SANTA CLARA — In Raheem Morris’ first summer as 49ers defensive coordinator, the defensive players appear genuinely excited about the schematic changes he brought to the team.And that’s not all.
The players on the other side of the ball believe they are benefiting from Morris’ new system, too.
“It is different,” 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy said. “In camp, it’s usually the four-down, traditional stud defensive linemen with three linebackers and a strong quarter-shell defense. And now it’s like, all right, we’ve got five down, he gives us all these different kinds of looks and the shell’s always changing.
“It’s fun because going into the season, I feel like this is the kind of stuff that we’re starting to see more in the NFL.”
The 49ers’ changes on defense include expanded usage of five defensive linemen and a simplified set of coverage assignments designed to enable the cornerbacks and safeties to play fast without being required to make too many split-second adjustments.
“(It’s) my favorite camp,...