STOCKTON, Calif. -- Here are five observations from the 49ers' training camp.

	Garrison Hearst returned from injury to rush for 1,206 yards last season.

1. Center Jeremy Newberry is out for a few days with a strained calf, and that's a concern. Guard Dave Fiore moves from guard to center as a fill-in, but there were problems with the exchanges with quarterback Jeff Garcia, who fumbled a couple of times. Garcia had fumbles the last time Fiore played center in a regular-season game. Despite that, the team doesn't appear to be looking to re-sign Ben Lynch to a contract as a backup.

2. Cedrick Wilson, a sixth-rounder a year ago who didn't catch a pass, is making strides to be the team's No. 4 receiver. The 49ers offered around $1.1 million to sign Willie Jackson, who eventually singed with Atlanta, but if Wilson comes on, it would be good for the team's cap and depth.

3. The improved aggressiveness of the defense is just the ticket to take Garcia to the next level in big games. In practices, particularly in 2000, the defense was so young that it couldn't challenge Garcia enough to test him. Now, the defense has a swagger and tries its best to challenge Garcia on every attempt. Cornerbacks match up well against the receivers, and give them the tight coverages that force Garcia to tighten the timing on his passes.

4. Don't worry about the health of Garrison Hearst. He rushed for 1,206 yards after a two-year rehab that included five operations. In one practice, Hearst went down after a hit and later was seen getting his oft-repaired left ankle re-taped. Neither was a serious problem. The hit was in a vital area that momentarily took away his breath. The re-taping was because of blisters from new shoes. Hearst was hitting the holes hard again after 20 minutes.

5. Things don't look great for Cade McNown, who is battling rookie Brandon Doman for the No. 3 quarterback job. Tim Rattay is established as Garcia's backup. McNown, trying to learn Steve Mariucci's West Coast offense on the run, was the least accurate of the four quarterbacks. But he is intriguing to his teammates. Defensive end John Engelberger, reacting to a story printed about McNown's days in Chicago, yelled to him, "Did you really get kicked out of the Playboy Mansion?"

John Clayton is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.