49ers WR Coach Bobby Engram: A Model Of Consistency For 49ers Receivers?

by David Fucillo on Jun 12, 2011 12:00 PM PDT in Jim Harbaugh 49ers Coaching Staff

This past week the 49ers rolled out their third "Coach 'Em Up" video, this time focusing in on offensive assistant Bobby Engram. The first video took a look at quarterbacks coach Geep Chryst and the second video focused on secondary coach Ed Donatell. The videos are interesting, but there is more information in the accompanying write-up about the coach.

Over the course of 14 seasons, wide receiver Bobby Engram quietly put together an incredibly solid resume, finishing his career with 650 receptions for 7,751 yards and 35 touchdowns. I don't recall him ever being a true number one wide receiver, but he was always a solid complementary option. Now that he is retired from playing, he is attempting to begin his coaching career with his first stop coming as a member of Jim Harbaugh's coaching staff.

I haven't looked at all the coaches in sports history, but it often seems like good coaches were not always the superstars in the league. There have been very good players who turned into very good coaches (a non-football example would be Joe Torre who was a nine-time All Star), but it often seems like the average or mediocre players turn into better coaches. Engram wasn't a mediocre player or a superstar, but would seem to fall somewhere in the middle.

Engram is on the staff as an offensive assistant under Harbaugh. It remains to be seen what exactly he'll be doing, although I'd have to imagine he'll work with the wide receivers in some capacity. John Morton is the official wide receiver coach, but given Engram's career I can't imagine he won't have some impact on the receivers.

Earlier this week I asked whether the 49ers needed a veteran wide receiver to pair with Michael Crabtree and 9thevolution was the first to bring up Engram. Given the lack of work between the players and coaches thus far I had completely forgotten about Engram, so it's a good coincidence that the 49ers rolled out this video. If Engram will in fact be working with receivers in some capacity, he could hopefully provide some useful mentoring to the younger receivers. We'll see what kind of coach he turns into.

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Engram

being a receiver that played 14yrs in the league, & not a top receiver says a lot about the other things he did as a WR. Precise route running, run blocking, down field blocking, & much more is what he brings to the WR core. I think he is a good addition. This is a very good staff. From top to bottom the coaches are top flight. Might not look that way right now.That’s because they have not had a chance to do their thing yet. BUT YOU JUST WAIT! They will coach up our boys. 2012 will be the 49ers year! This year is a wash. We will not have enough time to fully install the new system for both sides of the ball. So it’s on to next year. And this time it’s not Alex fault. You need coaches to tell you how they want their system to run. It’s good that AS is running “Camp Alex.” At least they can study the playbook. Get some instruction from the QB. But without coaches you are just getting the outline. Now that helps, but you & I, the players, & coaches all knows that, “There’s nothing like the real thing.” I’m sorry. I digress.

"Moving Forward."

by L. J on Jun 12, 2011 2:36 PM PDT reply actions

My hope

Is that Engram’s expertise can turn Crabtree into a third-down conversion machine, much like he was in his days with the Bears and Seahawks. If he can do that, it’ll be okay by me.

Don't stop believin'. And never forget where you came from.

by OnDeck_Matt on Jun 12, 2011 9:23 PM PDT reply actions

I'm excited to see what Engram can do...

I’m not worried about his impact on Crabs, Morgan or Ziggy, it’s the young guys who are still not developed in the slightest that he will have the biggest impact on. Let them sponge up as much knowledge as possible and maybe we’ll find we don’t need the true #1 receiver that everyone says we do. We could be lucky and end up with a seriously legit group of receivers to spread the ball around to….. plus we got VD, which will be a help.

by 9thevolution on Jun 13, 2011 6:08 AM PDT reply actions