Kendrick Bourne is hoping to improve on his 16-reception, 257-yard rookie campaign with the San Francisco 49ers last season. The second-year wide receiver looked more confident during Tuesday's practice as quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo connected with him multiple times. Bourne even hauled in a Garoppolo-thrown touchdown during the team's red-zone drills.
Wide receivers coach Mike LaFleur doesn't believe it is Bourne's confidence that has grown but merely his understanding of what is being asked of him.
"He's never lacked confidence, ever," LaFleur told reporters on Tuesday. "I think you guys can see, just with his personality. It's just, he feels so much better about the playbook and knowing the details and stuff like that ... That energy that he brings every day, this is fun for him. This is not a job for him. He's loving what he's doing, and he's putting a lot of time into it."
Bourne isn't the only player who is looking to become more comfortable with the 49ers playbook. Following a mid-season trade last year, Garoppolo worked hard to learn just enough to prepare to play quarterback within head coach Kyle Shanahan's system. In his first offseason with the 49ers, Garoppolo finally gets to learn why Shanahan is asking him to do something on the football field.
"As the quarterback, you want to be able to answer any question that is asked to you," Garoppolo said on Tuesday. "You want to, if you get put in a tough spot on the field, be able to get the team into the right play. Last year, not that I was handcuffed, but I just didn't know some of the reasons of why we were doing things. It was just kind of 'get this by Sunday, and we'll tell you everything else in the offseason' type of thing. I think learning the whys has definitely helped me."
Bourne, who joined the 49ers as an undrafted free agent last year, caught nine passes for 154 yards from Garoppolo in 2017. His best game of the season came in Week 15 against the Houston Texans when he had four receptions for 85 yards.
"[Bourne] brings a lot of different traits to the table that it's hard for a defender to cover him," Garoppolo said. "He's – I don't even know how to describe it – deceptively fast. But at the same time, he has some wiggle to him. It's a nice combination, and he does a great job of catching the ball. I don't know how many drops he's had all of OTAs, I don't want to jinx him, but he's done a great job for me."
Bourne typically plays at the same receiver spot (Z) as Pierre Garçon. His versatility, however, allows him to be used elsewhere. The ability to do multiple things on the football field is a quality the coaching staff looks for in any player who is brought in.
"We can move [Bourne] into that F (Y if there is no tight end), that Trent Taylor-type position, just so we're all on the same page with that," LaFleur said. "We move all these guys around based on what we think their skillset is. Like Dante (Pettis), like a lot of these guys, we feel like they can play both inside and outside so we're going to try to put them in that position to be successful."
Reporters asked Garoppolo about Bourne's growth since the two first started working together. They appear to be building chemistry with one another on the practice field.
"Yeah, growth is a great word for it," Garoppolo responded. "Last year, when I met KB, he was a rookie, just coming along. But this offseason, (he) has made some great strides. I think our whole receiver corps as a group has really come a long way. They're moving in the right direction, working hard, putting in the extra time, and I think that's going to make a difference."
