This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Anquan Boldin is back from Africa, he's taken his physical, signed his contract and officially joined the 49ers. Next on his to-do list: track down his new starting quarterback and begin building rapport.
This week, Boldin said he called Colin Kaepernick, who is training in Atlanta, as soon as he returned to the United States from a charity mission in Senegal. Getting on the practice field together, Boldin said, is the next step if they want to have chemistry for the 2013 season.
"That's something that doesn't just happen overnight," Boldin said. "Anytime you see a quarterback and a receiver on the same page, that means they've spent time together. So that's something I want to do."
While he had an excellent connection with Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco last season in Baltimore — he caught four touchdown passes in the playoffs — Boldin said that process took a while.
"It took probably a year for us to get on the same page and for him to have complete trust in me," Boldin said. "So hopefully, me and Colin can get together and try to shorten that window."
Around the league
Ravens • Houston signed punter Shane Lechler, who is leaving the Oakland Raiders after 13 years. The 36-year-old Lechler is the NFL's career leader in gross average per punt (47.3 yards). He grew up in nearby East Bernard, played at Texas A&M and now lives in Richmond.
Bengals • Cincinnati signed former Tampa Bay quarterback Josh Johnson to back up Andy Dalton. Johnson signed with San Francisco last year but was released before the season opener.
Bears • Chicago signed veteran safety Tom Zbikowski, who played for Indianapolis last season.