How the 49ers Can Build their Offense Around Brock Purdy
In many ways the 49ers still have an offense that's built for Jimmy Garoppolo, not Brock Purdy.
Think of Garoppolo's limitations. He's a pocket passer with a quick release, but he can't move or throw deep or toward the sideline, so he throws lots of quick, short passes over the middle. He turns a football field into a tennis court.
That's why he needed an expensive running back such as Christian McCaffrey and an expensive fullback such as Kyle Juszczyk -- the more Garoppolo handed off, the better.
Garoppolo also needed a gadget player such as Deebo Samuel who could turn a simple screen pass or jet sweep or end around into a touchdown from anywhere on the field because Garoppolo isn't a precise thrower and he doesn't pass with anticipation. He's an interception waiting to happen.
What Garoppolo didn't need was quality pass protection, because he mostly handed off and, when he did throw, he got rid of the ball extremely quickly.
Purdy couldn't be more different.
He's a Pro Bowl quarterback who just led the NFL in passer rating -- he doesn't need the most expensive backfield or the most expensive gadget player in the NFL. He needs what any top-level quarterback needs -- good pass protection and wide receivers who can get open.
That's why Purdy likes Brandon Aiyuk so much. Purdy can trust Aiyuk to beat his man, which allows Purdy to throw the ball before Aiyuk makes his break. Imagine if Purdy had three wide receivers he could trust to beat man coverage plus an offensive line that gave him more than 2 seconds to scan the field.
It's the time the 49ers reconfigure their offense to maximize Purdy's skill set.
