49ers new defensive coordinator spicing up scheme, to Brock Purdys delight

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.

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