The San Francisco 49ers kicked off their rookie minicamp. Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak, and special teams coach Brant Boyer spoke to reporters on Thursday. Here is everything they said.
Transcripts provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.
Defensive Coordinator Robert Saleh
So, how's it feel to be back?
"Oh, it's been great. It's been great. A lot of the same faces, but it's been pretty cool."
Does it feel at all like 2017, just as far as all the changes that happened on defense and all the rebuilding that you have to do?
"No. From a talent standpoint, [DL Nick] Bosa is here, you've got obviously [LB] Fred [Warner], [DB Deommodore Lenoir] DMo, [CB] Renardo [Green]. There's a lot of really good talent on this defense, so it's not nearly as what '17 was."
What's the difference between you now and you when you left here?
"I don't know. Obviously, I've gone through the head coaching stuff and you learn a lot going through that. But I'm happy to be back in this chair where I get to coach a little bit more football and not deal with all the administrative stuff that comes with being a head coach. The perspective, I guess, especially, and that's what was exciting about coming back. Just being in a building where I was once a coordinator and now having head coaching experience, to have that global view. So, there's a lot of empathy for understanding what [head coach] Kyle [Shanahan] is going through and trying to help him out best I can. But it's just, I guess more experience."
Have you lost, was there a temptation to go somewhere else where you're working for another head coach or another situation?
"No, and I mean that. I have a tremendous amount of respect for this organization. Obviously, starting at the top with [CEO] Jed [York], he's phenomenal. Kyle, his family, [president of football operations/general manager] John [Lynch], [president of 49ers enterprises and EVP of football operations] Paraag [Marathe], they gave me so much. And during the first two years, if you think about those first two years as D-Coordinator in '17 and '18, it wasn't easy. And it could have been very easy for them to move on from me. And so, there's a, I'm indebted to this organization, to those men for the rest of my life. They stuck with me and we made it happen. We did what we needed to do, and the rest is history. I'm excited about the opportunity to get the chance to do it again with them."
Has your defensive scheme evolved at all since you were here the last time?
"Yeah, for sure it's evolved. You're always trying to stay two years ahead of the offense. And when we went to the Jets, there were a lot of different things that we started to do. And even now, while we have some things from the Jets, there's stuff that has evolved over the course of the last four years here, and obviously with the league that there's stuff happening. We've, over this offseason, a lot of really cool concepts, a lot of really cool things. So, some things are the same, some things are the same from the Jets, some things are meshed, some things are coming in that are new. So, it's like I said, we're trying to stay a couple years ahead. A lot of it may seem similar, but there's a lot of nuance that makes a difference."
You said you try to stay a couple years ahead. What exactly does that mean? Does that mean that you have to kind of project where you think offenses will be?
"For sure. There are always trends with offenses, and you can get an idea of what they're trying to do and what they're trying to get done. You're just trying to pick up on those trends. I don't want to get into too much detail, but you're always trying to stay ahead of them."
Could you get into a little bit of detail with the younger guys? Obviously, a few weeks since the Draft. What are you thinking of the rookies so far?
"Excited to get them out this weekend, for sure. A really cool group of kids that are coming in, all are going to have an opportunity to compete, to get significant playing time this year. But, it's exciting to get a, just the injection of youth to go along with a lot of the veterans that we have on this football team. So, it's exciting. It's going to be fun to work with them."
Jed sort of joked about it, but how much of a role did you actually have in terms of this Draft?
"That was the other reason why it was exciting to come back. This organization, and no pun intended, with it being the gold standard with regard to collaboration and communication. Most buildings maybe spend a week in terms of communication between the scouting department and coaching staff with regards to the Draft. This organization will spend three to four weeks just grinding on tape, offense, defense, special teams, and going deep into the seventh-round, undrafted free agent type players. And I think that's why this organization has had so much success finding day-three picks that come to fruition, and even undrafted free agents that end up having success in this league. So, when it comes to finding players, this organization does a phenomenal job with collaboration. And let's be very real, there's still a process that needs to be followed. The board fell our way from a defensive standpoint. There were a lot of guys on offense that were graded higher that offense was excited to go get, but they got pulled off the board, And I was standing in the back of the room like, 'Hey, I got a guy.' It happened the way it happened, but there was tremendous collaboration through the process."
Has it always been like that, or has the Draft process evolved over time?
"It's always been this way here. Kyle and John do an unbelievable job. You'd be hard pressed to find people who do it as good as they do."
This defense, obviously last year, it fell off. So, when you were here last time, you preached extreme violence, all gas, no break. Do those principles need to be reinforced here now?
"I think it's going to come just with all the youth. There's a lot of empathy for what happened to the group last year. There was a lot of things that, through the halfway point, this defense was playing some really good football and there were a lot of injuries and the wheels kind of fell off during the last four weeks of the season. So, for the coaching staff and the players, there's a lot of empathy in terms of like, 'Man, you're doing your best. It just didn't work out.' But you still see it all. These guys play their butts off. I thought [Dallas Cowboys special teams coordinator] Nick [Sorensen] and those guys did a really nice job. And it's just bringing in this youth, getting them caught up to what the standard is and doing our best to uphold it."
Can you describe what your role was when you joined Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur last year? Did that new perspective help you for this, for coming back to this role?
"Yeah, you know I joke with Matt, I think it was more therapy for me than I was a help for him. But it was just trying to give him a defensive perspective regarding, looking at the, from an offensive standpoint, watching the defense. Giving them thoughts on rules and what may or may not work. But I'm, again, forever grateful for Matty for opening the door to his building and allowing me the opportunity to work there just because of the, from a mental space. It was, like I said, more therapeutic than anything for me."
Following up on that, when you took some time to kind of reflect on your time in New York, what did you learn about yourself as maybe a man or a coach? A little bit of both?
"You learn a lot. I've said it before, there is no handbook for a first-time head coach. There's no handbook for your first time going through life, right? You learn a lot through the process. You figure out a lot about yourself. You understand and pick up, if you look inward and you look in the mirror you can identify some of the things that you did wrong and some of the things that you'd like to do differently. But yeah, there's, anytime you get an experience that's different than the ones you've always experienced, you have an opportunity to grow. And so, there's been a lot of self-reflection and growth in that regard."
You may lean on some rookies this year. What would you like to see from those rookies in this rookie camp?
"Just come out and compete. No expectations right now. They've got a long way to go with regards to understanding what we do. One, the standard at which we play, and the style of ball that we expect them to play. And then on top of that, you've got the scheme and understanding all the nuance that we're going to ask out of them. And so, they've got OTAs, training camp, and it's going to be a crash course. And if any of them are worthy, they'll be on the field Week One."
Anytime that you go from, in any profession, a two to a one, going back to a two is not always easy. Was there ever hesitation or doubt, thinking, "Maybe I should just sit out a year rather than go back to be an assistant and wait for another head coaching opportunity in year?"
"No. We're creatures of habit. I couldn't imagine waking up, and it sounds good. Wake up every morning, take my kids to school, go golf, and then go watch tape. But no, coaching ball was always the option one."
When John and Kyle, or whoever it was, reached out to you, did they remind you, "Hey, remember we could have fired you?"
"(Laughter) He never has to remind me. It's always on my mind."
Your first stint here, there was so much talk, especially after they signed former NFL CB Richard Sherman, about tall corners. And obviously, I think the height profile seems to have changed. Has the scheme changed a little bit to where that six-one to six-three corner may no longer be the exact prototype anymore?
"It was that, you're right, in '17 and '18 and then as we evolved in '19, there was a major shift in the way we did things. So, when we first got here, we installed the Seattle system as I learned it. And then as a staff, we kind of evolved. We brought in the wide-nine and we started implementing some quarters and then our third-down-pressure package completely changed. And so, the profile has changed at all three levels. I'm not going to detail out what those profiles are, but over the course of the last, call it eight years, eight, nine years, it's changed significantly."
Some of the guys that you picked, you drafted, drew comparisons to guys that you coached in the past. LB Nick Martin to Denver Broncos LB Dre Greenlaw, DL C.J. West to Denver Broncos DL D.J. Jones. Do you agree with those comparisons and was that sort of a conscious thing for you to look for types that have worked on this defense in the past?
"No. You're always going to have a comparable, just to give people reference. But they are their own individual players, the way they'll be used. For me, I don't want to pigeonhole any of those guys to being, even though those are great football players, why can't they be more, you know? And so, they have a unique skillset and unique traits that probably remind people of those players. But, they are their own individuals and it's going to be exciting to see how they turn out."
Offensive Coordinator Klay Kubiak
How does your role here change with this new title?
"Not much. I think [head coach] Kyle [Shanahan] referenced this after the season, but I think a lot of what I've kind of done the past couple years has been, coordinator-esque type of work. So I'll keep doing a lot of the same things I've been doing. I think some things kind of naturally change when you get a new title, but for the most part, doing the same work and putting game plans together and getting our guys ready to play."
Kyle did some things last year he hadn't done before, giving you play calling duties in preseason as well as the Week 18 game. What did that mean to you and how did you benefit from those experiences?
"Yeah, it was great. I appreciate him doing that. I think for him from his perspective, just giving somebody else a chance to call it and kind of see the game, like a play caller it definitely helped me. It's going to help me from here on out and I appreciate the opportunity. So hopefully I can take those experiences and just kind of apply them to how I'm helping us game plan and kind of helping us in games because it's invaluable."
Obviously, you haven't had a chance to kind of matchup with defensive coordinator Robert Saleh on the practice field yet, but just what's it been like having him around and what interactions have you guys had in the last few years?
"It's great. Yeah. Coach Saleh is awesome. He obviously has a lot of experience. He is a really good defensive coach. We haven't done a ton of just sitting down talking X's and O's, but obviously watching the Jets defense the past couple years going against them, just ton of respect for their scheme and how hard those guys play. And so it's going to be fun competing against those guys in training camp and in the offseason. But he's just great to have around. He has so much wisdom and experience and it's been awesome so far."
In terms of the offense, can you define exactly what RB Christian McCaffrey's importance is to have him healthy?
"You guys saw in 2023 how important he is to what we want to be as an offense. He's an elite player and we're going to do everything we can to get him the ball, as much as we can. And yeah, his health is really important. He's one of our central players on offense. We want to hand him the ball, we want to throw him the ball, how he changes defenses when he's on the field for how they have to play us in certain coverages, right? Putting more guys in the box to stop the run, it has an effect on the opponents. And so, Christian's doing great. He looks awesome and we're pumped up that he's out there working every day. So I look forward to getting him back out there full time."
Are there any players going into the offseason or at this point in the offseason that you've had specific conversations with like we need you to make this type of jump or a big jump in the offseason coming into next season because we're looking for you to produce a lot more. Is anybody on the roster that you've had those conversations with?
"I wouldn't say pinpoint anyone in particular. I think everybody who's coming back, all of us, all the position coaches, myself, we've had conversations with guys, we've set the expectations for them. I don't want to single out players, but you think of the younger guys who were maybe rookies last year, guys like [WR] Ricky [Pearsall] and [WR] Jake [Cowing] who did really good things. And there's always a jump in your second year. And so you're kind of talking through that expectation and what you think they need to do to, to be consistent and to make that jump and to be consistent NFL players. So that's ongoing with everybody. No matter if you're [TE George] Kittle and you've been around or you're a younger guy, there's always kind of a resetting and defining what we expect going into the year."
You mentioned Jacob, he seemed mostly restricted to special teams last year. Is the plan this year to get him involved more in the offense in the passing game?
"Yeah, we'll get Jake as much involved as he shows his growth and development and what kind of camp he has. And Jake has done an outstanding job of showing up to our offseason in great shape and he's getting better. And Kyle says this all the time, but it's so important for young players to show up to the offseason, just ready to get better. They're in great shape. They can take these limited practices that we have with them to grow and get better. And Jake is doing a great job. He's had a great offseason. He's given himself a chance to get to camp and compete and to really contribute on offense."
What about Ricky?
"Ricky's really in the same boat. Him and Jake, I think they trained a lot together this offseason and they look awesome. It's just physically they're out there and they're getting better every day. So, Ricky, both those guys were similar because they kind of had setbacks in the offseason. Jake had, I think an injury, Ricky had his issues in the offseason, so there was kind of a slow progression into the season for different reasons. And we expect both of those guys to keep improving the way they are and to be big contributors for us."
With Christian, is there anything that you feel like you guys need to do differently to make sure as much is in your control to keep them healthy?
"I wouldn't. You're always cognizant of the reps you're putting on guys, especially in practice, when we do that with Christian all the time, we monitor his reps and you have to be smart when you're in games. You have to be cognizant of how much they're out there. Christian's a really hard guy to take off the field for a lot of reasons. One, because he is a great player, but two, because he does not want to come out, sometimes there's a battle. And so it's just you have to balance those things out, you got to be aware of it, sometimes you got to pull him off the field every now and then. But that's part of what makes him a great player is he's so competitive and he wants to be out there, but it's on us as coaches to try to do the best we can to balance it out."
QB Brock Purdy's had ownership of this offense for a couple years now. How has he kind of started this offseason program kind of blocking out the obvious distraction of the contract?
"Yeah, Brock's been great. Brock has almost three full seasons, like two and a half full seasons of tape now where he can really look at his cutups and look at his games over that time period and just kind of study himself and see where he has gotten better, where he needs to continue to get better. He's a great student of himself. He wants to study himself, he wants to see where he can improve, he wants to be told the truth about what we think about how he can improve. And so he's had a great offseason so far. It's kind of what we expect from Brock."
What was it about of QB Mac Jones that made you want to target him as a second?
"Going back to college, we obviously studied Mac coming out and we thought very highly of him and his skillset as a thrower and the things he did in college. And then obviously as a rookie, what he did in the NFL was very impressive. Mac's a really good thrower. He stands in the pocket, he's a strong guy and he's really smart. And so he's got a lot of traits that we like for a starting quarterback. And his career has kind of gone up and down a little bit the past couple years, but we saw the same things in Jacksonville that we loved about him as a college prospect, and that really excites us. And he's doing a great job. And I think Mac's capable of being a starter in this league. And so he's going to help us if he needs to."
What version of WR Brandon Aiyuk are you expecting to get, and maybe at what point in the season is a realistic expectation for you?
"Brandon's doing great in his rehab. Expectations, it's kind of hard to pinpoint that. I know Brandon's working really hard. It's really hard to define those things. And I know he's doing everything he can do to give himself a chance to get back on the field. And I know that when we get back for camp, he's going to be working every day and just busting his butt to get ready to go. So that's all we can ask for. He's got the right mindset. We'll look forward to having him back out there."
With his timetable uncertain. How much pressure does that put on Ricky to step up in some ways? How do you help him manage those expectations if he continues to progress?
"I don't think it's pressure. I think Ricky sees himself as a starter. He wants to be a starting receiver. And whether BA's out there or not, I think Ricky has that same expectation of himself and that we wouldn't want it any other way. That's how he saw himself last year. And I think that's just how he is naturally."
What did you like about QB Kurtis Rourke in the Draft?
"A big strong thrower. A guy who stands in the pocket and goes through progressions and he's got a really good arm. So, all those things you look for as far as the talent. He was very, very tough. He played injured through this whole year. And he took a program that, kind of, hadn't reached the heights that it reached last year, and he took that program to the playoff. And so just all those things combined, the physical tools, the toughness, the leadership, he's a winner. We think we got a really good player."
It seemed that so many people talk very highly of former quarterbacks coach Brian Griese when he was here. What specifically did he bring to that quarterback room that you think really helped it excel? What do you think that quarterbacks coach Mick Lombardi is going to offer as his replacement?
"Brian, the wisdom and the experience that he brought being a former player, being someone who's been through the rigors of an NFL season, through the emotional highs and lows. He truly brought a calming sort of presence into that room for those guys on a week-to-week basis and kind of reset them every week and got them ready to play. And always appreciative of Brian for doing that and that was awesome. And then, Mick kind of brings a different background. Mick's been a coach his whole career. He has been around football with his dad and his family his whole career. So Mick brings that coaching background that maybe Brian brought more of the players' background. And so Mick's been awesome to work with. He's been a lot of places and he won a lot of games and so he is bringing a lot of experience as well."
Will WR Jauan Jennings be that number one role again with Brandon's return uncertain?
"Yeah, I think, if you ask Jauan, he says 'I'm number one'. And that's his mindset and that's why we love Jaun. That's how he sees himself. He sees himself as a dominant player. I think you guys all saw last year when he got more chances, he played really, really well. So really fired up about Jauan."
Your last name, like Kyle, like other people around the league, it comes with advantages. What are the challenges or difficulties that come with having your family or background?
"I don't really see any challenges necessarily or difficulties. I'm very, very fortunate to have a dad who was a coach and who taught me so much about this profession. I got to be around pro football when I was younger and kind of see what it means to be a pro and what it means to coach. So I see those all as just blessings in my life that have helped me kind of with where I'm at today. So I can't say anything was negative or a challenge. I'm very, very fortunate."
Do you find, maybe it's different here because there's Kyle, but an element of 'I really have to prove myself. I have to show that it's not my last name'?
"Not really. I think everyone who works here, every coach, I like to say every player, we all feel like we have to prove ourselves. We all feel like we have to earn our job every day by the work we put in, by the results we get. I don't see myself any different necessarily."
Special Teams Coordinator Brant Boyer
It's been reported that you really liked WR Junior Bergen quite a bit. Tell us what you like about Bergen.
"You know, you're betting on the kid. Obviously, my son plays at Montana. He was as productive as a returner as it gets out there. If you want to say he has the it factor, I think he does. He's one of the hardest workers on the team. He's a great kid. He's going to come in here and do everything he can to make this football team. Teams tried to kick away from him all the time and any opportunity that they gave him, he made the most of it. And that's what you're looking for. We're wanting to create competition at every level, at every position on this team. And that's special teams included. That's what you've seen with us picking up a kid like that. And he's a hell of a kid and I think he's going to come in here and he is going to work his tail off and hopefully it works out. Whoever makes the team, who doesn't, we're going to make a difference in the return game."
When you came here, did head coach Kyle Shanahan pretty much give you carte blanche or did you have a lot of input into how special teams would be constructed from a personnel standpoint?
"Well, I think it's been very, very positive from Kyle and [president of football operations/general manager] John [Lynch] as far as what our needs were and everything like that. And I think you see some of the needs hopefully getting addressed. I think with them signing [LS John] Weeks and when a player like that becomes available when a player like [CB] Siran Neal becomes available when, when [LB] Luke Gifford becomes available, guys that are good special teamers, guys that are proven in the league. I think that's a sign that this organization takes special teams seriously and I think it's really positive. I really do."
There's been a lot of ups and downs the first two years of K Jake Moody. You come in with a fresh set of eyes on him. What's your early take on the competition or just how things stand with him?
"Well, I think that there isn't a special teams coach in this league that didn't have him rated number one coming out, that I know of. He's as talented as a kid as it gets. I think that the injury issue where he was fighting injuries going back and forth, I think that had a lot to do with it. I think that us bringing in Weeks is going to help. I think that if the kid gets his mind right, which I think he's doing, he's doing a hell of a job for us so far. I think he'll do a heck of a job for us. I really do."
Do you expect him to be your kicker?
"Well, yeah. I mean, it all comes down to what happens in the preseason and everything, just like in any other position for sure."
Why do you think Weeks and Moody are kind of related there? What does Weeks bring that will help Jake?
"Well, I just know from experience playing against Weeks. I tried to rush him all the time, couldn't get him. Talking to the guy, hearing everything about him from everybody in the league, that there's nothing, not a bad word being said about the guy. Always appreciated the way he snapped the ball. Always appreciated the way he picked for his guys and the way, he's more of a picker than a cover guy. But when you ask him to cover kicks and everything like that, he has no problem doing any of it and he will tackle. So, when a guy becomes available like that, I think that'll settle down the position a little bit. You're trying to get the operation right. And I think that the changes that we've made and the operation is smooth, I think it'll be a positive for this organization for sure."
You mentioned Jake Moody getting his mind right. What is he doing off the field to make sure that he's confident?
"Well, I don't know if it's getting his mind right, but I think finally being healthy is a huge deal. I think, like I said, adding Weeks is a big deal for him so that total operation being smooth and everything like that will certainly help the kid for sure."
If you ask Kyle, I think he would say his message about special teams is being misinterpreted, but last year and in the past, he said we don't want special teams to win games, we just want to make sure they don't lose them. It's kind of like, well, to be as good as possible. Did you hear that? Is that a question you had during your interview? Or if not, do you understand what he's saying?
"All I know from guys is, I don't know what's said in the past or what's done in the past, I'm here to do a job and my job is to help this team win, period. I mean, in this league, you've got win two out of three phases, whether that's special teams/offense, special teams/defense or offense/defense. You've got to win two out of three. I'm here to do the best job I can, create a culture that it shouldn't be like punishment to play special teams. And I think teams around the league, that moniker comes out like, 'oh man, I don't want to play special teams.' It shouldn't be like that. You know? That's how I made a living. That's how a lot of people make a living in this league. And if you can create a culture that the guys know you give a damn about them, they're going to play for you. And that's what I'm trying to do."
What impact do you think the new touchback to the 35-yardline is going to have on the rate of kickoff returns?
"I think it's going to be huge. I think you're going to get a minimum of 70-80-percent returns. Instead of what was it last year? It was like 30-percent. It's going to skyrocket. Nobody's going to give up a 35-yardline drive start, in my opinion."
How much does that put on Jake on doing the kickoffs, the positioning of the kickoffs and that part of it?
"Well, I think your kicker's going to obviously have a huge, huge role in that. But you know, also how much we work on kickoff and everything like that, two or three years ago you didn't have to work on kickoff very much because most of the people were booting them out the back of the end zone, right? But now you have to kick it in the field of play or you're going to give up that drive start, and nobody wants to do that."
Through all your experience with special teams, is there anything new you've learned by having a son that's a kicker?
"That's a good question. I don't know. I think that if you ask my son, he don't listen to dad very much, which all fathers I'm sure would probably tell you the same thing. Doesn't matter my experience or not. But he's done a hell of a job and I think he's moving on to coaching. He's getting into coaching now, so I kept trying to talk him out of that one too, but unfortunately didn't get it done."
Looking at last year's tape, what's the number one thing that needs to be corrected on special teams?
"Overall mindset, guys. At the end of the day, this is a violent game played by men, and it's a, special teams, is a one-on-one matchup 90-percent of the time. And it's either you or him. And what it comes down to and that's my whole mindset that I'm trying to get these guys to understand is, it's either you or me and it's going to be you, period. And that's the whole mindset that I want these guys to understand that we're here for them, we're here to make them better. And that's what it comes down to. And if I can make them better, we're all in good shape because It'll help this football team."
How beneficial has it been for you to have assistant special teams coach Colt Anderson another head special teams coordinator, he has that experience helping you on your staff here?
"It's been awesome. I mean, I've known Colt since he was playing when I was in as the assistant in Indianapolis. And he always was the smartest guy and one of the hardest workers and stuff like that. And you know, he lived, him and his family lived next to my family and so, he's in Montana and we're building a place in Montana, like there's a lot of synergies there. And I've always kept in touch with him. And our third [special teams quality control Ronald] Ronnie Blair [III] is doing a hell of a job as well. So, you know, I think there's 25 or 26 years of playing experience between the three of us, and I think that is going to help and go a long way. I really do."
What's your perspective on coaching under defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and now coming here with him and you're both coordinators on the same staff?
"I think it's awesome. I think that the way I've seen him treat people and the positivity that comes out of him and the man that he is that I've got to know through the years and now being here with him again, it's awesome. He is a hell of a football coach and a hell of a guy."
As it relates to Junior and just other, you know, gifted punt returners in your playing career of course, your career, what is the, I guess is there a special quality as far as a sense of where people are on the field or what is it that makes a great punt returner?
"It's a very good question. Number one, can you catch the ball and make great decisions? And I think that it starts there, right? Because the last thing you want to do is give up a possession. Because you give up a possession and that's winning and losing in this game. Some people have like a unique skill to set up blockers, and I always tell our return teams that the returner is the best blocker that you've got. Some people know how to set them up and everything like that. Listen, he's got it, and he's got really good vision. He's got a really good run skill. But we've got a whole group of returners from [WR Ricky] Pearsall to [WR Jacob] Cowing to [WR Trent] Taylor to all those guys that are going to compete for that job. And it'll be interesting to see how it shakes out. I'm excited to see where it goes."