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. Authentic Custom Cubs Jersey . -- James Young couldnt wait to apply those tweaks to his jump shot, and the first one he made against UT Arlington told him it could be a good night. Wholesale Custom Cubs Shirts . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. http://www.customcubsjersey.com/ . Colin Wilson had two goals and an assist, and Mike Fisher scored a goal and helped set up two others in the Predators 6-4 victory over the Red Wings on Monday night. Kosuke Fukudome Jersey Large .ca! Kerry, Two nights after the Scott-Eriksson incident in Buffalo, the Bruins returned home to play San Jose. In that game, Zdeno Chara put a check on Tommy Wingels that clearly targeted his head. Cheap Custom Cubs Jersey . Any real chance at payback wont come until the playoff. Still, Pittsburgh knows its taut 3-2 win over the Bruins on Wednesday night is a pretty good place to start laying the groundwork. "They are a very good defensive team," Penguins forward Brandon Sutter said. Former Miami and North Carolina?coach Butch Davis told ESPN on Monday that he is leaving the network immediately to accept the head-coaching position at Florida International.Davis, who has been working as a college football studio analyst since 2014, agreed to a five-year contract.?Pete Garcia, FIUs executive director of sports and entertainment, said Davis will be introduced Tuesday afternoon.Well tell you how it happened then, Garcia said.Garcia said Ron Cooper, who has gone 3-3 as FIUs interim coach, will remain in place for the final two games of this season.Garcia used Davis as a consultant the last time he hired a coach, Ron Turner, in 2013. Garcia and Davis have a long history, including stints working together with the Hurricanes and then the?Cleveland Browns.Davis spent six seasons as Miamis coach from 1995 through 2000, then left for the Browns -- stepping away from a Hurricanes team that dominated its way to the 2001 national championship under Larry Coker.When Turner was fired after an 0-4 start this season, Garcia didnt want to consult with Davis this time. He was widely considered to be the immediate front-runner for the position, and now the deal is done.Davis also coached foor four seasons at North Carolina, getting fired just before the team opened practice for the 2011 season while the school dealt with allegations of improper benefits and academic misconduct.dddddddddddd Davis was never implicated in that NCAA probe and has long maintained that he did nothing wrong.Davis, who will turn 65 on Thursday, will face a rebuilding job at FIU.FIU went to bowl games in 2010 and 2011 under Mario Cristobal, who was fired in 2012 and is now an Alabama assistant. The Panthers have not been bowl-eligible since, going 16-42 since Cristobals dismissal.Some Miami fans lobbied openly last year for the Hurricanes to hire Davis, who acknowledged that he wanted to be considered. Instead, hell now have a chance to coach against the Hurricanes -- the series between the schools resumes in 2018 and 2019.Its not the first time Garcia has managed to make a splashy hire to coach at FIU. He landed Isiah Thomas as mens basketball coach in 2009, then fired him three years later after a 26-65 record.Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. ' ' '