Latest news with #Kocurek
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Williams showing signs of being 49ers' long-sought Bosa complement
Williams showing signs of being 49ers' long-sought Bosa complement originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area SANTA CLARA — Now that 49ers defensive end Mykel Williams has worked with Kris Kocurek for a few weeks, the defensive line coach shared how the rookie has been adapting to his new surroundings. Advertisement 'What we saw on college tape and all the information that we gathered in pre-draft process concerning him as a person, all the boxes have checked off so far,' Kocurek said. 'His toughness, his love for the game, the skill set that we've seen on tape, the skill set that his coaches at Georgia explained that he had in his body, a lot of the boxes have checked so far.' There are lofty expectations for first round picks, but they might be even higher for Williams, who is joining a defensive line room that saw multiple departures during free agency. While Kocurek was nothing but positive in his description of the Georgia product, he made sure to temper his comments just a bit. 'Now, we are out there in a geared down setting in OTA football right now,' Kocurek said. 'You won't truly get the true assessment until we get the pads on in August and really start going at this at the level that kind of correlates more to Sundays.' The 49ers have a few more on-field practices before the group breaks for summer, and all eyes have been on Williams to help reinvigorate a pass rush that saw a challenging 2024 season. Advertisement The team has been in the market for a bookend to pair opposite of Nick Bosa for several seasons, wanting to get pressure on the quarterback from both sides of the field. An attempt to acquire an edge rusher with their second-round pick of the 2022 NFL Draft in Drake Jackson did not pan out as planned. The USC product dealt with a lingering knee injury before being released in May. The 49ers also signed Leonard Floyd last season, who was second in quarterback sacks only to Bosa during his one season with the team. The long-time veteran quickly was signed by the Atlanta Falcons. In Williams, Kocurek hopes the 49ers have found a long-term answer, but only time will tell. Advertisement 'So far so good,' Kocurek said. 'Really impressed with the kid, his love for the game, his toughness, his eagerness to learn. And then the skill set that backs that all up. Arrow is pointing up on all of that.' Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast
Fox Sports
5 days ago
- Business
- Fox Sports
49ers overhaul defensive line with rookies and Bryce Huff after disappointing season
Associated Press SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers have built their defense out from the defensive line ever since coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch arrived eight years ago. An underwhelming performance from that unit during a disappointing 2024 season has led to a near complete overhaul at the position with San Francisco now counting on three rookies and recently acquired edge rusher Bryce Huff to give enough support to holdover star Nick Bosa to get back to having a dominant front. To make sure the additions fit seamlessly, the Niners are relying on defensive line coach Kris Kocurek, who welcomes the challenge with some 'fresh blood in the room.' 'This year is probably one of the more significant turnovers with the youth that we've added to the mix and acquiring Bryce here in the last few days,' Kocurek said Tuesday. 'There will be quite a few new faces in there that will have to make significant contributions. We knew it was a possibility there would be some turnover. It also can be challenging bringing in four to five new guys in a room. But I like it. They're all coming in very eager, willing to learn and trying to get a little better each day, stacking one day on top of the next.' The 49ers cut three Week 1 starters from last season, letting go of expensive veterans like Javon Hargrave, Leonard Floyd and Maliek Collins and replacing them with youth. San Francisco used the 11th overall pick on versatile Georgia defensive end Mykel Williams before adding defensive tackles Alfred Collins in the second round and CJ West in the fourth. Those additions were meant to shore up a run defense that regressed in recent years with the 4.45 yards per carry allowed last season more than 1 yard higher than the 3.4 average in 2022. The trade for Huff that was officially completed when he passed a physical on Tuesday was aimed at giving the team a dynamic edge rusher across from Bosa. The team had no other edge rusher who had a season with at least five sacks before trading a conditional fifth-round pick for Huff, who had 10 sacks and 67 pressures on 334 pass rush snaps in 2023 when he played on the New York Jets for Robert Saleh, who is back in San Francisco this season for a second stint as defensive coordinator. Kocurek said Huff's speed off the edge and his quick get-off 'jumps off the tape' and is confident he can return to that form after struggling last season in Philadelphia in a defense that had him playing more as a stand-up linebacker than a dedicated edge rusher. Huff had only 2 1/2 sacks and 23 pressures in his one season in Philadelphia, missing five games with a wrist injury. He was then a healthy scratch in the Super Bowl. 'If you're born into a hand-in-the-ground defense, it's an adjustment period to turn yourself into a stand-up, outside linebacker role and vice versa,' Kocurek said. 'There's a learning curve and steps you have to take to master the techniques. It's not just snap your fingers and go to a different scheme.' Kocurek hopes the changes in personnel lead to a change in performance after the struggles up front last season contributed to a 6-11 record and the team's fewest sacks in a season since 2020 when Bosa missed nearly the entire year with a knee injury. 'If that doesn't piss you off than you've got to get out of coaching,' Kocurek said. 'The fire burns deeper in your stomach, the chip gets bigger on your shoulder and you want to do everything humanly possible to make sure it doesn't happen again. No one should be happy about it.' NOTES: The Niners made three other roster moves after adding Huff. They signed receiver Malik Knowles to a one-year deal, waived OL Nicholas Petit-Frere and placed WR Trent Taylor on IR. ___ AP NFL: recommended
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
49ers overhaul defensive line with rookies and Bryce Huff after disappointing season
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers have built their defense out from the defensive line ever since coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch arrived eight years ago. An underwhelming performance from that unit during a disappointing 2024 season has led to a near complete overhaul at the position with San Francisco now counting on three rookies and recently acquired edge rusher Bryce Huff to give enough support to holdover star Nick Bosa to get back to having a dominant front. To make sure the additions fit seamlessly, the Niners are relying on defensive line coach Kris Kocurek, who welcomes the challenge with some 'fresh blood in the room.' 'This year is probably one of the more significant turnovers with the youth that we've added to the mix and acquiring Bryce here in the last few days,' Kocurek said Tuesday. 'There will be quite a few new faces in there that will have to make significant contributions. We knew it was a possibility there would be some turnover. It also can be challenging bringing in four to five new guys in a room. But I like it. They're all coming in very eager, willing to learn and trying to get a little better each day, stacking one day on top of the next.' The 49ers cut three Week 1 starters from last season, letting go of expensive veterans like Javon Hargrave, Leonard Floyd and Maliek Collins and replacing them with youth. San Francisco used the 11th overall pick on versatile Georgia defensive end Mykel Williams before adding defensive tackles Alfred Collins in the second round and CJ West in the fourth. Those additions were meant to shore up a run defense that regressed in recent years with the 4.45 yards per carry allowed last season more than 1 yard higher than the 3.4 average in 2022. The trade for Huff that was officially completed when he passed a physical on Tuesday was aimed at giving the team a dynamic edge rusher across from Bosa. The team had no other edge rusher who had a season with at least five sacks before trading a conditional fifth-round pick for Huff, who had 10 sacks and 67 pressures on 334 pass rush snaps in 2023 when he played on the New York Jets for Robert Saleh, who is back in San Francisco this season for a second stint as defensive coordinator. Kocurek said Huff's speed off the edge and his quick get-off 'jumps off the tape' and is confident he can return to that form after struggling last season in Philadelphia in a defense that had him playing more as a stand-up linebacker than a dedicated edge rusher. Huff had only 2 1/2 sacks and 23 pressures in his one season in Philadelphia, missing five games with a wrist injury. He was then a healthy scratch in the Super Bowl. 'If you're born into a hand-in-the-ground defense, it's an adjustment period to turn yourself into a stand-up, outside linebacker role and vice versa,' Kocurek said. 'There's a learning curve and steps you have to take to master the techniques. It's not just snap your fingers and go to a different scheme.' Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Kocurek hopes the changes in personnel lead to a change in performance after the struggles up front last season contributed to a 6-11 record and the team's fewest sacks in a season since 2020 when Bosa missed nearly the entire year with a knee injury. 'If that doesn't piss you off than you've got to get out of coaching,' Kocurek said. 'The fire burns deeper in your stomach, the chip gets bigger on your shoulder and you want to do everything humanly possible to make sure it doesn't happen again. No one should be happy about it.' NOTES: The Niners made three other roster moves after adding Huff. They signed receiver Malik Knowles to a one-year deal, waived OL Nicholas Petit-Frere and placed WR Trent Taylor on IR. ___ AP NFL:
