Sourdough Sam
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- Mar 20, 2019
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New and Notable
In My Own Words
Each week leading up to the regular season, a different member of the San Francisco 49ers 2020 draft class will document his first NFL training camp. In the fourth of five entries, wide receiver Jauan Jennings discusses preparing for his first NFL season from home, the challenges of practicing against the 49ers top-rated defense and joining receivers coach Wes Welker in San Francisco. Read More >>>
For other rookie blogs, check out:
Brandon Aiyuk: "Zooming" into My Rookie Year
Charlie Woerner: Welcome to the Big League
Colton McKivitz: Holding My Own Against the Best
Robert Saleh Previews the 49ers 2020 Defense
In an exclusive interview for the 49ers September WON Digital Magazine, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh discussed how the team can improve in 2020 and evaluated some of the team's key playmakers. Check out part of the interview below.
After a successful campaign in 2019, how do you plan to get even better in 2020?
"The main focus for the defensive side of the ball, and I imagine it's the same for the entire team, is to always look for ways to get a little bit better every single day. Not looking at the end result as the barometer on whether or not you're improving, but looking at it on a day-to-day, moment-to-moment basis. You have to ask yourself, are you as an individual finding ways to get better every single day. If you are, we trust that the results will be better, but you can't have better results unless you focus on the moment. The message that Kyle (Shanahan) and John (Lynch) preach day-in and day-out doesn't change, we focus on the moment, we focus on today, we do the best we possibly can and we trust that the result will be what we want."
What can second-year players like Nick Bosa and Dre Greenlaw do to take their games to the next level?
"Same thing as everyone else. They really have to understand that what happened yesterday has no bearing on what is actually going to happen tomorrow. They have to focus on finding ways to get better every single day. There's an 'I got it' mentality that second-year players usually have and for them to stay focused and understand that just because you had success in year one, doesn't mean you're going to have success in year two. You have to put in the same amount of work, if not more, and you have to continually find ways to evolve as a player or those around the NFL watching your tape will be able to catch up."
Javon Kinlaw expressed his excitement to be in the system with this team. How do you picture him fitting in?
"I'm excited for him. He's coming into a good situation where he has Arik Armstead, Dee Ford, Bosa, D.J. Jones, Solomon Thomas and we got Kerry Hyder Jr. in free agency. He just needs to understand that he doesn't need to be DeForest Buckner. He just needs to do his best and lean on the veterans for guidance, lean on his coaches to do things the right way from a technique standpoint, and just trust that if he continually finds ways to get better, he's going to be great. We're not looking for him to replace Buck. We're looking for him to add to the quality of the overall depth of the defensive line."
How important has the addition of Richard Sherman been to your defense over the past few years?
"Sherm is awesome. I don't think people really see him. I mean, they see what they see in the media, but they don't see the type of teammate, man, and person that he is. They don't get to see how much he invests in his teammates, in the organization, his coaches. Whenever you have a pro who plays at the level he does but then also conducts himself the way he does with his work ethic and his personality, it's always a home run, and he's one of those guys that does both extremely well."
NFL's Top 25 Cornerbacks
2: Richard Sherman
"A torn Achilles threatened to torpedo Richard Sherman's career, but last season he showed how good he could be when he is at his best and 100% healthy. Though he had a rough Super Bowl, Sherman allowed just 373 yards and one touchdown all season long, including the playoffs. Passes thrown his way resulted in a passer rating of only 45.3, or barely better than if the quarterback had just thrown the ball away every play instead. Sherman's physical tools may be on the wane as he gets older, but he may be the smartest cornerback in the game and has a freakish understanding of how an offense tries to attack him."
21: K'Waun Williams
"Another slot specialist, K'Waun Williams was part of the reason the San Francisco 49ers were so much better defensively in 2019 than the year before. Williams had the highest PFF grade (80.3) since his rookie season in Cleveland and played more snaps than he ever has before as the team went all the way to the Super Bowl. Williams has the kind of speed and quickness underneath to thrive in the slot, where two-way go routes are a major threat to corners. And he is another player who thrives at keeping things in front of him, giving up an average of just 7.7 yards per catch in 2019."