San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen spoke to reporters on Wednesday after the team's 12th training camp practice. Here is everything he said.
Transcript provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.
We watch CB Rernardo Green out there and sometimes he's on the right side, sometimes on the left, sometimes he's in the nickel. Are you impressed by what he's been able to digest to this point?
"Absolutely. It's been a process, but he's gotten better every day. Like I said, even when we talk about [DB Deommodore Lenoir] Dmo being able to go inside and outside, that's tough to do as a rookie. But he puts the work in and you've seen that with a lot of our rookies. Just the way that they can excel this quickly, you can tell they're putting the time in. We've got guys that are serious, they care, they're putting the extra time in. And they did it over the time off too. That's why when they come back and not only did they retain stuff, but you saw some increase in how they're improving. That shows that, this guy's, we got the right guy. We knew that about the guys that we targeted and that we got. But to see that with him and some of the other guys as well, it's really encouraging because that's who we are."
Two picks from S George Odum today. He's more than held his own, it seems like, running with the first teams as a safety and pigeonholed as a special teams guy for so long. But how viable is he as a safety?
"He's a football player. Like I said, he really did well last year during this time as well. And he's just, as far as improving at the safety spot, he has all the tools. He's just continued to feel comfortable in the system to where, again, he can play fast. And he made a correction today about being in the post from the other day when they got an explosive. So that was cool to see that it's not just the ability, it's the comfort, able to make corrections and still go make the play. Because he is aggressive and he'll tell you, he is not going to drop the ball. He is not just a special teamer, he is a football player and it translates. He's doing well."
You've been around football a long time. What would you tell a casual fan who is going to turn on the game Saturday about the kickoff, that doesn't really know what's going on?
"What do you mean?"
How would you explain it to someone who hasn't been paying attention? Like, "Hey, the kickoff is going to look a little different now."
"Well, did they already know about the kickoff or is this someone who is like from Mars and they don't know anything?"
They kind of forgot.
"They're starting out right near each other and then they're going to play. That's the only way, I kind of watch it a little bit."
What do you think about it?
"I think it's interesting. A lot of my crew is on special teams. So for me, not only were you kicking off, you were at the 30 and they could double team and they had wedges. I would hit doubles and wedges all the time. So, I'm kind of like, 'Dang, they don't have to hit wedges?' They don't know what it's like to hit two O-Linemen that are like four guys running next to each other. So I'm kind of old school in that thought. But I also know neck and head and all that stuff, to where I think it's like, okay, that's not smart, just spearheading into four O-Linemen or two fullbacks. And so the purest part of me still loves them. I sometimes think, 'Man, let's go to the 30,' but it's smart. You have to do the smart thing. Just like two-a-days. I remember as a player being like, 'What are we doing? It's the fourth day and we're going to do two-a-days for 10 days in a row before our first day off.' You can't even walk when you wake up. And I'm like, 'I have two practices today, what are we doing?' You always hear the guys before me even, had it worse. So I think it's just the progress of how smart the NFL is with the ownership and just the competition committee. They know what they're doing, I think, with how they're dealing with how we practice and how it translates to the games, like the kickoffs. So I think if someone knew about it, they would just think, 'Hey, they're going to be a little bit closer and now they're going to hit.' Just like tackling guys, you can't use your head, pulling people down with the horse collar and stuff like that. It just, the game has changed but it's still violent. That's what I want us to realize. No matter what, no matter how the rules change, we still have to play in a violent way. Just safe and legal."
Do you think there's less risk with the guys so close together? And if so, could you put two linemen together?
"Oh, I don't know all those rules. I think that's why they did it. You're taking out the high speed collision. What I was talking about back then, it was 40 yards of sprinting into somebody. Just like how you have to hit people, and the receivers, how they're protected, how quarterbacks are protected. You could talk to some of those old school guys about going over the middle and taking some of the shots that [former NFL WR] Jerry Rice and those guys had to take. Some of these quarterbacks, you hear them bring that stuff up too. But it's making the game safer and it's protecting people. So I think that's right for the players."
You have great corner depth. I thought CB Samuel Womack III had a good practice today.
"He did."
How would you describe his tenure here? He kind of seemed like he fell out of favor last year. Didn't play a lot at the end of the year, but he sure looks good this summer.
"He's played consistent. That's the main thing is just keeping him consistent. He's worked hard, he improved over the offseason and he's been consistent. That's the good thing. Continue to improve and challenging him. And so far, he has met the challenge. I'm just excited for all these guys, to see them play in the game. No one person in particular. We're getting to go in a game, play against someone else coming up. And let's see who competes."
You've got a new front four with DL Nick Bosa, DL Javon Hargrave, DL Leonard Floyd and DL Maliek Collins. It seems like they're getting stronger and stronger, the more you practice. What are you seeing out of that front four?
"It's exciting. They're dynamic guys. They're really starting to work together well with some of the games and how they rush. But they're all so explosive. They all have such experience. They all have production. It's a cool group. And then even our guys behind them too. We've got guys that work and can rush, get to the quarterback, but also play the run game, because you have to earn the right to get those pass rushes."
Nick said he'd be open to dropping in coverage, if you guys utilize three-four a bit more. What's your perspective on that and do you think that's something you will end up using a bit more this season?
"No, it's just you do what you need to win the game. Sometimes that happens, we've done it in the past. He's had to drop if something dictates it based on formation or call, then it can happen. You want him rushing, it's Nick. But, it can happen. It's just football."
Getting back to the secondary, obviously they were able to force multiple interceptions there toward the end. Why do you think that they were so efficient? And then also as we head near the end of camp here, how much confidence do you have with these guys going into the season, especially in this pass-happy league that we have?
"I just like that they compete and they've improved every day. We're being disruptive, but again, it's rushing coverage, working together. I think a lot of times, most of the drills we do are team periods. You've got people around the quarterback and sometimes it's coverage forcing a sack or he has to take an extra hitch or there's someone around, he has to slide in the pocket. The main thing is our guys are working hard on the details. That's what we've really focused on this offseason and this training camp, is just how much better can we get? How can we fix every minute detail? They all take coaching, they love it, they're studs about it. They hold each other accountable, they compete and try and finish everything."
You guys have talked a lot about trying to adapt to this style, this defensive line coach Kris Kocereck style of just getting after the quarterback. How do you see the new guys that have been here, like DL Yetur Gross-Matos adjusting to that 'just go after the quarterback' mindset?
"As far as how he coaches and what we want to do, he's adjusted well. I think a lot of the guys have really quickly. Just like we were talking about Renardo earlier, like I've said a couple times, I think the guys that we brought in are just the right type of guys. Not only are they talented in what they have positionally, they're also very serious, they love ball and then they come into a team that's already like that. So he's worked really hard. He's really focused and they want to do it right. He's really picking it up fast."
How much more do you think you can get out of Javon Hargrave this year?
"I think he looks great right now. I think the sky is the limit. I think he looks, I feel like better than he did last camp. I think he's gotten more comfortable and he had a really good offseason and training and coming in. I'm excited."
Is there a hesitation, just coming from a different scheme to this one that you saw from him last year?
"I don't know. I think he had an injury at one point and he was doing really well and sometimes there are setbacks like that, that just, can take you off course a little bit."
I realize he's not your guy on defense but there's been a fair amount of buzz about how WR Deebo Samuel has come into camp and kind of set the tone. Just as a football coach, do you notice?
"Absolutely."
This looks like peak Deebo?
"The first day I saw him when he came back, I almost didn't recognize him. I was like, 'Dang dude, you're in really good shape.' He came back in, not a knock, he looks great and he's moving great. He's Deebo, he's a weapon anyway. But he's been looking really good."
