SANTA CLARA – The 49ers have made schematic adjustments at every level of their defense in hopes of generating more takeaways.
That’s not a high bar to clear, considering the 49ers forced just seven turnovers last season, including an NFL all-time worst two interceptions.
The 49ers enacted signficant alterations how they will deploy their defense this season.
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SIGN UP HERE The club has moved to a wide-9 approach under new defensive line coach Kris Kocurek. The team's defensive ends will play wider with an emphasis on getting up the field on passing downs and turning run plays inside quicker. The team's three linebacker positions are now considered "stack linebackers," with the team's outside linebacker now playing off the ball and closely resembling the duties of the middle and weakside positions.
The three linebacker positions are not the only interchangeable positions on defense. This year, the lines are blurred among the two safety spots, too.
“My first two years, the strong safety was always the guy in the box and the free safety was always in the middle of the field,” 49ers safeties coach Daniel Bullocks said on Wednesday. “This year, it’s way more interchangeable.”
The 49ers want to become less predictable with their safeties while also taking advantage of the skills and talents of such players as Jaquiski Tartt, Jimmie Ward, Adrian Colbert and Marcell Harris. Moreover, Tarvarius Moore, a third-round pick last year, has moved back to safety after spending his rookie season at cornerback. Moore recorded three interceptions, broke up 10 passes, forced a fumble and recovered a fumble during his final season at Southern Mississippi.
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“Tartt is so versatile, you don’t want to make him one-dimensional,” Bullocks said. “The strength of his game is he can play in the box and he can play in the post. If you get him some opportunities to play in the middle of the field, that might create more opportunities for him to get his hands on the ball.”
Ward sustained a fractured collarbone last week that is expected to keep him out of action for eight to 12 weeks. Bullocks believes Ward is one of the team’s best tacklers, and if he spends more time close to the line of scrimmage, he becomes a threat to blitz off the edge.
Colbert moves to the first-team defense with Ward’s injury. He is also capable of making plays in the box or down the field. Colbert, who now weighs 210 pounds, has added 15 pounds to make the adjustment of playing closers to the line of scrimmage.
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“In the past, you’d know who the free safety is,” Colbert said. “If you see him in the middle of the field, you know we’re running cover-3. And now you don’t really know because the free safety is in the box and we’re showing different shells and we’re moving around a lot more than we used to.
"I've never played in the box until now. It's exciting, though, because you get into the mix of things. I'm usually in the backfield and not getting much action unless something breaks, but now I'm down there with the 'backers, and it's awesome."