NFL News NFL News, Reports and Updates
Gross-Matos couldn’t pass up playing for ‘legendary’ Kocurek on 49ers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SANTA CLARA — There was no way Yetur Gross-Matos was going to pass up an opportunity to play for the 49ers.
The fifth-year pass rusher signed a two-year, $18 million contract with San Francisco as a free agent this offseason and already is making use of all the organization’s resources. From Nick Bosa to Kris Kocurek, Gross-Matos is taking advantage of it all.
“I’ve been watching [Bosa], learning everything I can,” Gross-Matos told NBC Sports Bay Area. “Listening to everything he’s got to say. Some things you can’t emulate because he is Nick Bosa, but just getting bits and pieces from his game.”
Gross-Matos spent his first four seasons with the Carolina Panthers after being drafted in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Penn State. The edge rusher registered 13 sacks along with 142 tackles — 64 solo, 19 for a loss — in his first four NFL seasons
The Nittany Lion is naturally a defensive end but was asked to play outside linebacker as a Panther. While Gross-Matos believes he can deliver both, he knows the 49ers’ system will give him a chance to thrive. But it wasn’t only the positional opportunity that drew Gross-Matos to the Bay Area — it also was Kocurek.
“[Kocurek’s] kind of a legendary coach,” Gross Matos said. “I definitely wasn’t going to miss out on the opportunity. He’s great. He loves football, he loves D-line, he loves pass rush, and that’s part of the reason I came here.
“He’s developed other guys over the past couple of years, and as much as I wanted to be comfortable and stay in Carolina, it just made too much sense to come here, play for him and play in this defense, in this role.”
Returning to defensive end is a throwback to Gross-Matos’ days at Penn State, when he racked up 19 sacks over three seasons along with 111 total tackles — 65 solo and 37 for a loss. The edge rusher already has…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/gross-matos-couldnt-pass-playing-151725127.html
Author : NBC Sports BayArea
Publish date : 2024-07-30 15:17:25
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
