Torrey Smith Brings a Speed Boost to the 49ers
As the San Francisco 49ers begin their 2015 training camp, the organization hopes to develop a faster, more deadly team than last season. We all know that the defense had tons of injuries and weak overall play, but the offense didn’t help the cause either.
However, the Niners made two surprising offseason signings in Reggie Bush and Torrey Smith. Some people might question why San Francisco would bring these players on board, but there is a simple answer: speed
During the entire 2014 NFL season, the 49ers’ offense was horribly inconsistent and under productive. Game after game, the coaching staff and players could not find a way to create a steady rhythm. Take a look at the offense of the New England Patriots. Tom Brady and Co. would patiently dissect opposing defenses.
The Patriots developed smart plans in order to move the ball effectively. They would rarely force a deep pass or run the ball at an unwise time.
On the other hand, the San Francisco 49ers were extremely “sluggish” as a recent ESPN article puts it. The article also states that Colin Kaepernick was sacked a league-leading 52 times last season. That’s simply unacceptable.
People might look to criticize the offensive line for an issue like that, but the cause goes much deeper. Along with poor protection, Kaepernick didn’t have open receivers much of the time. A mix of bad play calling and poor route running could be part of the explanations for that issue. However, it was clear that the San Francisco 49ers needed more energy on offense.
An energy and speed boost is exactly what a team needs who only had 17 offensive plays of 30 yards or more last season.
Therefore, the Niners brought Bush to strengthen the backfield and Smith to create a deep threat. It’s interesting that Smith will now be playing with Anquan Boldin on the 49ers because those two were teammates during San Francisco’s Super Bowl loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Torrey Smith is only 26 years-old, so he definitely has the potential to become an elite receiver. Baltimore seemed to have underutilized Smith last season because they only targeted 93 passes to him. That’s the lowest amount for all of his four seasons with the Ravens.
More from Colin Kaepernick
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- San Francisco 49ers: With QB Situation In Flux, Kelly Must Be Unconventional
- San Francisco 49ers: Colin Kaepernick Working Hard To Repair Tarnished Image
- San Francisco 49ers: Kaepernick Contract Not So Team Friendly After All
- San Francisco 49ers Should Address Biggest Need First In NFL Draft
With the San Francisco 49ers, Smith will have an opportunity to showcase his speed and be a key factor on offense. If the Niners still had Greg Roman as offensive coordinator, I would feel differently about Smith’s chances. However, the new guy at OC, Geep Chryst, will certainly expand the offense.
Frankly, Roman’s play calling become worse the longer he was with the 49ers. He was far too conservative, and he would call running plays at the worst of times. People can blame Kaepernick all they want, but it was actually Roman who stifled the Niners’ offense.
In that above ESPN article, the team’s new QB coach, Steve Logan, said “Geep Chryst loves to push the ball downfield.” If anything helps Kaepernick become an elite QB this season, it will be a synchronized coaching staff mixed with well utilized deep threats such as Torrey Smith.
The coaching staff of last season clearly was not unified towards the goal of leading an efficient, productive team. However, a new head coach along with other fresh pieces make me optimistic that the 49ers will win at least 10 games in the 2015 season.