Gus Bradley's role reversal and why 49ers consider him ‘huge addition' to defense

New York Times

5 hours ago

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Everyone has questioned their boss, at least privately, at one point in time. Maybe even often.
'What the hell do they know?'
Gus Bradley is in the unique position of asking his boss that 14 years after their roles were reversed. Bradley is the San Francisco 49ers' new assistant head coach of defense, and he remembers when defensive coordinator Robert Saleh worked for him as a quality control coach with the Seattle Seahawks in 2011.
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'You think (Saleh) should just be sitting there and making sure the notes are taken and everything's been drawn up right,' said Bradley, who was Seattle's defensive coordinator. 'But it wasn't like that with Robert. He would challenge your thoughts and say, 'Well, I've had some experiences too and here's one way to look at it.''
Bradley encouraged the younger coach's feedback, and he later hired Saleh as the Jacksonville Jaguars' linebackers coach in 2014, when he was the head coach there. Saleh went on to have success with the 49ers as defensive coordinator from 2017 to 2020 before leaving to become the head coach of the New York Jets. That run didn't go so well, and now Saleh, 46, is returning to try to help the 49ers rebound from a 6-11 season.
He's brought his mentor, Bradley, 58, with him.
'I've been with Gus for a long time and have just so much respect for him,' Saleh said two weeks ago. 'While our philosophies are the same, we look at it differently, if that makes sense. It's kind of a good yin and yang. He sees my blind spots, and I can see his.'
Unlike Bradley, Saleh is not as big on the give and take.
'He yells at me that 'there's a line to be drawn,'' Bradley said.
Bradley then let out a huge laugh that Saleh could probably hear down the hall.
'No, no, no. It's not like that,' Bradley said, smiling. 'We have a fabulous relationship. I'm really excited because I know how excited he is to be back here.
'It's always exciting if you can be any place where you can add value or you're valued. With Robert and our relationship, you always feel like you're valued, and I think it goes both ways. We both want to challenge one another to get better.'
Bradley, a defensive coordinator in the NFL for four teams over 12 seasons, serves as a sounding board for Saleh as well as the players. They both come from a Cover 3 background, though Saleh has used more quarters coverage (with four defensive backs dividing up the field). Both have implemented different hybrids at times, which is what the 49ers are working on this offseason, making their partnership ideal.
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'I am here just to add my little piece or whatever I can do to help the organization,' Bradley said.
As a former head coach like Saleh, Bradley said that experience helps defensive coordinators see the game differently.
'You kind of see a big picture,' he said. 'Sometimes, it's things like situational football. When you're the head coach, situations are so important. And then when you go back to be a coordinator, you really look at situations differently.'
Even back in Seattle, Saleh was good at seeing the big picture.
'He can take something that seems to be complex and make it look simple for the players to understand,' Bradley said. 'And I think what makes him unique is he can really show what we're trying to get accomplished, the parameters, and then (he) tells them, 'Now go ahead and add your flavor to it.'
'That's why I think players have really enjoyed playing for him.'
Bradley said he felt a certain belief and expectation when he walked into the 49ers facility for the first time.
'It's been cool to see how Kyle (Shanahan) operates, how the practice goes, the competitiveness and work ethic of the players,' Bradley said. 'You can feel that expectation, and I think expectations are good because you usually rise to the level of expectation as long as they're realistic.'
Bradley compared getting feedback from Shanahan to when former quarterback Philip Rivers would tell Bradley, his defensive coordinator at the time, how he read coverages in practice.
'Gus has just been in awe of Kyle in terms of his communication and his teaching style,' Saleh said, 'his presentation in front of the room, and just our dialogue back and forth and trying to help our schemes out. He's elite in that regard. He doesn't just close his door, and he's very transparent with everybody on the coaching staff.'
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Shanahan is also enjoying watching Bradley work.
'I have as much respect for (him) as any coach I've been around, going against him a ton, how good he has been,' Shanahan said. 'I just feel very fortunate to get him here. … It's really cool for Saleh to have him to bounce ideas off of and kind of to challenge him in certain ways.
'Gus also brings a certain wisdom just as far as teaching and how he communicates with people. He's always trying to help guys out around the building, and I think he's been one of our huge additions this offseason.'
The 49ers are counting on their first five draft picks, all defensive players, to make an impact this season, and Bradley has been impressed with their attention to detail.
'It's pretty clear and concise what we're after,' Bradley said. 'Now the players just have to go do it.'
(Photo of Gus Bradley: Jeff Chiu / Associated Press)