[h1]
New-look offense? Roman suggests changes in store for 2014[/h1]
Posted on
June 17, 2014 at 6:06 pm by
Eric Branch in
49ers
Stevie Johnson. (AP)
Offensive coordinator Greg Roman hinted Tuesday the 49ers could pass more in 2014.
Of course, it would be hard to throw the ball less than they have in the Jim Harbaugh era.
Since 2011, the 49ers have ranked no higher than 31st in the NFL in pass attempts, but Roman suggested they could stray, at least a bit, from their power-running roots.
They bolstered their wide receiver corps in the offseason with the acquisitions of Stevie Johnson and Brandon Lloyd, who have combined for four 1,000-yard seasons since 2010. Roman mentioned those wideouts, who joined Michael Crabtree and Anquan Boldin, after he mentioned the staff had tweaked the attack during the offseason.
“We kind of went through everything we’ve done and really kind of stripped it back down to its most element basic parts and (started) over at square one,” he said. “I would say, I think it’s fair to make the statement that it’s a different offense, 2014.
“Because we’ve got some new guys in, Brandon Lloyd has been out there everyday. He’s done a great job of taking advantage of his opportunities. Stevie Johnson’s another guy. So, we’ll see how it all goes.”
Another possible reason for moving away from ground-and-pound: Colin Kaepernick, who has made 23 regular-season starts, is entering his second full season as a starter and better equipped to utilize his pass-catching options.
“That’s definitely a factor,” Roman said. “It really is his second full year starting … So he’s seeing things now that he didn’t see before.”