Shaun Draughn talks returning to the 49ers, the Chip Kelly offense, and the coaching change

Does this offense compare to any of the ones you've been in previously in your career?

Kinda sorta, there's a lot of wrinkles here and there. I think every offensive minded coach tried to put their spin on a lot of different things. I feel like the offense of the NFL, lot of guys run shotgun, they run a lot of different formations in pads. I don't think it's that different. But as far as terminology,  from the way we're getting plays in, way we're  running plays, I feel like that.

Have you done no-huddle in the past?

Kinda in college, but we were getting a signal from the sidelines.  We called the play, but we still got a call-in play. Basically check it to the defense more so than getting signals and running.

Have you been through any offseason programs this exhausting?

No, I can say it's different on that end they'd doing a great job. As far as the staff, I think in the past there's been no communication between the strength staff and the offensive staff or the defensive staff for that matter. Just correlating what we're doing on the field what we're doing in training.

What do you mean? Can you give some examples?

As far as football movement, everybody can do a general lift. You can list a thing for everybody to do. But when you get position specific,  that's when you get some good stuff out of it.

So you guys know what the other's doing and how to prepare for it?

Not in that aspect. Before we got in the field with the coaches were more like football movement. Running backs were doing cutting drills, instead of running straight ahead like everybody generally does.

So it's more specialized?

Right, right. I think they did a good job of preparing us for what we're going to be doing.

Before practice, [49ers offensive coordinator] Curtis Modkins compared you to Theo Riddick who caught 80 passes under Modkins last season you caught a bunch of passes last year too. Do you feel like this offense suits your strength?

Yeah. I feel like I'm pretty versatile to do what this offense demands of a running back. They do a great job of involving the running backs. Definitely feel like I fit in the offense.

Does the offense ask running backs to be a big part in the passing game?

Absolutely. As a running back, you're the workhorse. You do everything. Pass catching, blocking, running, you do everything on the offensive side of the ball.

You've been around quite a bit. Playing on a lot of different teams. Based on where you played this year, does this feel the most stable situation you think?

Yeah, absolutely. They asked me to come back and be a part of the team. That to me was a huge step in my career. It's still a competition at the end of the day, it's not a matter of whether or not I'm comfortable, you never get comfortable because you never know what the situation may be. It may change at the drop of a hat. I take the same approach I have as years past.

What have been your impressions of Chip Kelly?

Cool guy. Anytime you get a new coaching staff you feel al ittle leary about how they approach your style or how the team has done things in the past, but that's the nature of the business. As far as Chip, seems like a players coach, definitely takes care of us. We have an uptempo offense and he gets that, as far as our rest. That's a huge thing that they have going on as far as recovery and taking care.

Did you watch offense much when he was at Philly and what are your thoughts.

You know, I didn't really watch it at Philly. When I heard Chip was coming to the NFL, I was like "He's going to bring the college type of thing at Oregon." I watched a lot of Oregon because that was just exciting. They had a bunch of guys that could do different things so that was exciting to watch. So I didn't watch Philly last year, so I didn't know what to expect coming in.

Is there anything specifically he does in order to help your recovery?

As far as, the breaks that we get. Like I said, they do a great job communicating with the strength staff. That's a good thing they have going on.  It's not just "pound it, pound it, pound it," and recovery is one of the most important parts of training in which a lot of people forget that so they do a great job at that.

When you walk around in San Jose, do people know who you are?

Sometimes yeah.