SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice attended the San Francisco 49ers training camp practice on Monday morning, chatting with coach Chip Kelly and general manager Trent Baalke before and addressing the team briefly after it was over.

Rice, who is now a member of the 13-person College Football Playoff selection committee, has long been known for her football affinity. In fact, she told the New York Times in 2002 that she'd like to become NFL commissioner some day. For now, she still works at nearby Stanford University as a professor in the graduate school of business.

Kelly spent about 10 minutes chatting with Rice before practice began with Baalke coming over and saying hello as well. When the practice ended, Rice addressed the team in the post-practice huddle. Her message centered on the importance of building team unity at this time of year before the action really begins. The idea being that once the season starts and things get difficult, they're easier to handle if you've already forged that chemistry in the summer.

Rice is friends with 49ers assistant coach Dana Bible, who was coaching at Stanford when Rice was the school's Provost in the 1990s.

Some other notes and observations from Monday's practice:

-- A pair of the most powerful agents in the NFL also stopped by Monday's practice. Drew Rosenhaus and Joel Segal took in the workout as they make their training camp rounds. Those who have been around the team for a longer time than I say that Rosenhaus' presence has yielded new contracts for the likes of linebacker NaVorro Bowman and offensive tackle Anthony Davis in the past. Rosenhaus also represents cornerback Keith Reaser, tackle Trent Brown, receiver Torrey Smith and injured defensive tackle Ian Williams. Segal counts linebacker Eli Harold and defensive linemen Arik Armstead, Glenn Dorsey and DeForest Buckner among his clients.

-- Quarterbacks Blaine Gabbert and Colin Kaepernick continued to split reps Monday with Gabbert offering the highest high and lowest low among the quarterbacks. During 7-on-7 drills, Gabbert connected with receiver Jerome Simpson for a 40-yard touchdown pass against the second-team defense. He also threw what would have been a pick-six to cornerback Jimmie Ward in another 7-on-7 drill. Gabbert also was victimized by a couple of drops on well-thrown balls. Kaepernick took the first turn with the starters on Monday but his day was mostly nondescript without any really big plays for or against him.

-- Ward has been working as a first-team cornerback in the early days of camp, though that's always subject to change, according to defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil.

“He’s practicing right now, he’s our starting corner right now opposite Tramaine Brock and we are still training him inside at nickel," O'Neil said. "But again, our depth chart right now is written in sand. So, we’re evaluating our guys every day. Our starters will be very different today than what they were yesterday. So, everybody’s going to have a chance to go with the ones and we’re going to find out what they can do.”

Ward had to have helped his standing with his interception Monday. He said after the practice that he'd been beaten on a similar option route Sunday but made the correction in the time between practices, disguised his coverage and jumped the pass intended for receiver Bruce Ellington.

-- O'Neil told reporters before practice that he plans to try a lot of different combination on his defense in an effort to find the best 11 guys and get them on the field together. That's especially true on the defensive line where Ian Williams' absence has opened the door for a number of different options. One intriguing combination the 49ers used with the first-team defense Monday saw Armstead and Buckner handling end duties with Quinton Dial at nose tackle. The sight of the two mammoth former Oregon Ducks at end has to be something the team envisioned when spending its past two top picks on the duo.

-- Speaking of defensive linemen, Glenn Dorsey still isn't ready to participate in team drills but he again did some work on the side and also did some work in individual drills. O'Neil said Dorsey will factor into the mix at nose tackle when he gets back to full strength.

-- Linebacker Gerald Hodges took his turn working at inside linebacker next to Bowman on Monday. Hodges is part of a competition for that job along with Michael Wilhoite (who got the first crack at the job on Sunday) and Ray Ray Armstrong, who if form holds, will get a chance on Tuesday.

-- The 49ers return to the practice field on Tuesday with another 10:25 a.m. PT practice. It will be the first padded practice of this camp.