Richard Sherman knows the "Legion of Boom" as well as anyone. After, all the 49ers cornerback arguably was the face of Seattle's vaunted -- or, hated, if you wear red and gold in the Bay Area -- defense.
So when the 31-year-old says San Francisco's defense reminds him of Seattle's, well, he's worth listening to.
"I see similarities now, obviously, with all the pass rushers we have now, all the talent we have up front," Sherman said Saturday on NFL Network (via 49ers Webzone). "The linebackers are versatile. They can run, they can cover. And then in the backend, we've got tall, rangy corners. We've got Jason Verrett now, who's very versatile. K'Waun (Williams) is a great slot (corner), and we've got a hitter in the strong safety box.
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"So I think we're going to be similar. Obviously, schematically, it's similar, but we'll see. We've got to be consistent. We've had some really good days out here. You've got to stack them, though, as you know."
Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh coached for three seasons in Seattle (2011 through 2013), and then coached under ex-Seahawks assistant Gus Bradley for parts of three seasons (2014-2016) before coming to San Francisco. The principles were there, but the personnel was not last season. Verrett, linebacker Kwon Alexander and edge rushers Nick Bosa and Dee Ford all joined the 49ers defense this offseason in an effort to improve a unit that struggled to rush the passer (37 sacks) and force turnovers (NFL-worst seven) in 2018.
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Pro Bowl defensive lineman DeForest Buckner, who posted a career-high 12.0 sacks last season, now has significant help flanking him in Bosa and Ford. With an improved pass rush, Sherman thinks the turnovers could follow.
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"It does make a huge difference," Sherman said. "No slight to anybody else that came before but these guys are getting to the passer, and they're putting pressure, making the quarterback uncomfortable in his footwork. So they are airing passes, they're off their back foot, they're not putting it exactly where they want it to be. So that gives DBs a chance."
The 49ers will get some game action Saturday in their preseason opener against the Dallas Cowboys, although it remains to be seen just how much of their revamped defense will play. When the real games begin in Week 1 on Sept. 8 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sherman's comparison will be put to the test.