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5 49ers Who Stand to Benefit the Most from the New Offensive Scheme

By Rich Madrid

Jun 8, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly smiles during minicamp at the San Francisco 49ers Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 8, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly smiles during minicamp at the San Francisco 49ers Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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WR TORREY SMITH

Dec 6, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Torrey Smith (82) carries the ball for the game winning 71 yard touchdown in front of Chicago Bears defensive back Chris Prosinski (31) during the overtime period at Soldier Field. The 49ers won 26-20 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 6, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Torrey Smith (82) carries the ball for the game winning 71 yard touchdown in front of Chicago Bears defensive back Chris Prosinski (31) during the overtime period at Soldier Field. The 49ers won 26-20 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /

Recent 49ers teams have been saddled with less-than stellar wide receiver production from such players Randy Moss, Brandon Lloyd and Stevie Johnson.

The lack of a true deep threat wide receiver really hindered what the 49ers under Jim Harbaugh hoped to accomplish and in 2015, general manager Trent Baalke broke with recent tradition and signed free agent wide receiver Torrey Smith.

Then they basically treated him as if he didn’t exist.

Smith was targeted on a career low 62 passes, his previous being 92 in Baltimore the season prior.

While in Baltimore, 41.2 percent of his targets came on deep passes (defined as passes that travel 15 or more yards in the air) of 15 yards or more, while just 33.9 percent of his targets came on deep passes of the same criteria.

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(GIF: NFL GamePass, Blaine Gabbert to Torrey Smith on a corner route/”smash” concept)

There will be no shortage of opportunities for Smith to take the top of some opposing defenses week after week in Kelly’s offense. Few teams threw deeper than the Eagles the last three years, minus the Sam Bradford season (Eagles also led the league dropped passes last season, including some clutch deep drops).

Kelly’s passing game incorporates such concepts as “four verticals,” “smash” and “double-post” (all concepts to be covered at a later date), and Smith could find himself on the receiving end of long pass plays for touchdowns or big gains.

Next: Bruce Ellington