN OUTFIELDER: The Mariners expected Nori Aoki to be their leadoff hitter and left fielder the majority of the season. But Aokis struggles at the plate could not justify keeping him in the lineup. Thats left Seattles outfield rotation thin and in need of an experienced option in left field. That is likely the top priority for Dipoto prior to the trade deadline.LAY OFF THE BULLPEN: Seattles bullpen was taxed in the first half of the season, especially in June when the starting rotation struggled to pitch beyond five innings. The Mariners relievers made a combined 248 appearances prior to the All-Star break and threw more innings than manager Scott Servais wanted. The overuse began to show in June during Seattles swoon after the bullpen had been an area of strength the first two months.GET THE ROTATION HEALTHY: Hernandez wasnt the only starter to find his way to the disabled list in the first half. Left-hander Wade Miley and young righty Taijuan Walker also landed there for short stints. Nathan Karns started in the rotation before getting demoted to the bullpen because of his struggles. Hernandez and Walker are expected to return shortly after the All-Star break and both need to rediscover the top form they showed in spurts earlier in the season. ' ' '