SANTA CLARA — It’s become routine, by this point, for the 49ers to break in new defensive coordinators. They’ve gotten plenty of practice each of the past four years.
But, in addition to the absence of head coach Kyle Shanahan, there’s another new wrinkle that has made itself apparent in the early days of Raheem Morris’ first training camp.
A fifth down lineman.
“It’s always been a four-down front,” observed left tackle Trent Williams, entering his seventh season lining up against San Francisco’s defense in camp. “So yeah, it’s all different.”
Although the 49ers have cycled through coordinators, the latest departure being Robert Saleh’s for the head coaching job in Tennessee, they’ve largely deployed the same defensive system in Shanahan’s nine seasons as head coach.
The 49ers plucked from a different coaching tree by hiring Morris, a Monte Kiffin disciple and two-time head coach, and are taking the opportunity to give the defense a fresh coat of paint.
“It’s usually the four-down traditional stud defensive linemen with three linebackers and a strong quarter shell defense,” quarterback Brock Purdy said. “Now it’s like, we’ve got five down. He gives us all these different kinds of looks. The shell is always changing.”
The fifth defender at the line of scrimmage is intended to cause confusion for the offense before the snap. It requires a versatile defender capable of rushing the passer or dropping back into coverage. The formation’s popularity has been on the rise across the league.
“To be able to mix those things in like most of the league is doing right now, it’s a lot of fun,” Morris said. “We’ll mess around with it some and do some different things. But we’ve got what we’ve got and you’ve got to take advantage of the players that you have.”
Both offensive players have appreciated getting a fresh look early in camp.
“I feel like this is the stuff that we’re starting to see more in the NFL,” Purdy said. “So for us on offense it gives us good practice and good reps.”
49ers familiar with Raheem Morris’ success
This is a look the 49ers are plenty familiar with from facing off against Morris in his time as the Rams defensive coordinator from 2021-23, helping lead them to a win in Super Bowl 56. He also deployed the defense as the Falcons’ head coach the past two seasons, experience that has come in handy getting integrated to a new group of players in Shanahan’s absence.
But Morris understands the value of the stability the 49ers have had under Shanahan. The defense is loaded with veteran leaders from Nick Bosa on the defensive line to Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw in the linebacking corps to Deommodore Lenoir in the secondary.
“This is not, like, my defense, right?” he said. “This is a defense we’re building for the Niners and what we already have in place, what they’ve done and what I want to be a part of.”
As for how much can be read into the first couple days of camp, well players haven’t put pads on yet. “I guess time will tell,” Warner said in regards to how different the 49ers defense looks when it comes time to actually play the games.
“I love Raheem, man. I love everything that he’s bringing thus far. You’ll probably be out there watching us and see some different looks, maybe some similarities too. But the thing that will always remain true is just the style of play. … We’re not happy with anything that we’ve done or accomplished. It’s always about seeing where we can get better everyday.”
Shanahan and general manager John Lynch understood there was room for improvement, even taking into account their terrible injury misfortune, from a group that struggled to rush the passer (20 sacks, fewest in the NFL) or force turnovers (16, 23rd in the NFL).
San Francisco lost Bosa to a torn ACL in Week 3, Warner to a fractured ankle in Week 6 and first round defensive end Mykel Williams to multiple torn ligaments in his knee in Week 9.
Warner is back with no restrictions, Bosa has drawn raves despite being limited so far to individual drills, and Williams is also making progress. San Francisco also added defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa via trade, drafted edge rusher Romello Height with its second selection (70th overall) and reunited with Greenlaw.
In the words of Lenoir: “We got our bulldog back” in Greenlaw, who spent last season in Denver.
“We weren’t good enough last year,” Lynch said. “There’s a lot of reasons for that, but ultimately all those reasons are just excuses, so you have to address it. I feel confident with the way that we addressed it. Yes, Nick being back is a difference maker. But it was bigger than that.”
