SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers’ defense looks notably different under new coordinator Raheem Morris, who has introduced a package of positions and fronts that depart from the club’s recent base 4-3, zone-heavy approach. The team had cycled through six coordinators in 10 years — including Robert Saleh, DeMeco Ryans, Steve Wilks and Nick Sorensen — and often returned to similar looks until this offseason.
Left tackle Trent Williams said roughly halfway through training camp he still isn’t sure what to expect from down to down. “Everything’s different,” Williams said, adding the 49ers had seen similar concepts when Morris coached in Los Angeles and in Atlanta.
Morris has emphasized five-man fronts to create confusing pre-snap looks. Morris’ Atlanta teams played the third-most five-man fronts in the NFL over the past two seasons, and Morris acknowledged the 49ers had only “dibbled and dabbled” with the look previously. The change is aimed at making personnel groupings look alike before quickly transforming into other alignments.
The staff has introduced new role names. Linebacker Dre Greenlaw mentioned a position Morris calls the “fever backer,” a flexible fifth defender who can rush the edge, drop into coverage or play as a traditional stack linebacker. Morris joked he has been “making up a lot of terms” while outlining the role. Linebacker coach K.J. Wright said the winner of that competition must do more than possess the right physical traits, calling it “a sick position” that demands players operate both on and off the ball.
Through the early weeks of camp, second-year linebacker Nick Martin and rookies Jaden Dugger and Romello Height have emerged as top candidates for the fever backer role. Observers saw Dugger take reps with the defensive line to hone pass-rush moves, Height work on drops into coverage and Martin occasionally line up as the fifth defender during team periods. Morris has also labeled a “star” position that functions as an every-down nickel with slot, run-support and occasional pass-rush responsibilities.
