Niners WR Morgan sees increased time

Associated Press

SANTA CLARA, Calif.

Josh Morgan is out to make a new name for himself with the San Francisco 49ers in more ways than one this season.

The sure-handed receiver is shedding a nickname at the request of his grandmother, who gave him the Biblical name Joshua. She lives near his hometown in Washington, D.C., and can’t watch most of his games.

“She’s real old school. She doesn’t get on planes or nothing like that,” Morgan said Wednesday. “They basically don’t play our games on the East Coast, so she said when she reads about them, she wants to read my name.”

Morgan wants to give her something to read about, too.

With newcomer Braylon Edwards still learning the offense and Michael Crabtree injured for training camp, Morgan’s repetitions have increased. He is part of a receiving corps expected to make big strides under new coach Jim Harbaugh, and already Morgan is taking on an integral role in the West Coast offense.

First step: paying homage to past 49ers.

The new staff gave Morgan old game film to study on receiving greats Jerry Rice and John Taylor. The revamped offense has Morgan — moving into more of a slot role — running slants and shorter routes, the kind the 49ers perfected when Joe Montana was under center for Super Bowl winners.

“It’s like heaven,” Morgan said. “Every time you get it, you know you might take it 80.”

Morgan has a long way to go to gain any ground on those Niners legends.

The 6-foot-1 receiver caught 44 passes for 698 yards and two touchdowns last season, showing only glimpses of what he could be in a reduced role. San Francisco sputtered to a 6-10 record and missed the playoffs for the eighth straight year, and the offense — specifically the passing game — was a big reason why.

Harbaugh has tried to deflect attention away from Alex Smith and the quarterbacks, holding receivers and the offensive line more accountable. He believes if every player, notably the receivers, improves so will the rest of the offense.

“They are about the unit being successful, and I think that’s when they are going to be the most happy, when they see the team having success,” Harbaugh said.

Part of that process is getting the receivers more involved.

Harbaugh plans to have the wideouts do more on almost every play — even if it’s just being more involved in blocking. And perhaps nobody will be affected by the new approach more than Morgan, who will likely be overshadowed by Edwards, Crabtree and tight end Vernon Davis.