Malcolm Jenkins: Colin Kaepernick not enough, Chip Kelly needs to vary tempo

Malcolm Jenkins, the erudite free safety Chip Kelly brought in as a free agent in 2014, had more trenchant advice for his former coach in a sit-down with Bleacher Report's Adam Lefkoe.

In a nutshell, he argues that Chip needs to mix up the tempo. Going fast all the time limits his playbook too much, as well as the quarterback's ability to make pre-snap adjustments.

"The tempo at which he plays at, it's too simple. And teams will, and have caught up to it. ...  When you run tempo, you run fast, that means that everything's simple. You can only run a certain amount of plays. And guys like me, I watch film for a living. And so, I'll figure it out.  You can't go fast enough to confuse me."

He also dismissed the idea that a mobile quarterback such as Colin Kaepernick would change the equation. So what's the solution? Being less predictable. Like, say, New England does.

"If Chip will ever learn to balance between tempo and like, double-count, he's gonna have people on their heels. ... If you go fast fast fast, we're going to be simple on defense. And so all of a sudden you come into the next drive, and you slow it down and double-count, we're showing you everything we're doing. And then you change the play to best fit it, sure. And then you start disguising, I'll speed it back up."

Jenkins was probably the best free agent acquisition of Chip's stretch in Philadelphia, a game film junkie and quiet leader who the Saints foolishly let walk to sign Jairus Byrd. The 49ers would be wise to consider his words.