Report: Niners expect to be without Vernon Davis for a while

Vernon Davis has not attended organized team activities while he seeks a new contract with the San Francisco 49ers, and it doesn’t sound like there has been much progress. According to CSNBayArea.com’s Matt Maiocco, Davis’ fellow tight ends have been told not to expect to see the two-time Pro Bowler for “a while.”

Former defensive coordinator and head coach Eric Mangini is the new tight ends coach for the Niners. He has reportedly told his group of tight ends — five of them at the moment without Davis — that now is their chance to make an impression because Davis may not return to the team for some time.

Vance McDonald, a second-year tight end out of Rice, is currently San Francisco’s No. 2 tight end behind Davis. He said he is focusing on learning as much as he can but misses having Davis around.

“It’s different,” McDonald said. “He’s goofy and goofing off, but when it comes to football he’s always full-tilt. I miss the dude. I’ll be honest. I miss the dude.”

On Wednesday, the Niners announced that they had signed Colin Kaepernick to an extension. Kaepernick specifically asked to sign a contract that would give the team flexibility to re-sign some of his teammates, and key players Michael Crabtree and Mike Iupati are entering the final years of their deal. Davis is signed through 2015, so he may not be a priority at the moment. Still, we expect them to ultimately reach some sort of agreement.