Tag: fred warner

Russell Wilson, Pete Carroll excited to face 49ers’ ‘do-it-all’ Fred Warner

Seahawks QB Russell Wilson and coach Pete Carroll highly praised the 49ers’ defensive leader, Fred Warner, ahead of the Week-8 contest.

The Seattle Seahawks are used to having the one-up over their opponents when it comes to the linebacker position due to the presence of Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright. But on Sunday, their offense will have to contend with the 49ers’ own elite defensive player – third-year linebacker Fred Warner.

Warner has played at an unbelievable level in 2020, earning a PFF grade of 83.6 through seven games (second-best at his position) as well as notching 54 tackles and two interceptions.

“I think Fred’s one of the best players out there,” said Russell Wilson on Thursday. “He’s super smart, he’s on his stuff, he’s detailed… he brings something that most guys don’t know how to bring.”

In the first of two 2019 matchups between the Seahawks and 49ers, Warner sacked Wilson twice and defended one pass.

“It’s always a challenge going up against him,” Wilson continued. “I’m looking forward to the challenge… I’ve got a lot of respect for him.”

Pete Carroll also expressed high praise for Warner earlier this week in a conference call with 49ers reporters.

“He’s such a hard worker and a great reader and an instinctive guy that you can’t watch the defense and not see him,” Carroll said. “It’s been cool to see him really ascend so quickly.”

Carroll also compared Warner’s leadership style to Bobby Wagner’s, while admitting that he “can’t remember” if Wagner took to the position in the same amount of time.

“Fred certainly has (made an impression),” finished Carroll. “We have a lot of respect for his play.”

The Seahawks kick off against Warner’s 49ers on Sunday, Nov. 1, at 1:25 p.m. PT.

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Watch: Fred Warner intercepts Cam Newton

The 49ers got a highlight play from their defense when Fred Warner intercepted Patriots QB Cam Newton.

The 49ers got a big-time turnover on the first play of the Patriots’ third series. Pressure forced Cam Newton to roll out and throw on the run. His throw was low and behind his intended target and Fred Warner made a sensational snag. It was Warner’s second pick of the year and set up the 49ers for a chance to go up two scores.

WATCH: LB Fred Warner intercepts Giants QB Daniel Jones

Fred Warner’s first interception of the year set up the 49ers with a chance for points before the end of the half vs. the Giants.

The 49ers went up 13-6 late in the first half of Sunday’s game vs. the Giants. Then they got another chance to score thanks to Fred Warner’s first interception of the year.

Warner did a great job running the route for Giants TE Evan Engram there and stepping in front for the pick. The takeaway resulted in three points for San Francisco.

49ers activate Fred Warner from Reserve/COVID-19 list

Fred Warner is off the COVID-19 list and will join the 49ers roster.

The 49ers will have their full 53-man roster at their disposal for Sunday’s season opener against the Arizona Cardinals. Linebacker Fred Warner on Wednesday was activated from the Reserve/COVID-19 list where he’s been since Aug. 31.

When San Francisco cut their roster down they only kept 52 players so they wouldn’t need to make a corresponding roster move once Warner was activated.

Teams don’t announce whether a player contracted COVID-19 or just came into contact with someone who tested positive.

Having Warner back will be key for the 49ers’ defense against a high-octane Arizona Cardinals offense. The 2018 third-round pick has quickly become one of the leaders in San Francisco’s front seven. He calls the defensive plays and fits the mold of the contemporary linebacker thanks to his ability to play against the run and in coverage against running backs, tight ends and wide receivers.

Warner last season led the 49ers with 118 tackles. He also posted 3.0 sacks, nine pass breakups and an interception that he returned 46 yards for a touchdown vs. the Rams.

Getting back Wednesday will allow Warner to get three days of practice in before Sunday’s kickoff and he shouldn’t have any trouble being available against Arizona.

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49ers place LB Fred Warner on reserve/COVID-19 list

49ers LB Fred Warner became the third member of the team to land on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

The 49ers on Monday announced that linebacker Fred Warner was headed for the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Warner is the third 49ers player to go on the list since camp started. Running back Jeff Wilson Jr. and wide receiver Richie James both landed on the list early in camp. Warner did not practice for the 49ers on Sunday.

Teams aren’t allowed to disclose whether a player tested positive for COVID-19, but players can go on the list whether they test positive or come in contact with someone who tested positive.

Warner doesn’t count against the 80-man roster while he’s on the COVID-19 list. He’ll be allowed to return once he’s deemed healthy enough to play. San Francisco’s season opener is set for Sept. 13 at home against the Arizona Cardinals.

The 49ers selected Warner in the third round of the 2018 draft. He quickly earned the starting Mike linebacker spot and hasn’t missed a game during his two seasons.  He’s become one of the key figures in a very good 49ers front-seven.

Last season, Warner racked up 118 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 3.0. sacks, 9 pass breakups, 3 forced fumbles and an interception which he returned for a touchdown.

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Fred Warner’s spot in NFL top 100 players was well-deserved

49ers LB Fred Warner has quickly became the prototypical modern linebacker.

It didn’t take long after the 49ers selected Fred Warner in the third round of the 2018 NFL draft for the linebacker to make an impression. He earned the starting middle linebacker spot and the green dot on his helmet as the defensive signal caller as a rookie. His combination of athleticism and an extremely high football IQ made him an integral part of a rebuilding 49ers defense.

After quarterbacking one of the NFL’s best defenses in his second season, Warner earned the No. 70 spot on the NFL’s top 100 players list.

While he wasn’t given Pro Bowl or All-Pro honors last season, it became clear just how vital Warner was to the 49ers’ defensive success. He was the team’s leading tackler with 118 stops. His 7.0 tackles for loss were the third-most on the team, and he recorded 3.0 sacks. His nine pass breakups tied for second-most on the club. He also had one of their 12 interceptions, and one of their three pick-6s.

One of the question marks about Warner coming out of BYU was his ability to stay on the field for three downs. He hasn’t had any issues with that. Warner in his two seasons has led the 49ers defense in snaps played. While he doesn’t fit the prototype of a hulking, run-stopping linebacker we became accustomed to through most of the NFL’s existence, Warner is suited perfectly for the modern game.

He isn’t an elite run stopper, but he’s good enough to stay on the field in run situations. Where he excels, and the reason he’s so valuable in today’s league, is in coverage. Pro Football Focus gave him the 10th-best coverage grade among linebackers last season. Warner’s athleticism allows him to match up against tight ends, running backs and wide receivers.

Having a player with his skill set roaming the middle of the first and second level is paramount to combating some of the passing concepts that have begun taking over the NFL. Warner’s ability to cover a variety of positions was a big reason San Francisco produced the NFL’s best pass defense last season. He wasn’t a household name, although an interception of Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl might’ve changed that, but another year of ascension could make him a consensus pick as one of the two or three best off-ball linebackers in the league.

There are a slew of talented players on the 49ers’ defense. Warner hasn’t turned that unit around by himself. However, his value is impossible to ignore, and that’s why he deserved to debut in the top 70 of the NFL’s top 100 players list.

49ers LB Fred Warner lands at No. 70 on NFL Top 100 list

49ers linebacker Fred Warner debuted at No. 70 on the NFL’s list of the top 100 players.

The first member of the 49ers showed up on the NFL’s list of the top 100 players as voted on by the players. Linebacker Fred Warner landed at No. 70 in his first appearance on the annual list.

Warner earned the starting Mike linebacker job as a rookie and hasn’t looked back. The former third-round pick out of BYU has started all 32 games he’s played in two seasons and stuffed the stat sheet in those games. He has 242 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, 15 pass breakups, four forced fumbles and an interception that he returned for a touchdown in Week 16 against the Rams.

Finding gems like Warner in the middle rounds are how the 49ers so quickly rose from bottom dwellers to Super Bowl participants. He took over the most important job in the middle of the defense and played extremely well. He also filled in as one of the team’s emotional leaders after Kwon Alexander went down with an injury in Week 11.

There are several question marks on the 49ers’ defense going into 2020, but Warner won’t be one of them.

 

Demario Davis named NFL’s second-best linebacker

New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis was recognized as one of the best in the NFL, trailing only Seahawks superstar Bobby Wagner.

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Who are the best linebackers in the NFL right now? The game has seen an influx of young talent in recent years, with stars emerging all across the league like Darius Leonard, Fred Warner, and Deion Jones. But there’s still a strong old guard of household names; consider Dont’a Hightower, Lavonte David, and Bobby Wagner.

According to Mark Schofield over at Touchdown Wire, New Orleans Saints All-Pro Demario Davis is among them. Davis signed with the Saints as a free agent back in 2018 and immediately made an impact, earning a leadership role as team captain. He’s gone on to round out his skills set and erase any weaknesses in his game.

It’s enough for Davis to be listed ahead of everyone but Wagner in Schofield’s ranking, and Wagner’s no slouch — once upon a time he received a vote for the league’s Most Valuable Player award. By impressing in run defense, pass coverage, and blitzing after quarterbacks, Davis has done his level best to be called the game’s best three-down linebacker. Now can the Saints please re-up his contract?

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The NFL’s 11 best off-ball linebackers

Schematically, the NFL is changing. But the linebacker position is adapting. Here are some of the best in the game today.

What does the future hold for the linebacker position?

As you ponder that question think about these issues. The league is using lighter personnel packages more and more, and last season that trend continued. On the 19,933 drop back passing attempts charted last season by Sports Info Solutions, defenses had five defensive backs on the field for an overwhelming majority of those plays: 59%. But they also had six defensive backs on the field for 20.9% of those snaps.

Consider still, the trends that will be making their way into the game at some point. Brent Venables is considered one of college football’s defensive wizards, and last season the Clemson Tigers implemented a defensive unit that was predominantly a 3-1-7 defense. Of course, having players like Tanner Muse and Isaiah Simmons, hybrid defenders with talent, makes such a scheme possible. But as those players – and those coaches of similar mind – make their way into the league, the future looks different on the defensive side of the football.

So again, what does the future portend for the linebacker position?

Those questions cannot be answered today, but we can look at some of the best the league has to offer at the linebacker position in today’s game.

Honorable Mentions

(Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports)

As with the safeties, we start with some of the players that just missed out on this list. That includes the talented and young Buffalo Bills linebackers Matt Milano and Tremaine Edmunds, although Edmunds is almost a lock to make this list someday. Same too for Pittsburgh Steelers’ linebacker Devin Bush. The Houston Texans have a talented pair of their own, in Zach Cunningham and Benardrick McKinney. To the previous point about teams using lighter packages, one team bucked that trend: The Seattle Seahawks. Pete Carroll’s group had three linebackers on the field more than any other team last year, K.J. Wright was a big part of that unit. Some additional names to watch include Denver’s Alexander Johnson, who played at a very high level last season but will need to follow that up in his second year as a starter for inclusion on lists like this, New York Giant David Mayo, who showed he could handle an increased role last year, and Jamie Collins, now with the Detroit Lions.

Best Linebacker Unit

(Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)

There is a reason the Seattle Seahawks used three linebackers more than any other team in the league: Their trio from 2019 was damn good. Wright, Kendricks and Bobby Wagner are a triumvirate of defensive prowess. All three are solid against the run, and do their job well when called upon to play coverage. With Kendricks currently a free agent, something that should keep this unit playing at such a high level is the presence of rookie Jordyn Brooks, Seattle’s first round selection. Another duo to watch is Milano and Edmunds in Buffalo. The Bills utilize a lot of nickle packages with those two left on the field, but they made a great pair, with Edmunds’ length and athleticism, and what Milano does in coverage. Then there is that group in Dallas, they’re pretty good too.

Now, to the Top 11.

Dont’a Hightower | Jaylon Smith | Jayon Brown | Deion Jones | Cory Littleton | Fred Warner| Darius Leonard | Lavonte David | Eric Kendricks | Demario Davis | Bobby Wagner

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Patrick Mahomes throws brutal third-quarter interception in Super Bowl LIV

Trying to make a big play with his team down, Patrick Mahomes threw an uncharacteristically misguided interception in Super Bowl LIV.

Kansas City’s first possession of the third quarter in Super Bowl LIV was fraught with issues. The Chiefs started at their own nine-yard line and got to their own 46-yard line when 49ers edge-rusher Nick Bosa caused a Patrick Mahomes fumble with a sack. The fumble was recovered by Kansas City, but it put the ball back at the Chiefs’ 39-yard line, with third-and-12 to face.

And then, Patrick Mahomes, who had played it safe through most of the game, turned the ball loose, attempting a downfield throw to receiver Tyreek Hill, and linebacker Fred Warner picked it off.

This was… not a good throw. Mahomes was trying to avoid pressure, and while he may have seen Warner, he certainly didn’t seem to properly estimate the risk.

Warner, who’s a massively underrated coverage linebacker, made my list of unheralded players who could make a massive difference in the Super Bowl. Referring to his interception of Aaron Rodgers in the NFL Championship game, in which he followed receiver Davante Adams all over the field on a quick screen, Warner made it sound like no big deal.

“They just threw a little bubble screen out into the flat, and I was in pursuit, and he happened to cut it back, and our defense does a great job of pursuing to the football.”

Richard Sherman, pressed to remember the play, was more enthusiastic.

“He’s confident! I mean, he was a DB before. That translates really well for him. He had never played Mike linebacker before he got to the NFL, but Saleh thought he was really smart and he could get it done, and he was right. Everything he thought about Fred has come to fruition. He’s really smart, he gets the defense lined up, he recognizes formations and routes. He’s really cool in his diagnosis, and he can run.”

Indeed. The interception not only stopped the Chiefs in their tracks, but it also gave the 49ers the opportunity to put more points on the scoreboard. This they did, with a one-yard touchdown run by Raheem Mostert at the end of a six-play, 55-yard drive. That put the 49ers up, 20-10.