San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy and defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen spoke to reporters on Sunday after the team's 10th training camp practice. Here is everything they said.
Transcripts provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.
QB Brock Purdy
These training camp practices, they're pretty well scripted. I'm wondering, you don't go off script much, how do you kind of work on your improvisational skills in camp or in the preseason?
"Once you get in the season, like a regular-season game, things break down. That's part of football. Going off-schedule, finding guys in the scramble drill and all that kind of stuff. So when you're in practice, you have your scripted plays and you want to be on time, you want to go through your progressions. But the minute something breaks down, for me, I'm still trying to treat it like a live rep. It really is for the receivers as well, for us to find each other, find open space and work on those kinds of things. If you just sit there and take a sack, which it might be in a game, but for practice, it's like, 'Hey, let's continue to try to find something to work on.' So that's how I look at it."
When you throw an interception in practice and watch it on film afterwards, what's your process of assessing yourself on that play?
"It depends on what kind of pick it is. If I'm trying to fit it in a window and trying to just be aggressive or I just couldn't see a guy, those are the questions you have to ask yourself. And that's what I do, ask myself. And obviously, I get pretty mad at myself in terms of, 'Dude, you turned the ball over and you can't do that.' So it's finding a way to grow mentally for myself in terms of, 'Dude, you can't do that.' Or, 'Hey, I was being aggressive here and we're just trying it out and I'm seeing if I can do it with this guy and that kind of window or that kind of look.' But at the end of the day, I'm not out there trying to just throw the ball up and act like it's camp and I don't care, because I do."
RB Jordon Mason was talking to us yesterday and said that he sunk three grand into a jugs machine and had his dad shoot him passes, tons during the offseason to upgrade his receiving skills. Have you noticed an upgrade in his receiving skills?
"Yeah, JP looks great. He's on top of his stuff and just in terms of the run game and the fits and his pass protection, just seeing it as a running back, you could tell he is on it. And then when he gets out for check downs and he's where he's supposed to be. He's got great hands. He is the kind of guy that we're all, we've trusted in the past, but even more so now. He's shown it time and time again and he's building pretty good practices. So we're excited about it. And obviously, the more guys in the running back room, the better. Proud of him."
You've talked a lot about the physical and mental benefits of having that full offseason. From a leadership standpoint, have you felt just being out there every day and getting all those reps in the spring, just making you feel more comfortable in terms of commanding the huddle or just feeling like you're in charge out there?
"When I first came in the NFL, as a rookie and even last year coming off the surgery and stuff, there's a little timidness in terms of, alight, you go in, you have to say the play, you have to say it correctly, you break the huddle and what are my reads and this and that? But now it's like, I feel good with the guys, with the language of the offense. I can see it in my mind quicker when coach calls a play. So it's a lot more smooth for me and I love that, but I still have to find that edge every day of, alright, I have to find ways to be uncomfortable and still walk in the huddle, command it, break it, and not just think that the game's easy, because it's not. It's never going to be easy. I have to continue to push myself in that way. But in terms of hearing the play, getting in the huddle, speaking to the guys, saying little things outside of the play like, 'Hey, reminder this, that,' I feel a lot better with that."
Can you expound on that? How do you find ways to make yourself feel uncomfortable?
"Just the play clock. [Quarterbacks coach Brian] Griese has the play clock going up so I'm not back there thinking about the play all day, walking in the huddle. It's having that sense of urgency like, 'Alright, I know the play, I know what I have to do on this.' It's getting in the huddle, getting some sense of urgency, getting up to the clock, we have three seconds left. And even in practice, guys want to get set and then we motion. But my thing is walk up and, 'Hey, let's go. We don't have time.' Let's make it more game realistic. So that's the level that I'm at now with it."
You mentioned you're upset obviously with the training camp interceptions. Much was made of the other day you threw four picks in your last five attempts. After something like that, are you like, "Get out of my way. I'm super pissed." Or is it just like, "Okay, I understand why these things happened." What are your emotions? Because it became, whether you know it or not, a national story.
"I take pride in protecting the ball for our offense and our team. And so obviously, I'm mad when I'm not completing the ball to our guys and it's going to the defense. I'm hard on myself and the coaches are too. We have a standard here. So it's not, like I said, we're just going out and just because it's practice it's okay to throw picks. No, there's still a standard here. But with that is, I know you guys have heard me say this all over the media, but now's the time to be trying out some stuff in terms of throwing some windows and some tight coverages and whatnot. But you know, I still have to grow. I still have to be better and I'm hard on myself with it. But now's the time to do it. I remember last year coming off my UCL at practice, I was throwing some stuff, and I threw multiple days of picks. But you get into the season and you're ready for those moments and you're ready to execute and protect the ball. So that's where we're at in the time of year."
You were on the field after practice, doing some extra reps with guys catching. What were you working on?
"Just some throwing on the run. I feel like at practice, I can continue to get better at throwing on the run and being in time when I'm throwing on the run. So today after practice I just wanted to hone in on, we have a day off tomorrow, so I wanted to get after it in terms of staying on the move, being accurate with the throws and trying to get better."
A day like today with no WR Deebo Samuel, no RB Christian McCaffrey, no WR Brandon Aiyuk, guys you would be throwing to a lot of games. How does a day like today benefit you?
"It's good. Obviously, we have our star players not getting a whole lot of reps, so we have other guys stepping up. And for me it's, 'Alright, regardless of the mismatches and all that kind of stuff, I'm going to drop back, go through my reads, and I have to be efficient regardless of not having my guys out there.' So stepping up, going through reads, hitting [WR] Chris Conley over the middle, checking the ball down, being smart. It makes me play quarterback really efficiently. Not saying when they are on the field I'm not, but when they're on the field, I'm a little, my antenna is up in terms of, 'Alright, if I do get this look, I'm more tentative to throwing to Aiyuk or Deebo. So a day like this was good for me to just go through reads, take completions and be efficient."
If a new receiver walks in the room, how long does it typically take you rep wise, before you feel real comfortable with that receiver?
"Maybe a couple weeks, to be honest. We have to go over so much detail within our routes, our concepts, our timing, all of that. It's not a couple days and then you feel good and you're ready to go play a game. It takes time, especially in this offense. Everything is so detailed within our offense and our scheme that I have to have a guy come in and learn and understand things and where to be and the timing of a concept, not doing too much in his route and stuff. All those things take time. I'd probably say a couple weeks if that were the case."
It's been almost a couple weeks with WR Ricky Pearsall what have been your kind of impressions of him as he goes through his first camp here?
"I think he's getting better and better, just more comfortable within our offense, but I think we need more reps to throw him the ball, need more opportunities and looks. And that'll come. I'm confident in that. But, last couple days, I've tried to get him the ball and stuff, and whether he is trying to get held or trying to get in and out of cuts, sometimes it is tough at practice because you don't always get the cleanest look so you're trying to make it happen. But, he's doing a good job. He's picking up the playbook. He's learning it real well and from what we did in OTAs. Then he had a little setback with the hamstring, so we've just got to get back on track with that, but I'm confident that we will."
It seems like the rapport and timing with Conley goes back to the Packers game of the playoffs on that out. In this camp, he's been a much more featured target. With that rapport, how has it grown with him getting more reps with the first team and all that with you?
"Yeah, Chris has that veteran mindset. He's smart. And sort of like what I was talking about, just in terms of he understands the details of our offense and he understands where he needs to be, the timing of the concepts and the plays. Chris, obviously he's just got that older veteran-ness to him where he's smart within plays and reads and he knows where to be and where we need him to be. So, we've grown obviously from last year in playoff games. There's been some clutch plays between us. He's been where he needs to be. So in camp he's come in ready to roll. He's got fresh legs. He's moving quick. Like I said, we've been able to connect and that's because he sees the defense really well and he's supposed to be where he needs to be. He's done a great job."
With your preseason game plan, do you anticipate seeing the field next weekend?
"We haven't talked about that, so just taking it one day at a time. I think it all just depends on how practices go and my reps and how I'm feeling and stuff. But, I'm sure we'll make a decision here as the game comes closer."
DB Deommodore Lenoir has earned a lot of praises in camp so far. What have you seen going up against him every day?
"He's a baller man. He's got just good ball instincts and he understands football well. He's gotten more and more reps obviously as his career's gone on. And for us, every time we walk up to the line and I see him see him in man coverage, I'm like, 'alright, this is going to be a battle here.' So he pushes our guys. He pushes me. I've got to be accurate with the ball because he's going to be on the back hip pretty tightly and he's made some really good plays. So going up against him and a bunch of the DBs, [CB Isaac Yiadom] Ike and obviously the linebackers in the middle and [S Ji'Ayir Brown] Tig in the back. We've got a great defense going up every rep. So, they're all pushing us, but Demo's doing a great job."
What are your early impressions of QB Tanner Mordecai, the rookie?
"He's come in and he's just put his head down and he's gone to work. He's studied his butt off. In meetings, Griese is asking him a lot of the questions and stuff to push him and help him continue to develop and after practice he's staying. Then when he has gotten his rep so far, the last couple days, he has done really well. He's taken what the defense has given him, he has been ready for his opportunity. I'm happy to see his success and I know he is going to continue to grow. Tanner can rip it. So, I'm excited for him."
I assume you've gotten a lot of opportunities to earn extra money and you probably haven't taken them all. What is the process like? Is it your agent says, 'Hey Brock, what about this?' How is it presented to you? How do you decide if it sounds good?
"Yeah, for me, obviously I don't make a whole lot. I make a good amount playing football. But just with the lifestyle and the privacy for my wife and I and the things that we're able to do with my family outside of football, we've got to make some kind of money somehow. So marketing's a great opportunity for us. So yeah, a business or an organization will hit up my agent and he'll bring it to me and he'll say, 'hey, this aligns with who you are and what you believe or this might not, so we can pass on it.' So, those are the decisions that go into it. But for me, like I said, I'm trying to provide for my wife and my family moving forward with our life because you never know. Tomorrow's not promised. So, we've tried to be smart about it, but there's been some good opportunities this offseason and that's why I've been able to do some."
You mentioned privacy. Is it to a point where it may even be practical for you, given you've reached a level of fame to be hanging out in some random apartment complex and having to say hi to everyone would make you leave? Is that what you're getting at?
"Yeah, that or like, how do I describe it? Yeah, just security with our house, where we live and when we travel and stuff, being able to fly first class and do like those kinds of things. Ubers, the more expensive ones, where they are more private. I don't know how to describe it, but I'm just thinking long-term for my wife and I. Yes, the privacy aspect, like with privacy comes expenses, and it's a little bit more expensive with that kind of lifestyle. So that's what I'm thinking of."
Defensive Coordinator Nick Sorensen
DB Deommodore Lenoir, how would you evaluate his camp so far?
"I think it's been solid. Being able to go inside, outside, I think he's taken that next step. Another year of just being comfortable and being able to see it. Like I've said in the past, it's tough to do that within a game, to play inside and outside. Ok, base, now you're outside nickel, go play the nickel. And I think it's just clicking that much faster. It's like anything, time on task. He just continues to get better in both spots because he is playing both spots. So that part's good."
For him, was it something like just kind of getting past the point where he felt like he was thinking through things too much and now he's just more reacting? Is it that that kind of scenario?
"That's it. That's really it. That's really anybody. How fast can you get away from the thinking about everything to where you're anticipating and just reacting? That's really the main goal with anyone. And usually, you see with the young guys or rookies, when they start to flash early, it's because they grasp it quickly and then it starts to click. And that's really the goal. How quickly can it be second nature and be reactive."
LB Jalen Graham got some reps with the starters there at the end. What are you seeing from those two linebackers in particular?
"Same thing. They're just getting better because it's starting to click for them. And I talk about, speed, violence and finish. To me, a lot of speed is, yeah you run fast, but speed is also your preparation and your knowledge of the game. Because you hear veteran guys say it all the time, how the game slowed down for me. You look so much faster because it did slow down, because now you're more comfortable and you're understanding. Now you anticipate based on motions and alignments and the stuff happens as you think it should happen, now you can go make plays. That's where you see Dee almost had a pick today in that backed up period because again, the game's slowing down and he's playing faster. Same with Jalen."
Between Dee, LB De'Vondre Campbell and Jalen, how do you go about determining which of the two will be out there when you're in the nickel?
"Well De'Vondre is, he's out there with [LB] Fred [Warner]. It's just a good group of linebackers. I think a lot of those guys, even [LB] Zeke Turner who is new, he's come in, he's fit in. [LB] Curtis Robinson has had a nice camp. And [LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles] Flann, when he's back healthy, the times he's been in, he's always been a staple for us, that can play all three positions. And even [LB] Tatum Bethune, one of our late round picks, he's done a nice job. He's starting to grasp it well. I think you see that with a lot of the guys that we brought in, period. They're our type of guys. They care and it makes sense to them and they're starting to, we've got this great competitive group on defense on all levels and that's the part that's exciting."
It seems like S Ji'Ayir Brown is going above and beyond when it comes to communicating. What have you seen from him, jumping from year one to year two? Just as far as intangibles, not so much on the field.
"Again, the comfort and the confidence. I think he can anticipate things. He's starting to do more communicating out there. And again, that's what's going to, you're going to find out, without [S Talanoa Hufanga] Huf out there, what are [S George Odum] GO and Tig going to do? And those guys stepped up. They elevated their game. Huf is a great communicator, [former NFL S Tashaun Gipson Sr.] Gip as well, who is not here. So those guys get this opportunity and they get all these extra reps, now they're stepping in and doing a really nice job. And it's through all those extra reps that you're seeing that improvement."
How many different ways can you use DL Yetur Gross-Matos? I feel like I've seen him rush inside, outside, drop.
"He can mix it up. Like I said, he's an interior pass rusher as well. He gets after it, and it's exciting to have him because he's very multiple."
What do you think of DL Robert Beal Jr. so far? Really talented guy, but from where he was last year to now.
"Again, the same thing. It's another year of being able to get on his lines and be explosive and think less. He's a really explosive and fast guy, he can really run. And if he can just, stay on that track and continue to get better, he's going to be a good player."
When it comes to your linebackers, you talk about the versatility you want, especially in backup guys. Where do you kind of thread the needle when you have a guy like Graham for example, where you want him to get comfortable at Mike, but also maybe you're going to kind of need him at Sam. How do you kind of work through that, in terms of getting reps at a different spot?
"Based on the player and what we know about them. And as you get to know them, what you think is their best spot. That's something that [linebackers coach] Johnny Holland is, always kind of, and everybody really, when we evaluate guys, what you think they could play. But when you're young and a backup, 'Okay, what are the two spots I can play?' So there is some value as you get older, if you can play multiple spots. Just like I say about Dmo, guys that can play nickel and corner or people that have played nickel and safety. If you have that versatility, it's good. Same with linebacker. I mean it's different, 'Oh, am I making the calls as the Mike?' and you're in a different spot and you could have some different responsibilities. Or am I the Will or the Sam where I could be more outside? And with Jalen, he had never really been in the box in college. He was a high school cornerback too. He's a good athlete, he's smart. So we're like, 'Okay, let's see how he is at Mike.' And he has handled it well. But you still need to have the versatility like you see with Curtis Robinson who has been here awhile and Flann. The more they get, the more they add to their value."
Is it harder when you have a guy who you're using more at Mike to get them reps at other places just because there's so much more on their plate?
"No, you can still get multiple spots. You start it early. Kind of like what we did with [CB] Renardo [Green], with nickel. We made sure we got him in both spots. You don't want to necessarily just totally shock somebody later with something that's harder. But you can, you trickle it in as you see it, based on the player and what you think they can handle. And so it's never the same for everybody. Everybody's different."
The third down defense wasn't great last season. What would you say the key is to improving that aspect of the defense this year?
"I think there's a few things. A lot of times it's just execution harping on the details, being really detail oriented with how we rush, how we cover. Just those two things tied together. It's always so much of these things are so close and so minuscule, that if we just continue to stay consistent with how tight can we be with our details, that extra half a step is a win or a loss on that play."
You guys are deep at defensive tackle it seems. What do you and defensive line coach Kris Kocurek think so far of DL Evan Anderson? What does he need to work on to make this team?
"I think he's done a nice job. With him, again, it's the guys learning the attack and being on their line, getting your footwork right. With him, it's being consistent in your steps and your footwork. He has the power. He's an athletic guy for a big guy, but it's just how consistent can he be? Our offense gives us good looks. They give us a lot of looks, get a lot of movement. It's good players with an explosive O-line. So, he's getting a lot of work. He's gotten better."
Is there a process with deciding if Deommodore Lenoir is best always outside or best being outside and rotating to nickel? Is there any process behind that or is he pretty much just the best nickel guy so he's always going to move inside?
"Well, we've been kind of rotating. We kind of mix things up. You always want to try and change things up and see what guys can handle at different times. That's pretty much what we've been doing in a lot of positions."
I'm not sure if we'll see you before the next weekend. Has head coach Kyle Shanahan and yourself, decided will any of the starters see the field in the first preseason game?
"I'm sure Kyle will handle that and we'll talk through it."
Have you heard if you get to call plays for the first time in preseason games?
"I am. I'm excited because it's fun when you get to some of these move the ball periods where it's not scripted, and it makes it just more fun. It's also with your process of your coaching staff and who's giving you personnel and how we hand that off and how we communicate to the players and being in a rhythm. There's some been some different situations to where you can call different calls, but those true move the ball, that's where it feels the most like football."
I know you don't work closely with him, but running backs coach Robert Bobby Turner Jr. is somewhat of a legendary figure. He's known to be extremely meticulous among other things. How would you describe what you know of him, just his coaching style and why he has built a reputation?
"You're right, pretty much what you've said. Meticulous, on it, passionate, very serious. In talking with him, I think at one of the away game dinners or something, he was a really good athlete, like multisport athlete too. So he'll talk about that too. But as far as football and getting the players right, that's his number one. He's going to take care of that. He's a heck of a coach. He is very, very detailed and very serious about it. And that's why you see so much production and that's why he is coached for so long. A lot of respect for him."
Is he ever not serious?
"No, he'll joke around here and there. I've seen him joke around here and there."
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