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When Jim Harbaugh and the San Francisco 49ers parted ways it was a big deal. While the NFL has moved on from Harbaugh, some of the fans of the franchise have not.
Frankly, the jury is still out on Jim Tomsula as a head coach vs. a line coach. For the 49ers fans that are wondering what the big differences will be, there is no short answer. What can be observed and ascertained from Tomsula during this offseason is that he’s breeding the 49ers for success.
Rumor has it that Harbaugh over worked his players. Harbaugh was known for being animated and eccentric. Tomsula in contrast is developing a much more laid back reputation.
Tomsula has been making a personal investment in his players, taking rookies on tours of the 49ers Museum and inviting guest speakers and former players such as Charles Haley in to mentor his roster.
Whether or not a less aggressive approach will benefit the team remains to be seen. However, Tomsula isn’t only making adjustments in management styles, he is also revamping both the offense and the defense of the 49ers.
On offense the 49ers will reportedly bring back a move that no one can remember them using as of late: the screen pass. The 49ers obtained screen king Reggie Bush this offseason out of free agency.
Bush told KNBR radio this when asked if the 49ers would utilize his skills in that area:
“If you’re asking if we’re going to throw some swing passes, yes. I think that would be an understatement.”
The 49ers are also switching things up downfield. Those who followed the team closely in the last few seasons are well aware that if the a pass exceeded 20 yards in a 49ers game, it was probably thrown by the other offense. The Harbaugh-led 49ers just didn’t do long passes. Just like Harbaugh, this is now in the past.
While Harbaugh had little to no tools in his shed concerning deep threats, Tomsula has added the former Baltimore Ravens player Torrey Smith to his roster. Smith and Colin Kaepernick are rumored to be a lethal combination, although we won’t get to see them in action for a few more months.
The 49ers will also debut an entirely new defense this offseason between the losses and acquisitions that were direct results of retirements, free agency, and the draft.
The names won’t be the only difference in the defense however, as the team plans to complicate their schemes and speed things up. The 49ers main goal on defense this season is to confuse opposing offenses. Look for them to implement more aggressive and complex blitzes to their playbooks.
Though they once worked for the same team, Tomsula and Harbaugh are completely different people. The exit of Harbaugh left CEO Jed York and GM Trent Baalke as two of the most highly criticized managers in football. If Tomsula is the answer, then the 49ers may just have a Super Bowl win in the next five years to thank them for. If he wasn’t right, then the troubles of the 49ers could continue for many seasons to come.
Stay tuned for the 2015 49ers led by Tomsula.
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Kelsey Kay is a San Francisco 49ers analyst for Rant Sports. Follow her on Twitter @kelseyykayyy, “Like” her on Facebook or add her to your network on Google.
