© Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
The wheels keep turning. As Robert Saleh’s Jets staff comes together, the 49ers’ staff continues to shrink and evolve. Saleh has already poached, or prepared to poach two 49ers coaching in Mike Lafleur (passing game coordinator to offensive coordinator) and John Benton (offensive line coach to offensive line coach/run game coordinator).
One more name you can add to that list, and one which we broke down prior to Saleh’s departure as a likely candidate to follow him, is assistant defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton. Whitecotton worked with Saleh in Jacksonville as an assistant defensive line coach and defensive assistant and is poised to take the job as Saleh’s defensive line coach.
That move has yet to be confirmed, but seems exceedingly likely given ESPN’s Josina Anderson’s report that the 49ers are looking to Darryl Tapp, Virginia Tech’s Co-Defensive line coach, to become the 49ers’ assistant defensive line coach.
I'm told the #49ers are in discussions with Va Tech Co-Defensive Line Coach Darryl Tapp to be the team's assistant defensive line coach, per source.
— IG: JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) January 21, 2021
Tapp, a 12-year NFL veteran who had 29 career sacks, 12 forced fumbles and 100 quarterback hits, spent one year with defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans as defensive end with the Philadelphia Eagles, and two with defensive line coach Kris Kocurek in Detroit from 2014-15; he provides an candidate in a recent player who is familiar with Kocurek’s scheme.