Kittle still receives advice from former 49ers tight ends coach Embree

The connections between the 49ers and Dolphins run deep and that includes George Kittle's relationship with Miami tight ends coach Jon Embree. Embree was Kittle's first NFL position coach in when the 49ers drafted the All-Pro tight end in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. The two still communicate to this day as coach and player, but also as friends. "I'll get a random coaching point from him at 5 a.m. our time, 8 a.m. Miami time that says, 'Your footwork was trash last week,'" Kittle shared on Thursday. "'You need to fix your stance. You got to stand like this.' And I always appreciate those coaching points." This is not normal protocol in the NFL where knowledge can be seen as power and keeping secrets from opposing teams is the expectation. Coach Kyle Shanahan, however, understands the relationship between the two and appreciates anyone helping his players improve. "If they were in our own division, I'd say yes," Shanahan joked when asked if the communication was a form of tampering. "I'd try to get back at them. But no, I love Jon sending those texts. Jon's an awesome dude, a hell of a coach and that's his style. He's going to ride guys like that. I've got no problem with...