Interview with San Francisco 49ers Beat Reporter Matt Maiocco

Matt Maiocco has been a dedicated beat writer to the 49ers for over 15 years.

Among his biggest achievements is winning the Pro Football Writers of America award on three separate occasions.

Sice leaving the Santa Rosa Press Democrat in 2010 after 11 years, Maiocco has found a new home writing and reporting for CSN Bay Area.

Maiocco has great insight into the San Francisco 49ers and I'm happy to reveal my latest interview with him below.

 CL: You have been covering the team for a very long time, which offseason has generated the most buzz for fans thus far in your career?

MM: In my job, I try to cover the team the same every year. I do not place more emphasis on reporting when the team is expected to be good. Therefore, I take the same approach. But just the shear volume of writing and reporting seems to get greater every year, so this offseason was probably the most I've ever written about the team during the offseason months.

CL: Did you always believe that the team was good enough to make a Super Bowl run like last year?

MM: Of course not. I thought we would not find out much about Jim Harbaugh and what he brought to the table last season because of the fact that the lockout meant he could not coach his players until the beginning of training camp. I think everyone around the 49ers, and the 49ers themselves, would've been in disbelief if you'd told them prior to the season that they would win 13 games.

CL: Darcel McBath was just signed after he was cut by the Jaguars, do you think he can make an impact of any sort?

MM: Probably not. Every team is allowed to bring 90 players to training camp. That means 37 players will end up getting cut so the team can reach its regular-season limit of 53. Unless McBath plays far greater than he has at any point in his career, he will have a difficult time making the team.

CL: I've read your articles on the Dashon Goldson contract situation, how confident are you that a long-term deal can be sorted out?

MM: It's pretty clear that the sides are not thinking along the same lines as far as evaluating Goldson's worth. So it seems like a long-term deal is going to be difficult to achieve. However, Goldson might very well find out next offseason that the 49ers are the team that will offer him the best contract. Next offseason, he'll have to take the best offer and not just sit around and play on another one-year deal.

CL: On a similar note, when do you think the team will get around to talking money with NaVorro Bowman?

MM: He is signed for two more seasons. This will be a difficult contract to get done because if Bowman continues to play well, he'll want something along the lines of Patrick Willis, who is making $10 million a year. Can the 49ers afford to tie up a good chunk of their budget on two inside linebackers? Is that wise? So it's not outside the realm of possibility that they let him walk to find a big contract elsewhere.

CL: Do you expect LaMichael James and Kendall Hunter to share an equal workload or do you see one getting significantly more carries?

MM: I still think Kendall Hunter is the best backup running back behind Frank Gore. Part of that is because I haven't seen James play at this level. I'm not sure the 49ers can use both Hunter and James behind Gore, especially if Brandon Jacobs also wins a role as a running back on short-yardage and goal-line situations. I really have no idea how that will shake out. In fact, I don't think the 49ers know how it'll work, either. All that will be decided in the future.

CL: Just how concerned are you by the struggles of A.J Jenkins thus far into minicamp?

MM: I didn't see it that way. Jenkins made the best catch I saw during the team's offseason program. He got off to a rough start, but the team really likes him. The reports of his struggles were excessive and unfair. Still, I don't see how he can break into the team's top 3 receivers unless there's an injury along the way. Michael Crabtree, Randy Moss and Mario Manningham appear set. The 49ers could not have taken any other player at No. 30 and expected immediate contributions. So it'll be best to judge Jenkins two years down the road.

CL: Do you think the loss of Blake Costanzo on special teams is likely to hurt the team?

MM: The 49ers signed Rock Cartwright to see if he can assume that role. It's pretty clear that the 49ers did not think Costanzo was all that great. After all, GM Trent Baalke did not even offer him a contract to return to the 49ers. The 49ers' best special-teams player last season was C.J. Spillman, and he'll continue to be the team's best special-teams player.

CL: Which player do you expect to have a breakout season?

MM: Three players come to mind. I think cornerback Tarell Brown has a chance to have a very good season. He thinks he can lead the league in interceptions. I don't know about that, but I thought he got better and better as the year went on. Also, offensive linemen Mike Iupati and Anthony Davis had their first full offseason's since coming to the NFL. That should make a difference on how they perform this season.

CL: Do you think Alex Smith will take another big stride in the right direction next season?

MM: Yes, I think so. The reason is because Smith has good coaching and he's in the same system for a second year. That's a rarity in his career, which featured seven different offensive coordinators in his first seven NFL seasons. With more knowledge of the offense, Smith has a chance to improve on his play from a year ago. The two areas where his experience within the offense should help will be on third downs and inside the red zone.

CL: How do you think Jim Harbaugh may change as a coach now that he is in his second NFL season?

MM: He'll have to change. He'll have to adapt. He'll be facing new challenges in his second season. The 49ers are not going to sneak up on anyone this season. I think the general philosophies will remain the same, though.

CL: Do you see a Super Bowl coming?

MM: The 49ers are definitely in the conversation when it comes to being Super Bowl contenders. I thought their offseason put them in position to compete to be the top team in the NFL. Although I do not expect them to win 13 games, I think the 49ers will be a better team than they were a year ago. So if the pieces fall into place, they are very capable of winning it all.

Thanks to Matt for taking time out of his busy schedule to provide me with his responses.

All quotes for this interview were obtained first-hand unless otherwise noted.