By hiring Chip Kelly as head coach this offseason, the 49ers made the conscious decision to give their offense a chance to break through that proverbial wall and onto the next level.
Kelly, an offensive coach known for up-tempo, will look to utilize the tools on offense in ways they haven't been used before.
One of those weapons is speedy wide receiver Torrey Smith, who in 2016 will be entering the second year of a five-year deal with the 49ers. And he's anticipating an increased workload.
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SIGN UP HERE "You prepare the same. The only way to get in football shape is to play football, so I'm not really concerned about that. But you prepare the same, and just get ready for a big role," Smith said Staturday on KNBR. "They're going to rely on us outside to make a lot of plays. And you know, for me, I take a lot of pride in going out there and trying to be the guy."
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Smith at first was not sure what to expect from Kelly's offense, but understood it would be drastically different from his first year under coach Jim Tomsula and offensive coordinator Geep Chryst.
"I think immediate thought was, 'Alright, well, this tempo is going to be a little bit different,' so different type of practice style," Smith added.
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But Smith made an attempt to become more informed, reaching out to players that had been in Kelly's system before.
"I've talked to a lot of guys that played for him," Smith said. "I think it's easy to say when you hear everything from the outside, you're not like, 'Oh,' that breakup wasn't the best.
"I talked to a bunch of guys, and one of the guys is one of my best friends I went to college with, you know, he told me, 'Just do what you're supposed to do and you're going to love him.' He goes, 'The first year, you know, I didn't really buy in, but the second year I did and I felt better than I ever felt.' It was just because it was a bit different from anything he had ever seen. ...I'm excited about it."
Smith did not identify his former teammate — or any other players he spoke with — but the Terp played with current Eagles cornerback Nolan Carroll from 2008-2009 at the University of Maryland.
Carroll is the only player from Smith's alma mater on the Philadelphia roster. He is, however, a defender.
Smith, 27, will be entering his sixth NFL season in 2016. He is coming off the least productive season of his career, notching just 33 grabs for 663 yards and four touchdowns.
He has over 4,200 receiving yards to his name and a career yards-per-catch average of 17.3.