How Raheem Morris, 49ers are preparing for Week 1 game vs. Rams in Australia
Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris and 49ers players speak with reporters after San Francisco's practice on Tuesday in Santa Clara.
How Raheem Morris, 49ers are preparing for Week 1 game vs. Rams in Australia originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Video Transcript
All right, guys.
What's the level of concern about the health of your, your pass rush with Bosa and Romello Height?
You know, we'll see.
You know, we got a week to practice.
We gotta get to Australia.
All those things that happen.
You know, obviously they haven't been out there today, but we got plans and they have return dates, so when they're to return, you know, get a chance to practice this week and get ready to go.
So I feel pretty good about it.
How useful was the time when the pads went on to this point right here to just for you figuring out how the pieces fit and what you wanna do schematically through the season?
I think it started throughout the whole process.
You know, we came in from OTA days, it started there.
Obviously, you go through the draft, you get a couple pieces, you add people, you get people back coming off injury, you know, all those things.
The whole process has been useful.
Going to training camp, getting a chance to see things.
You have some exploratory things you want to check out.
You got some things you know you can really do well, some things you wanna get better at.
I think all those things come into play, and now it starts to zero down on what you need to do to try to win, win this weekend or whenever we get to Australia.
What's your, what's your comfort level right now with your, your defensive tackle options next to Osa, and how do you kind of envision that rotation working?
You know, feel pretty deep there.
You know, obviously we had a bunch of guys, you know, got a couple guys claimed, you know, a couple, well, one guy claimed in particular, but we have some young guys we brought in here this year.
You know, the guys that we drafted throughout the process, whether it's been AC, whether it's been Wes, you know, whether it's been Halton coming back off injury, you know, Osa, you know, all of those guys having a chance.
James Thompson's the shopper at camp, being able to go out there and make the team.
I think all those things have been really well.
I like the inside interior people and what they've been able to do, particularly with some of the dr- the vision of some of those guys flexing down, whether you're talking about Keon White or Mike Kell when he gets back.
You got a bunch of different people in there that can play, give you some good rotational pieces to do some good things.
Like early base downs.
Do you, do you feel like you already have an idea of who you want there, or is that gonna be kind of a work in progress as, as you go?
You know, obviously, you know, AC and CJ played a significant role last year.
You know, James and Osa are our new guys.
Osa's been brought here, to solidify that three technique for us and do some really good things, so I got a really good idea on what it's gonna look like.
Now we gotta go out there and do it.
What did you see from James Thompson Jr.
In particular this off season that convinced you he's a NFL player?
You know, honestly, you know, you've seen it.
Like I can't help but see you on Instagram.
You pop up every single day.
And you're exactly right.
Big man stood up, throwing hands, been able to shed blocks, get off, X off, do a lot of really good things in a positive way.
It's, it's a l- a lot of what you saw.
Does that- You can just share it with everybody else.
Does, does that cause you anxiety when you see media reports about guys that you'd like to sort of, kinda sneak onto the roster and, you know, o- over the years, you know, Atlanta- Let me rephrase this right.
Anxiety on media reports about?
About, about young players that you'd like to maybe get on your practice squad or something that you have to cut and- Oh, I'm too old to have anxiety about that.
That happens.
That, that's, that's, I told Chris Kyser the other day, that's a sign of him being too famous for his own good.
You know, you get guys claimed, that you brought in here as a free agent, and you get another guy to make the football team.
You find ways to get the guys better.
You know, I heard, wasn't around, but I heard how much improved AC and CJ got throughout the course of the season last year.
You know, and then coming off the injury, getting those guys to fight back and do some of those different things.
I, I mean, it's really a credit to the organization, a credit to the guys seeing the talent, a credit to the guys that's been brought in here to do those things.
That stuff happens.
That's come, that comes with football.
Hard to say it's anxiety.
It's just, the norm.
Raheem, a lot of times these McVay-Shanahan match-ups are sort of described as chess mas- matches between two of the best minds in football.
Having now kind of been on both sides of it, what makes these match-ups special or different?
That's screw those guys.
No, I'm just kidding.
I mean, you're talking about two of the best minds in football, right?
You're talking about, you know, Kyle's been doing it such a long time at such a high level, and really the Shanahan name, right?
You're talking about his dad, talking about the lineage of what's going on throughout that process.
You know, Kyle, you know, really doesn't get enough credit.
You know, all those guys were together with him, and then they've gone and kind of branched out and done some really good things, whether it's Matt LaFleur, whether it's, you know, Mike LaFleur, whether it's e- even Sean McVay.
They've explored, they've done different things.
They, you know, get a chance to get together and really, be a pain in the neck for us defensive guys throughout the course of, of football, so it's been fun.
I've been able to join him and coach on the same side as the ball, been on the opposite side of the ball.
It's always gonna be fun.
It's always gonna be good.
It's just a matter of who executes that day.
So, it's something that we all love to watch.
I know you said your first impression of Kyle was a nerd.
What was your first impression of Sean McVay?
Man, you took me back.
But, you know, when Sean first got there, he was like, he was, he was actually a nerd, too, in a different way.
He just, he just was obsessed with football.
Loved football.
You know, found any way possible to get in the National Football League.
Got in the National Football League, and then really turned out.
He'll joke and say, "I'm the first person to fire him."
found a way to come back and just absolutely take his, his, his football knowledge to a whole different level.
So, I, I, I've been really excited watching all our guys, and as we grew up throughout the course of, football, and it's been fun.
Rhodes, there's three tight end personnel packages tricky to defend.
I think it was the switch that he had throughout the course of the season last year.
You know, started off being historically an 11 team.
You know, moved a little bit to 12, and then, you know, it, it just kinda goes to what we talked about in the beginning about defense.
You play what suits your team, and he found, you know, three really good tight ends that he felt really comfortable playing.
It probably started originally with some of the injuries that may have happened, whether it was DeVonta or Puka in the beginning.
You start to explore with those things to get different guys out there.
They get a chance to go out there and show up, and then you find a way to change your identity a little bit, how you run the football, what you look like in 13.
So you gotta prepare for everything, right?
You know what they can do in 11.
We know what they now could do in 13 or 12.
He's probably cooking up something new.
You know, a couple years ago we asked Corona to go back at fullback and do some juice type things, so there, there's a bunch of different things that's gonna happen on game day.
You gotta take what you see from the day one install, be ready to go out there and prepare for those things.
But no, that there's gonna be something, a wrinkle or something that you gotta be ready to deal with.
Well, Rhodes, you mentioned you guys have a plan, for Bosa.
Does he need to practice tomorrow to make the trip?
And if he doesn't and he's on the trip, how much practice does he need for you to feel comfortable rolling him out?
Bosa's played a lot of football.
For me to feel comfortable It'd be different.
It's more about Bosa, right?
So what, but what does Bosa need?
What does he need to get out there and prepare himself to go be the very best version of himself?
So Bosa, you know, has got a plan in place, and I don't wanna reveal it if Kyle hadn't done it, but I'll let him do that stuff, break the news to you, what's going on with that.
But, you know, obviously they got a real legit plan.
We got Dustin Perry, we got Dustin Little, we got Kyle Shanahan, you know, John Lynch, all of his coaches, all-hands-on-deck type mentality to get him ready to go.
So whatever it takes for him to get out there, I'm just gonna feel good when he gets a chance to get out there and be able to call those plays for him.
With him, while he's been out, Sam Okwuona's been picking a lot of the first team stuff at defensive end throughout camp.
What, what makes him a starting caliber defensive end?
What, what's his specialties?
I think just the, the pit bull mentality that he has.
You know, he's a barnyard bully.
He can do whatever you want him to do.
He's kinda got that role where he can be that spinner we talked about.
He can play in the line of scrimmage, plays with great strength, is able to go out there and shed blocks, be able to cause havoc.
His ability to turn and run and get to the ball, I think we've seen a, a big time screen.
That's a standard type play for the 49ers and, and what he's able to do.
So I'm really excited about all of those guys and then him getting his opportunity to go out there and do some of those things.
If it presents himself, I know he'll be ready.
Jayden Dugger- Last one Did Jayden Dugger show enough progress in camp to put himself in a position to be a significant contributor on defense early in the season?
You know, you're talking about a rookie, right?
And they always gonna have, you know, super highs.
You know, we see the super highs.
I, again, I hate to keep referencing you, but when you talked about the long stretch where he tried to get that guy down in the flat, and that was unbelievable.
And we're talking about, it was Cam Ward, I believe, in the first game.
Then he showed a couple lows in the box and being able to be confused and things of that nature.
But you see the splash plays, you see the length, you see the talent, and he's exciting.
There's always gonna be ups and downs throughout the course of this season, but I think the whole goal for me and the whole goal for Jay- for Dugger is just to get better throughout the course of the season, to be ready, whenever his number's called.
At what point this off-season were you fully back and, and ready to go?
To be honest, it's still an ongoing thing.
Still dealing with my ankle and everything like that, recovering.
Just have to take myself a day at a time, but I feel pretty good right now.
It was like a touch and go situation right up to the beginning of training camp, bro.
How do you feel about your position group right now, you guys going through some injuries?
I think injuries is a part of the game.
You just gotta roll with the punches, and whoever's up, we have confidence in, in the guys to, to go out there and do the job, or else they wouldn't be on the team.
What's your plan for the flight to, to get rest and not feel crappy when you get to Australia?
I'm about to take, like, I don't know if you can OD on melatonin, but I'm gonna try.
Take like five melatonin, go to sleep on the plane.
As soon as I wake up, I'm taking five more.
And just keep rolling like that.
What, what was your first reaction when you heard you guys were going to Australia?
Now that it's here, how do you kind of feel about it compared to- I'm excited.
So this is my third, international game.
I've done Germany and I've done London.
It's always cool to go out to another country, go experience those fans.
Sometimes they don't really know about football too much, so they're just cheering for everybody, but, like, it's still cool to just interact with another culture.
I love to travel, and so you just take advantage of the opportunity.
What, what kind of message have you got from the coaches, training staff, things like that about, you know, hydration, just all the different things that you have to do when you are taking such a long flight and adjusting your schedule?
DP gave a whole 30-minute seminar today about what to do, so about how you can sleep on the plane, either stagger it or try to stay up for a little bit, then go to sleep.
Once, once we get there, it'll be in the morning, so try to stay up throughout the day.
Like I said, I, I like to travel, so I'm familiar.
Like, that first day is super crucial to really stay up that whole day and force and push through, and so just trying to do that.
Are you a coffee drinker?
You came in mid-season last year.
Your first time kind of actually being able to be here at the start and come through everything.
How much different does it feel this season with the 49ers?
Oh, shoot.
I was off all I wasn't here all OTAs 'cause I was just trying to get the ankle right, so still coming, kinda coming back and, and working with the guys.
Feels like in the middle.
But it's been cool.
So same system.
This is actually the first time ever in my whole career of playing football that I've had the same coach twice.
And so, cool knowing what the guys want and, and kind of the expectation and already having it established.
So it's been cool.
Getting through that first day, are you a coffee drinker?
What, what's the plan gonna be to try to stay awake and sharp?
I'm an experienced guy.
If I'm up, walking around, just going to go do stuff, like, I'll be up.
Like, just go explore.
Like, we'll have meetings and everything like that, but once I do that, I'm out just going to, Melbourne and, and getting around town.
Anything you're looking forward to doing or seeing?
Nah.
I think on the flight I'll just go, like, look up a bunch of TikToks for real.
It'll tell me what to do.
I'm a, I'm a very impulsive guy, so, like, what- whatever calls to me, I don't know, I might ride public transportation.
Like, wherever I end up, I end up.
What have you been seeing from Nick Bosa behind the scenes?
Nick is just taking it day to day, so, I know he really wants to be out there.
He's really, working to get back, and we'll just see where he, lies.
Can you, can you describe the nature of the injury that you had to get through and the s- the surgery that, that you required?
I mean, I got shot, so- Yeah yeah, it was a gunshot to the foot.
Broke my talus bone, so I had to have surgery.
Two screws in there.
Yeah, brush it off.
Literally was making jokes as I was going to the hospital, so I really don't be too serious.
And then screws, did they get removed?
Are they- Nah, they're still in there.
So two small screws, like, in my ankle.
So I got screws in each ankle now, so I'm symmetrical.
Were you really fearful for your life in this incident?
Nah.
The funny part is I was actually the one calming everybody else down.
I don't really take a lot of things seriously.
So, like, I didn't know I got shot till, like, five minutes after I was walking around, so it was cool.
And what they do defensively?
Yeah, you know, just trying to, do what we can just to be the best offense that we can and just have everything clicking and just be ready for week one.
How comfortable do you feel in, in everything that you're being asked to do in this offense?
Yeah, I wouldn't say I'm comfortable.
I don't wanna use that word, but I'm just, I'm learning every day, stacking days, you know, getting all the coaching points and from my teammates just to be the best I can be.
Dejon, coming in, with all this conversation about the draft pick and if that was the right move to make for the 49ers.
You come in, you have a good pre-season.
It- does it kinda help you settle in?
Obviously it's too soon to get high, but does that help you settle in easier in it?
Yeah, I don't really worry about all the outside noise or the opinions of, you know, that whole draft and where I got drafted.
I'm just here to do my job, catch the ball, score touchdowns, and be a great run blocker also.
Does it feel a bit bizarre that your first NFL game is gonna be in another continent?
Yeah.
I mean, what a experience, right?
Going out to Australia, I've never been there.
Heard great things, so very excited to be there and play there in my first NFL game.
Do you have a game plan for the flight?
Yeah, just sleep.
Watch a couple shows, stay up, and then go to sleep for 10 hours, 12 hours, as much as I can.
Anything you're looking forward to seeing or doing while you're there?
Yeah, I kinda wanna see a kangaroo, just because, you know?
See how big they are, you know?
That's about really it.
You, you kinda have the luxury of having a couple of veteran teammates, guys, like Mike Evans and, and Deebo over there.
What have you been able to kinda pick up from them through the course of this camp?
Just how to be a pro.
You know, take care of your body, stacking days, watching film, you know, kinda just assessing defenses and also players.
You know, they've helped me out a lot, Deebo, Mike, Ricky, you know, Christian Kirk.
You know, just all those guys just kinda give me little bits and pieces of how to be a better player, and I've just taken it, you know, and just using it to my advantage.
I- is it different watching film in college to watching film in the NFL?
Just being more intentional now.
That's all it is, you know, being more detailed, being more in- intentional, kinda looking for certain things.
What went into the change from 15 to 7?
Yeah, so I wore 7 back in high school.
It was one of my favorite numbers at the time.
You know, I kinda just wanna be comfortable in that, you know, and do, and do my thing.
Did you get any text about the scammer that was wearing 7 in all the posts?
Yeah, it's hilarious, huh?
That's kinda crazy, but it's pretty cool at the same time.
What surprised you most about, I mean, I know you haven't played a game yet, but about just the transition to the NFL?
Yeah, details.
Details make or break everything.
You know, just being on top of the details, being on top of the alignment, assignments, you know, all that kinda things.
Much different versus college.
What have you been asking Fred and Dre?
I mean, really anything.
I mean, I'm new to the position, so I'm trying to learn as much as I can, especially from those guys.
So I'm trying to pick up everything I can, for sure.
Is that sort of a dream linebacker room to go into?
For sure.
I mean, any rookie, you can't ask for a better position to go into, so that's for sure.
Is it weird that your first NFL game is gonna happen in Australia?
Yeah, it is pretty weird.
I mean, I've been thinking about it.
I mean, I try not to look too forward on it, but I mean, it's here now, so it's a lot.
But I mean, it's gonna be fun though.
Anything on the bucket list of things to do over there?
I mean, I haven't really thought about that, honestly.
I mean, just trying to focus on the preparation for the game itself, so.
Have you been- Jayden, when, when you look at the Rams and how many tight ends they use, w- what does that kinda put on your plate as far as the preparation heading into that game?
I mean, we haven't really got much into game planning yet, but I mean, just looking at this like, from like on the outside looking in, I mean, it's gonna call for more linebackers obviously.
So trying to match our bigs with their bigs and just gotta be physical and play hard for sure.
So that's something I'm gonna be looking forward to.
Do, do you feel like you put yourself in a place where you could contribute and play a lot of snaps on defense week one?
I mean, that's not my decision, so- But do you feel like you have?
I mean, I feel like I have.
I mean, I'm still learning and getting better, but for sure, so.
For sure.
Have you been to Australia before?
I've never been.
No.
Have you been to another continent before?
No.
This is my first time, yeah.
Okay.
Have you, has anybody told you anything about what to do?
Like, are you guys talking about anything you're gonna do in your free time?
Really, no, to be honest.
You probably would think so, but not really, no.
Just gonna all game.
Yeah.
And what is the vibe?
Are people, are, are your teammates excited to go?
For sure.
I mean, we kinda just been talking about this flight, how are we gonna get through this flight?
I mean, so I mean, I feel like everyone's pretty excited though.
The first game of the year, everyone's gonna be excited, so I feel like it's gonna be a good time once we get out there, get going, and get rolling, so.
Between the guys in your room- Did you have a, did you have a passport before you got drafted?
Can you repeat that?
Did you have a passport before you got drafted?
Yeah, I did.
I did.
You did?
Yeah.
With all the guys in the room with you, who are you kinda talking to most, learning from the most since being here with the 49ers?
I mean, really all of them.
Mm-hmm.
Fred, Dre.
I mean, 'cause I'm playing all different positions, so just trying to pick all their minds on what they see in certain situations, so just learning from all of them for sure.
Is there anything in particular that they're telling you?
Maybe little things you can tweak or things you're doing well?
Little things I could tweak.
As far as, I mean, I've been I said this before, but just getting our blocks better.
I mean, I feel like I've been working on it and getting better with that.
And then just schematically, just what to expect in certain situations and my assignments and stuff, so just learning from them has been good.
Yeah, this my first time, so I'm just gonna take it all in wherever, wherever, wherever it goes.
And that's where I'm at, so.
For, for your position group, just the whole defensive line kinda banged up right now.
How do you guys get ready week to week to go?
You know, just being intentional with our preparation, conditioning, technique.
We gonna go to war whoever is ready.
You know, praying for a speedy recovery for everybody else that's hurt.
Given the recovery in the off-season, what was kind of that journey for you to get ready at this point in the season, and how are you feeling now?
Not where I wanna be yet, but I'm strides ahead of where I was, so, you know, I'm gonna keep going, stacking days.
You know, technique-wise, you know, conditioning-wise, so yeah.
