A year ago, Kyle Shanahan was at the controls of one of the most high-powered offenses in NFL history.
He parlayed his success as the Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator into his new role as the head coach of the 49ers – a team that featured one of the worst offenses in the NFL.
But Shanahan said on "The 49ers Insider Podcast" on NBCSportsBayArea.com that he believes his team could be a lot better than expected. The 49ers are coming off a 2-14 season under Chip Kelly, who was fired after just one season.
“I feel confident with our guys,” Shanahan said. “We got some guys who compete. Collectively, we have a smart group of people who can all play together. And I think we’ll be able to surprise some people. But the biggest thing that always comes into (play) is injuries.”
The 49ers targeted Brian Hoyer as the quarterback. Hoyer has performed well during training camp. And Shanahan is pleased with the improvements at running back and wide receiver.
“We didn’t want to do it by going out and investing in all top picks or tons of money to do that,” Shanahan said. “You want to build it the right way and add some competition to make your team better overall.”
The 49ers added more depth at running back behind Carlos Hyde, who enters the final year of his contract. The team signed Tim Hightower as a free agent, acquired Kapri Bibbs in a trade, drafted Joe Williams in the fourth round, and signed Matt Breida as a priority undrafted rookie.