Run Game Coordinator/Linebackers Coach Jason Tarver (7.31.26)
Opening remarks:
“First off, I’d like to say thoughts and prayers to the Ulbrich family. Great family, great people. I had the honor of working with Jeff at the 49ers for nine years, so our thoughts and prayers are definitely with the Ulbrich family.”
Was the script yesterday to crack up some blitz a little bit?
“That was the first time that we had a designated period where we were going to run pressures and practice our different pressures against different offensive protections.”
Do you like what you saw?
“Do I like what I saw? I think we’re getting better at running our patterns – that’s what we call them, our blitz patterns – faster and faster. We can be really multiple when we learn how to work with each other, picking guys up for each other. The quickness with which you feel something cross your face and work off of it is what we’re really trying to get better and better at. We’ve been really good here in the past, and we’ve got room to grow still.”
From your perspective, how do the linebacker assignments change in Rudy’s defense?
“Our philosophy is to attack. Anybody who’s aligned on the line of scrimmage, we’re going to attack. We’re going to attack the offense. Our job as linebackers is to fix it, so we got to react quickly when we need to move toward the line of scrimmage. There were some really good ones yesterday from our D-linemen, Mason (Graham) in particular, and that allowed us to play quickly forward or behind them. Then there are other times, when we’re moving, like the answer to the stunts, where we move and go, ‘Oh, they stunted this way, we’ve got to protect that way.’ So it’s our job to fix the front, it’s their job to disrupt.”
What made Carson (Schwesinger) so good in year one, and why could he be even better with another year under his belt in a similar scheme?
“Carson’s ability to stay in the moment and keep things simple and remember, ‘Hey, this running back was a little wider, this is what he does,’ and then chase the ball and get it on the ground, whatever happens. He had some great effort plays and hustle in practice yesterday, go back into the huddle and reset himself, is elite. We talk about the next play’s the best play. When Coach Holbrook was with us, that’s something we talked about. and that’s one of his superpowers, to go along with being very powerful and able to move through things for a big man.”
Carson mentioned the energy Quincy (Williams) has brought to the room. How do you see that playing into what you guys are doing and complementing what you want do in that position on defense?
“One of the biggest things for every human is to be the best you can and bring your energy every day to what you do, that’s where we need Quincy, that’s what he brings us, that’s what we all do. Working together, there are some things Quincy’s played scheme-wise with Coach Rudy, and then there’s the scheme here, so it’s good to have both. Because of Quincy’s memory with Coach Rudy in that system, we have great communication and get on the same page that way. But bringing it every day and having that energy and chasing the ball is what we’re really excited about. Today, we got even more plays in practice, so we’re excited to see the guys run.”
How about the synergy between Quincy and Carson — what does that bring for you guys?
“It’s good, we’re working on it. So, like we said, every system says things slightly differently, just like a slightly different dialect or slightly different language, so it’s learning when you’re next to each other and everybody goes this way – ‘Hey, push, push, I’m here’ – that might be different in a different system, that’s one of the ways we say it. So, they’re working on that daily. Even today they moved right next to each other in the meeting, they’ve got a couple things they’re talking about. I might be giving a coaching point to a younger player and they’re talking about, ‘Hey, remember, I’m going to say it like this.’ I love that.”
Jason, what about, not just this training camp, but I know in the spring, too, but (Edefuan) Ulofoshio able to get back out here after everything he dealt with his injury, and what have you seen from him so far?
“He was really running. He’s gotten better both days so far. Like I told him today, Nate, we’re going, we’re getting even better today. Nate, Winston, Easton, Eddie and our two rookies, those guys had great summers building their bodies. The summer is the key in the NFL, you’ve got to get stronger, and all of them did it. They’re more flexible, and now it’s the repetition of continuing to get back into playing football, because they lost a year. We’ve got to keep going like we did yesterday, I’ll say that.”
A couple of guys have brought up the more disguise with Rudy, they say that’s one of the differences he brings. How do you think that’s going to manifest itself, and is that tough to get your guys to learn?
“It’s good. We have different terms for when to disguise and when not to, so we’re working on both of those right now. And, what happens when you’re disguising, is sometimes you’re a little further away when you communicate. If I’m right next to you, it’s a little bit easier to say, ‘Hey, alert, push.’ If I’m over it’s more like, ‘Hey, alert, push, but look, whatever the call is.’ That’s what you learn when you’re disguising or moving a little bit more — the communication is a little further away. So we’re working through that, and we had a good day yesterday with some learning examples of that on video.”
Carson said he was able to get on the phone with (Luke) Kuechly, how much do you think he can benefit from talking to an all-time great?
“I think – and Coach Capers did a great job talking to the defense about this yesterday – about how greatness is different within every man’s process. If you look at the Hall of Famers, their backgrounds, where they came from, how they studied at all different positions, it’s about figuring it all out. There’s always that aspect of outworking them, but it’s about that ability to lock your mind in within a play. Luke was excellent at it, and Carson’s really good at it too. So, anything that can help Carson, and us, learn from that, we’re all excited about. I think that could be a good relationship.”
Does disguising the defense put more mental stress on te players? Can there be a negative effect to having those disguises?
“You just have to learn where you are – like I said about the distance in communication, that’s really the biggest deal, is learning the calls with where we want people, and then to be able to communicate if something changes. It’s just a process, it’s just going through the process of knowing, ‘Oh, that was a little further away, I’ve got to be louder,’ or ‘I’ve got to get this hand signal quicker,’ or whatever it is.”
The number of times you use three linebackers on the field, will that change at all with Rudy?
“Our linebackers and our safeties we say they’re the nerve center of the defense, they’re the guys who do a lot of what we’re talking about, the calls, because they’ve got to echo it out to the corners and make the D-line right, since we want them playing as fast as they can. So, we’re going to use all of our athletes in different combinations based on how we want to attack – maybe more safeties, maybe more linebackers. It’ll vary based on how we want to use them, but we do like who we have in both rooms.”
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