49ers to rework Jimmy Garoppolo’s deal and extend it by one year
Jimmy Garoppolo’s contract will allegedly be restructured by the San Francisco 49ers to allow him to stay for an additional season.
INSANITY, California Kyle Shanahan, the coach of the San Francisco 49ers, is searching for a defensive coordinator for the fourth time in his career.
This search, in contrast to the previous three, is the outcome of a job opening that Shanahan himself created. He declared on February 14 that coordinator Steve Wilks would be leaving the team after just one season. It was a change from the previous two coordinators, Robert Saleh and DeMeco Ryans, who were hired as head coaches of the Houston Texans and New York Jets, respectively.
When Shanahan disclosed that choice, he said that bringing in Wilks as an outsider and expecting him to fit into an established defensive scheme made for an uncomfortable match that didn’t work out.
Shanahan remarked, “That was the hardest part.” “I realised that would be difficult. It was difficult. Steve was brought in, and despite his incredible loyalty and his best efforts, it was not the right fit.”
Finding a coordinator who does fit is now what Shanahan and the Niners need to do. Every other defensive coordinator position was already filled, with many highly regarded outside candidates landing elsewhere, as a result of San Francisco’s run to Super Bowl LVIII.
Other names that have been linked to the Niners are Jeff Ulbrich, the defensive coordinator for the Jets, and Chris Kiffin, the coach of the Texans’ linebackers. San Jose native Ulbrich was a member of Shanahan’s coaching staff in the Atlanta Falcons coaching staff from 2015 to 2016 after playing for the Niners from 2000 to 2009. Ulbrich is still bound by his contract with the Jets, though, so they would have to let him go in order for the 49ers to sign him.
Merritt is the first candidate to meet the NFL’s Rooney Rule requirement, which requires the Niners to interview at least two external minority candidates.
“We’re not in a rush,” stated John Lynch, general manager. We already have a good idea of who we are and will become, so a wholesale schematic won’t be necessary.
In fact, since Shanahan and Saleh installed the Niners defensive scheme in 2017, not much has changed. It’s a 4-3 scheme with a lot of zone coverage that depends on the front four to create pressure.
The defence has kept many of its fundamental ideas even though there have been some adjustments over the years, most notably the defensive line’s move to the “wide-9” alignment. And it has paid off, as the 49ers have placed in the top nine in both defensive expected points added and scoring defence in four of the previous five seasons.
All of which would indicate that, while keeping an open mind to new ideas, the 49ers’ hiring of someone who has been involved in the plan—such as Sorensen or Bullocks—is the most likely outcome.
“I’m not narrow-minded at all,” Shanahan declared. “I’ll investigate every avenue. I’m not merely attempting to change things, though, when you have some excellent players who have performed at a high level and in a particular manner. I tend to believe that the things they have been doing well and that have brought us this far should be kept up. However, I must ensure that I select the most qualified individual to take that kind of leadership role within our group.”
Not only was Wilks unfamiliar with the Niners’ preferred defence, but he was also Shanahan’s first defensive coordinator, having spent most of his career coaching defensive backs. Prior to this, Saleh and Ryans had experience with linebackers, the position group with the most comprehensive
The Niners tied for the league lead in interceptions with 22, and while cornerback Charvarius Ward had a career year and was named to the second team of the All-Pro team, and fellow cornerback Deommodore Lenoir had a breakout season, the coverage and pass rush were not clicking.
