On Tuesday, it was San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan's turn to address the media from the NFL Annual League Meeting in Orlando, Florida. The annual spring gathering brings together NFL owners, executives and head coaches to vote on rule changes and bylaws as well as provide league-wide updates headed into the 2024 season.
Here is a quote breakdown from Shanahan's roundtable:
Shanahan on his new defensive linemen:
"Mainly, the guys that were available, we competed hard to get them. Maliek Collins became available for that seventh-round pick, that was huge. Yetur Gross-Matos just getting him on the edge, Leonard Floyd on the edge, all the size in the middle - I feel really good about the group. We had a bunch of one-year guys, so we knew we had to bring out a number of others."
Shanahan on Floyd's addition and his motor:
"Yeah, he goes all day. We've played against him too much. I've never liked playing against him. He's always been such a good player. It's really cool having Brandon Staley on our staff because he got to coach him in LA. (You hear) just the type of practice player he is. He goes all day. He loves playing football, loves being out there, and we are pumped to have him on our team."
Shanahan on the release of Arik Armstead:
"It was really tough. We've been with Arik since we've been here, and he was here a couple years before us. It wasn't something we wanted to happen, one of the tough things, trying to keep the team together and where it goes with the salary cap. He got in a good spot. I am really happy for him, where it ended up, but hated to see him go."
Shanahan on Nick Sorenson and his growth within the organization:
"He's worked with a lot of people before us that I knew - Seattle and being in Jacksonville. During his playing career, we've crossed paths a number of ways. Having him in our building these last couple of years, really getting to work with DeMeco Ryans a lot in his first year and working a ton with Steve (Wilks) last year, really prepared him for this (promotion to defensive coordinator). He's been around the scheme. He's been through it these two seasons, and I love where he is at from a football mind. Our players love him. He's been talking to our team every Thursday during the ball meetings. Our players are used to him, and it's a great opportunity for him. We're happy to put him in this position."
Shanahan on Brandon Staley's role with the 49ers:
"Nick (Sorenson) is going to call the plays. That's the main job of the defensive coordinator, is calling the defense. Nick will be a huge part of gameplanning and doing everything on that side of the ball, helping me out in other areas also. Brandon will be a big part of the gameplans, implementing a lot of our defense in the offseason and during the week each week, preparing for teams, and he's been a big part of free agency already, helping us with the draft. He'll be a huge asset to our whole coaching staff."
Shanahan on quarterback Brock Purdy taking the next step this offseason:
"It's just about getting more consistent in everything. When you have a whole season to review yourself, last year, he had seven games, when you get the whole season, that's so much tape to go over. That takes a long time to get through. You always want to be perfect, and you never will be, but with the reps that he's had, now he can review that stuff and take it to the field. When we get back on April 15th, together we'll watch - we'll do all quick game, we'll do all five-steps, all seven-steps, we'll do the play action, we'll do the movement. That's stuff that (Brian) Griese and (Klay) Kubiak will take him on the field and work him at every day."
Shanahan on offensive line continuity:
"The more the O-line plays together, the better they get. It's the one position on the field where the five guys really have to work a lot from practice to offseason to OTAs to training camp and throughout the year. You watch an O-line in the last half of the year compared to the first, it usually gets better if you can stay healthy. We've been able to do that for the most part, and I'm excited to get our group back. We'll always keep looking to add, improve in the draft and things like that, get some more competition in there but we've been really happy with our group."
Shanahan on wide receiver Jauan Jennings returning for the 2024 season and his development over the past three seasons:
"It's huge. I love Jauan... It (his game) has a lot, but Jauan has always been a baller. You watch his college tape, just the way he plays. Jauan has always been this way. He's a gamer. He plays so physically. I think he's only gotten more and more physical each year. The style of how he plays, I think people sleep on him a little bit. They don't realize how big and physical he is until they get him on gameday. He catches a lot of guys off guard."
