SANTA CLARA – It was the primary weekend of 49ers coaching camp and C.J. West, considered one of their protection’s many rookie additions, was struggling along with his method.
Nick Bosa intervened.
“He was like, ‘No matter what you do when you line up, you may step wrong, but regardless of what you do, just get off the ball,’ ” West recalled this week. “I started to do that and it just came to me. Every rep I take, ‘Just get off the ball.’ ”
Bosa lived as much as his coaching camp vow to ship extra vocal management, despite the fact that he’s been a captain two of the previous three years and routinely offers staff speeches on the eve of video games. Nonetheless, the 49ers want as a lot veteran steerage as potential with an inflow of youth surrounding him and All-Professional linebacker Fred Warner.
What they want, too, is Bosa recapturing his 2022 NFL Defensive Participant of the 12 months type, when he led the league with a career-high 18 ½ sacks.
Bosa needs that, too. Signal him up for extra sackaroonies.
“That would definitely be something I’m aiming for. I mean, I’m aiming for everything,” Bosa mentioned. “I’ve reached the head of … I’ve gained Defensive Participant of the 12 months, not that that’s on my thoughts on a regular basis of doing it once more.
“I just want to be dominant and I want to be really thought of as one of the best you’d look for in his league among your peers – coaches and players.”
Bosa feels “a little” forgotten within the NFL’s relentless pursuit of elite cross rushers, as evident by final week’s commerce of Micah Parsons from the Dallas Cowboys to the Inexperienced Bay Packers and an accompanying pay day.
“Obviously you have to get stats and be dominant to be thought of in that category,” mentioned Bosa, who has 19 ½ sacks over the previous two seasons mixed. “I’m not losing sleep over it. I’m losing sleep over trying to get better and help this team.”
And that’s the place Bosa’s mentorship comes into play. The quicker his supporting solid develops, the higher he will be.
Defensive lineman Mykel Williams, the 49ers’ first-round decide, has obtained — and heeded — essentially the most recommendation from Bosa, the No. 2 general decide in 2019 and the NFL’s Defensive Participant of the 12 months in 2022.
“Nick’s been great,” mentioned Williams, who’s one locker aside from Bosa. “He’s been helping me a lot, helping me with the small things in my game to get better, (such as) hand usage and when to get my hands up. That’s been helping a lot, and with pass-rush, too.”
Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh mentioned Bosa’s affect goes past on-field metrics, such because the offseason maturation of rookie defensive sort out Alfred Collins. “He’s had a really big impact on Alfred in terms of his workout regimen, his eating regimen and all that,” Saleh mentioned.
Bosa merely mentioned he checked in with staff nutritionist Jordan Mazor then relayed recommendation to the 6-foot-5, 309-pound Collins. “He was trying to lose weight. It’s pretty simple so I told him how to do it,” Bosa mentioned.
As obsessed as Bosa is along with his personal physique, he’s additionally always refining his method, from mimicking strikes like a shadow boxer, to splicing into All-Professional left sort out Trent Williams in apply.
“Nick looks as dominant as he’s ever looked,” Trent Williams mentioned.
Bosa, the 49ers’ sack chief every of the previous 4 seasons, is being paid to dominate offensive tackles and quarterbacks, extra so than educate rookies, as good as it’s to maximise his contributions.
Sack masters are eternally coveted. Its’ why the Inexperienced Bay Packers simply forked over $46.5 million a yr to Micah Parsons in a large commerce with the Dallas Cowboys. It’s why Bosa, two years in the past, commanded a then-record $34 million a yr.
Bosa has 62 ½ sacks in 80 regular-season begins, plus 10 in 12 playoff video games. He’s twice had a three-sack recreation, and of his 11 multi-sack video games, one got here in final yr’s street opener at Minnesota in opposition to Sam Darnold, the 49ers’ 2023 backup and now the Seahawks’ starter this Sunday.
Introduced in to enhance Bosa usually are not simply the rookies however Bryce Huff, acquired in a commerce with Philadelphia, together with incumbents Sam Okuayinonu, Robert Beal Jr. and Yetur Gross-Matos.
Lining up subsequent to Bosa is a novel expertise.
“It’s a race with him. It’s a race every time. If you’re not on it, you’re going to see him fly past you,” West mentioned. “We’re teammates but the goal is to compete within the group. You never want to be behind or last. You always want to be the first one there. It’s great playing next to him. You know, he’s spectacular, man.”
Trent Williams concurred: “When he’s on that field he’s the Nick we all know to love. It’s one of the reasons he’s one of the highest paid defensive players in the league, one of the reasons he has that MVP trophy on his mantle. For me to be able to work with him every day, iron sharpening iron, I’m really lucky, really blessed to have him.”
When Bosa gained NFL Defensive Rookie of the 12 months in 2019, he benefitted from a robust entrance that co-starred DeForest Buckner, Arik Armstead and Dee Ford. The 49ers haven’t replicated Buckner’s presence since buying and selling him in 2020. Their hope now could be that Mykel Williams may come closest, with designs on lining him up as a run-stuffer on the sting however sliding him inside on passing downs like he did at Georgia. Williams says he has no choice and can do no matter line of defense coach Kris Kocurek dials up for him and the road.
Bosa has helped alongside the way in which, not simply with the rookies.
“I’m chiming in more in meetings. I’m always talking to guys around the locker room and whatever,” Bosa mentioned. “Whatever I see that comes to my mind during meetings, I’m speaking it and not just keeping it to myself, because Kris (Kocurek, the defensive line coach) can’t cover everything and he’s got a lot on his head. I’m just trying to help out.”
Identical goes for vast receiver Jauan Jennings’ month-long holdout from practices, which appear extra on account of a contract-extension quest slightly than a calf problem, seeing how coach Kyle Shanahan mentioned Wednesday that Jennings will play Sunday in Seattle.
“I had a couple of conversations with him. I’m obviously super happy,” Bosa mentioned “He’s came back on Monday and already looked great making plays. That’s huge for us.”
