The San Francisco 49ers are under new management, and it showed with the start of their offseason program yesterday. The team, who had 100% participation, met with general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan and his coaching staff for the first time yesterday and words we heard a lot after that meeting were culture and accountability. The new era begins.
“It’s early; it’s day one,” said tackle Joe Staley. “The buzz and energy is always going to be really great, but coming from where we were last year, everybody knows that 2-14 is not acceptable in the NFL… So everybody is kinda really excited to do that. Get that taste out of our mouths and get started new.”
The tone was set Friday when cornerback Tramaine Brock was released after his arrest Thursday night for a domestic violence incident.
“That’s unfortunate,” said Staley. “T Brock’s been here for a long time…Everybody’s new. Everybody kinds starts with a fresh slate. It’s one of those things where I don’t know all the details…It definitely sends the message to do the right things on the field and off the field.”
Character is very important to Shanahan. Accountability is something that has been missing from the Niners’ locker room, but that’s not going to be the case moving forward.
“You want to bring in guys first who can help you,” said Shanahan. “…But, you also want to bring in high-character guys. Guys who do it the right way. You’re trying to build a culture here. You’re trying to put your stamp on things and really show the standard of what you want…When the players hold each other accountable, when the players have a certain standard that they go to whenever a guy is slacking, that the players get on that guy before the coach does, that’s when you have something special.”
Going from offensive coordinator to head coach is definitely an adjustment, but quarterback Brian Hoyer is not concerned. He has been coached by Shanahan before, and he knows what he’s got in his new head coach.
“You have to take more ownership, and now you’re not just talking to an offense; you’re talking to an entire team,” said Hoyer. “Kyle, it’s what he’s worked so hard for. It’s what he really was born for, learning from his dad. He obviously saw him coach, and then coaching on his way up to this. He came up here like it was nothing and was very head coach-like. To me, it was exciting for me, because this was really my first time to be with him in a football setting. We’ve gotten to see each other over the past couple weeks since I’ve signed here, but to get back in that football mode with him and to hear him talk football with you was really exciting.’
The players won’t have any trouble knowing where they stand with their new coach.
“Kyle is very matter of fact, he treats them like men, which they are, and I think Kyle is very clear and to the point and very honest,” said defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. “And, he’s very direct with the guys. And, I think as an athlete, as a man and as a person in general, all you can ask for out of another human being is to be direct and honest and that’s exactly who he is.”
Linebacker NaVorro Bowman, whose rehabilitation is going well, says that everyone is focused on moving forward.
“We understand that we don’t want to have any continuation of the past few years that we’ve had so everyone on my side is putting the work in, being accountable, committing to the process and understanding that we do have a lot of work to do to get back to the 49er way,” said Bowman.
So there you have it. Under new management. Slackers and troublemakers need not apply. I think we’re gonna like it here. Go Niners!
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