49ers Adjustments for 2023: Offense

The Niners took important steps forward in 2022, adding Christian McCaffrey and Brock Purdy to unlock the offense, and ball skills to the secondary to more than double the interceptions from 2021. Vital tweaks that moved the team closer to a championship. So what tweaks can we expect on offense in 2023?

Brock Purdy: Quarterbacks coach Brian Griese wants Purdy to focus on stepping up and staying in the pocket. Being under 6-1, Purdy avoids that instinctively. He has to unlearn a lifetime of ducking out the back left side and figure out a new way to see the field.

The concern: Part of Purdy’s success came from converting off-schedule plays. Asking him to go against his instincts in the pocket and improvising can work but it’s risky. One of Purdy’s subtle strengths is his decisiveness, the last thing the Niners need is for Purdy to overthink and hesitate.

Purdy should take a leap in his second year, both in his own confidence and Kyle Shanahan’s confidence in him. I expect his big jump will be after this season if he’s healthy, with a full offseason to develop his game.

Christian McCaffrey: The national media is making the case that CMC was the MVP of the back half of 2022. The stats back it up. The question is if Kyle Shanahan will continue to give McCaffrey that many touches.

The concern: CMC has proven how valuable he is. He needs to be protected against overuse. And yet, from the outside, it appears that Shanahan’s motivation is to optimize the play at hand. That means heavy use of CMC, particularly in the first half. But Shanahan has one of the league’s deepest running back rooms. Sharing the wealth would save CMC and leverage a talented group of backs. Using Deebo as another CMC replacement in the rotation is also an idea worth exploring.

Will Shanahan change his ways? His dad rode Terrell Davis into the ground, Kyle rode Robert Griffin into the ground. The Niners are one of the ten most injured teams in the league every year. Overuse at running back is part of why, it has to change. If the Niners want CMC healthy for the playoffs then his touches must decrease, particularly the heavy load that was used in the first half of games in 2022.

Wide Receivers: After an overweight season, Deebo Samuel is back in shape and vows he won’t repeat last year. Brandon Aiyuk continues to elevate his game with teammates saying you can’t cover the guy in a phone booth.

Great developments, now what? Now get them the ball in space on intermediate and deep routes. Shanahan has to ride his confidence in Purdy, and in Samuel and Aiyuk, by taking more shots wide and deep. If Purdy is fully healthy then it’s up to him to make the throws. They need to know if Purdy is the one, find out. Samuel and Aiyuk are both poised for huge seasons if they both get the targets.

Tight Ends: A long drought at backup tight end was finally addressed in the draft with Cameron Latu and Brayden Willis. Kyle Shanahan had to have a plan in mind. Whether it’s to add dual-threat receiver/blockers, to add power to the running game, or as a hedge in pass protection, all of the above is needed.

On a team where Pro Bowl-level receivers like Aiyuk aren’t getting enough touches, is there room for Latu and Willis? Blocking support seems to be the more likely role with a few touch opportunities sprinkled in. It’s intriguing to consider that the Niners may have three new receivers this year in Latu, Willis, and Ronnie Bell bringing different skill sets to the offense.

Offensive Line: Spencer Burford has made the sophomore leap, putting in the offseason work to get to NFL starter strength. Colton McKivitz steps in for Mike McGlinchey, offering improved pass protection and lesser run blocking. The Niners are placing a heavy burden on McKivitz to succeed.

The concern: McKivitz is a question mark, but another concern is no NFL starting caliber backup. Should McKivitz or Trent Williams go down, then what? Jon Feliciano? Jaylon Moore, Matt Pryor, or Leroy Watson? All of them are a roll of the dice.

If the injury is season-ending, the Niners may need to turn to the trade deadline in Week 7. Presumably, they would look at tackles who would become free agents at the end of the season, factoring in contract and realistic availability in a trade. That could mean players like Tytus Howard in Houston or Arizona’s Josh Jones if the Cards want draft picks. There is no margin for injury risk with six long road trips and the toughest schedule in the league offering the least rest relative to their opponents.

2023 shapes up to be a promising year for offensive adjustments. CMC and Purdy presumably available in Week 1. A return to health for Deebo. A step up for Aiyuk. New targets at tight end and wide receiver. It can all come together if they get contributions and health on the offensive line and establish a rotation at running back.

Some say 2023 is a prelude to a championship in 2024 (raises hand). Others believe this is the year they finally break through. Either way, the path to a title begins with the adjustments that can decide their fate. Defense next time.