Questions flew after the 49ers’ first two major free agency moves. They signed speedy linebacker Kwon Alexander, and traded for defensive end Dee Ford while signing him to a massive contract. Meanwhile, their weaknesses in the secondary went virtually unaddressed. They re-signed defensive backs Jimmie Ward and Antone Exum Jr., and inked Jason Verrett to a one-year deal after he played just 25 games through his first five seasons.
San Francisco looked like a shoo-in to snag former Seahawks All-Pro safety Earl Thomas given their scheme and abundant cap space. He wound up signing with the Ravens. The other top safeties all signed elsewhere, and the 49ers are left with largely the same secondary that carved up for 35 passing touchdowns while pulling down only two interceptions a season ago.
This looked at first like an inexplicable oversight by the front office, but head coach Kyle Shanahan said something Thursday at the introductory press conference for Ford and Alexander that may serve as an explanation for the 49ers’ emphasis on the front seven.
“Speed and violence affect the quarterback and make people do stupid things before they want to,” Shanahan said via the Sacramento Bee. “Both of these guys have a lot of speed, and they both play very violent.”
It sounds like Shanahan believes impacting the quarterback and forcing him to “do stupid things before they want to” is more effective than stacking up good coverage players.
Whether the 49ers have good coverage players is actually still in question. They have a slew of young defensive backs in their second and third seasons who haven’t gotten a chance to operate with a well-functioning pass rush. It’s not completely out of the question that some combination of their cornerbacks and safeties prove effective once quarterbacks don’t have a chance to comfortably stand in the pocket and pick the defense apart.
Shanahan last season compared the impact of a good pass rusher on defense to the impact of a good quarterback on offense. It’s no wonder that finding fast, physical players in the front seven was the priority.
San Francisco’s seven takeaways on defense last season were the lowest in the NFL. It’s not a coincidence they had one of the least-effective edge rushes in the league. Generating turnovers and stops on defense will be key to accelerating the 49ers’ turnaround. The coaching staff and front office believes that starts up front, and that goes a long way toward explaining their distribution of resources in free agency.
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