The 49ers have revamped their entire defense by moving one player two yards toward the sideline.
The 49ers will use a “Wide 9” defensive alignment most of the time next season. “Wide 9” simply refers to the strong-side defensive end. He lines up outside the tight end, as opposed to slightly inside the tight end, which is where he usually lined up the past two seasons for the 49ers.
This change looks minor — you may not even notice it when you watch the 49ers on television. But in terms of football philosophy, the change is drastic, the difference between Plato and Aristotle.