The 49ers have given quarterback Colin Kaepernick a contract extension and now they may be giving him more throwing to do to go along with it.
Offensive coordinator Greg Roman said that it is Kaepernick’s second full year as a starter and the quarterback is “seeing things now that he didn’t see before.” Roman also pointed out the new receivers on the roster and, as a result of those developments, Roman hinted that there may be more balls in the air when the 49ers take the field this season.
“We kind of went through everything we’ve done and really kind of stripped it back down to its most element basic parts and [started] over at square one. I would say, I think it’s fair to make the statement that it’s a different offense, 2014,” Roman said, via the San Francisco Chronicle. “Because we’ve got some new guys in, Brandon Lloyd has been out there everyday. He’s done a great job of taking advantage of his opportunities. Stevie Johnson’s another guy. So, we’ll see how it all goes.”
Throwing the ball more often shouldn’t be hard for the Niners, who have ranked at the back end of the league in pass attempts in all three of coach Jim Harbaugh’s seasons. They also have a stable of good running backs and a strong offensive line, however, so the team could still play things in a variety of ways. Given the investment in Kaepernick and Roman’s comments, though, more passing in 2014 wouldn’t come as much of a shock.