Early in this afternoon’s practice Jim Harbaugh spent 25 minutes with the quarterbacks, which basically meant with Colin Kaepernick as Alex Smith watched.

Harbaugh repeatedly showed Kaepernick what to do, commented on his footwork, demonstrated the correct footwork. Sometimes Harbaugh threw the ball. Harbaugh loves to throw the ball and he still delivers a pass with zip. You get the feeling he would like to be a quarterback himself and, in his heart, still is a quarterback. Sometimes, Kaepernick would drop back to throw and there was Harbaugh right with him, a foot or so behind Kaepernick, dropping back as well and throwing a phantom ball — Harbaugh being a shadow QB.

Not since Bill Walsh have the Niners had a QB oriented head coach. Harbaugh’s devotion to the quarterbacks is important but it raises a question worth pursuing down the line: If he is so quarterback-oriented, does he see enough of the rest and does he observe his coaches coach?