Floyd explained the reasons he signed with the 49ers on a Zoom call Monday
Leonard Floyd is next in line as the edge rusher hand-picked by the San Francisco 49ers to take pressure off Nick Bosa. Floyd spoke to the media on Monday afternoon, discussing Kris Kocurek, his work ethic, and why he signed with the Niners.
On a Zoom call with the media, Floyd spoke about the 49ers defensive line coach: “I am familiar with Kocurek because I’ve seen some of the players he coached take off to a high level just from being in his room. I know he’s a guy who is going to push me to my highest level, a level I haven’t reached yet, and I’m looking forward to that.”
A selling point for the 49ers in free agency is to convince former first-round picks Floyd, who was selected 9th overall in 2016, that Kocurek can elevate their game. So far, Kocurek has done just that.
Floyd was vocal about his buying into Kocurek and the game plan, saying he’s ready to “soak up the game” from Kucurek and buy into what he’s teaching.
Floyd believes he’ll jive with Kocurek’s personality: “I believe I’ve had every style of coach. I’m always eager to play for a coach who is loud and vocal when his players got to come out and stand on the words he’s speaking on, and I believe I’m going to do that for him.”
If you’ve ever been to a 49ers practice, you’ve heard Kocurek screaming from the other side of the field.
Floyd has dropped into coverage closer to 100 times per season than ten in the previous four years. That was another reason to convince him to come to the Bay Area. Floyd said, “I’d rather rush all day than drop, anyway. That’s a good thing for me. Send me in as much as you want.”
Floyd doesn’t have a preference whether he’s rushing from a two or three-point stance. He’d likely have his hand in the ground with the 49ers, but that wasn’t the case with the Buffalo Bills or Los Angeles Rams: “It really doesn’t matter to me, as long as we sack the quarterback. Scheme-wise, I’m an athlete, so I fit any scheme. All I need for my coach to do is teach me what to do and where to go, and I’m going to go 100 percent.”
Floyd said he had “quite a few offers” before sharing why he chose the 49ers: “But what it was, man, the 49ers didn’t bullsh t around. They came out of the gate came in with a great deal. It was a solid deal for me, and there wasn’t any second-guessing. They showed that they wanted me from the jump. Once I saw that, I’m like, ‘Shoot, I want y’all, too. I’m on my way.’”
Floyd seems like a fun personality with infectious energy. He’ll be perfect for the 49ers locker room. Floyd isn’t with San Francisco just for his energy or the money. He’s here to win:
“From the outside looking in, I knew this was a team that was ready for a Super Bowl run. I didn’t want to go to a team and not be in a position to not be able to play in the playoffs and win a championship. So I came here with aspirations of coming in and helping the defense out to win games and getting back to the big game.”
Floyd name-dropped George Kittle as a player who could help him become a better player. There’s also a left tackle on the roster Floyd will want to test out his skills against.
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