Tag: fred warner

The 49ers seem to think that Giants QB Daniel Jones is seriously overpaid

After Daniel Jones’ underwhelming Thursday night game, several 49ers defenders implied that the Giants’ quarterback is seriously overpaid.

Outside of the second half and overtime of their Week 2 win over the Arizona Cardinals, the New York Giants have woefully underperformed on offense this season. And in Thursday night’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers — a 30-12 loss that the Giants were never in after a 3-3 start — quarterback Daniel Jones did little to impress. Jones completed 22 of 32 passes for 132 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception, and that yardage total tells you all you need to know about Big Blue’s approach in the passing game. Overwhelmed by an injury-ravaged offensive line against San Francisco’s dominant fronts, Jones was pressured on 15 of his 34 dropbacks, per Pro Football Focus, which is unsustainable for any quarterback.

After the game, several 49ers defenders made it clear that they were unimpressed with Jones, and found the four-year, $160 million contract he signed this offseason to be… well, farcical.

“The dude did not want to throw the ball,” one unnamed 49ers defender told Mike Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle. “Early on, you could tell it wasn’t gonna happen. Everything was a checkdown. At that point, we knew what time it was.”

Linebacker Dre Greenlaw had no problem putting his name on his opinion of Jones.

“A lot of people who make all that money don’t even deserve it. I think they took a chance [when they paid him]. I mean, he’s not bad. And if you ain’t got nothing better…”

Per Silver, the hits just kept on coming.

“Yeah,” conceded Niners cornerback Charvarius (Mooney) Ward, “forty million dollars a year is a lot of money.”

Another S.F. defender called Jones’ salary “unbelievable.” Still another used the word “ridiculous.” Said a third: “That’s a travesty, man.”

Ward was also happy to discuss the interception Jones threw with 3:48 left in the game, though it wasn’t Jones’ fault — he threw a slant on time to tight end Darren Waller, Ward matched Jones over the middle, Waller couldn’t bring it in, the ball bounced up in the air, linebacker Fred Warner almost caught it, and the ball floated to safety Talanoa Hufanga.

“It makes you hungry,” Ward said. “At the end of the game, every DB on the field was playing for a pick. Huf was the lucky guy to get it. I had a good assist. I was happy to help. We were on our P’s and Q’s tonight.”

Jones wasn’t, and in the doing of that undoing, he left the 49ers wondering what the Giants were thinking with that contract.

49ers don’t have a face of the franchise, and that’s a good thing for now

Who’s the face of the #49ers? That it’s a debate is actually a good thing for now:

The 49ers’ team-building route has pushed them off the beaten path of a typical Super Bowl contender in a variety of ways.

While we typically talk about what that means for them on the field and the pros and cons of how they’ve constructed a roster, a conversation on the radio offered an interesting angle on how San Francisco differs from other top NFL teams.

Steiny and Guru on 95.7 the Game in San Francisco wondered whether head coach Kyle Shanahan was the face of the 49ers, and whether it’s good if he is.

This is an interesting question because it circles back around to how the 49ers are built and, frankly, underscores how good their roster is.

Generally the face of an NFL team, if they have an elite quarterback, is the quarterback. Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts, Joe Burrow – the list of elite QBs is exactly the same as the list of QBs who are the face of their respective franchise.

Then there are teams like the Steelers, where TJ Watt would likely be considered the franchise’s face. Pittsburgh is very good, but Watt is the undeniable star of that group. The Titans and Derrick Henry probably fit that mold as well.

Then there are teams that don’t really have a face because they’re in the midst of a rebuild – word to the Cardinals and Texans.

The 49ers fall in a unique bucket among the NFL’s Super Bowl contenders in that they don’t have a superstar QB. Brock Purdy got plenty of shine last year as the final pick in the draft who led the 49ers to the NFC championship game as a rookie, but he’s far from proven as an elite QB.

Finding a “face” in the 49ers’ locker room is hard because there are arguments to be made for so many players. Trent Williams, Nick Bosa, Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Fred Warner and George Kittle all have legitimate arguments. Even a players like Talanoa Hufanga and Brandon Aiyuk might be able to make a case if they have huge years in 2023.

Williams plays on the offensive line and having an offensive lineman as the face of the franchise is tough given their lack of profile among casual fans.

Bosa might get there if he signs his long-term extension, but even then a defensive star in terms of “face of the franchise” is always going to take a back seat to an offensive star.

Warner is the team’s emotional leader, but the typical uphill climb for defenders is even steeper since he’s not the club’s best defensive player (which is wild, FYI. He’d be the best defensive player on perhaps 28 other teams).

Then there’s the offensive group of Kittle, McCaffrey and Samuel. Kittle is undeniably the most outspoken and among players on the 49ers probably has the best case to be the “face” of the franchise. And if we had to name one, it would likely be him.

However, his productivity over the last couple years has started to dip in terms of volume as he gives way to the other offensive weapons. A face of the franchise who is the third (or perhaps fourth) option on offense is tough to justify.

Ultimately this discussion is probably one the 49ers would prefer to see given the big-picture meaning. If their roster wasn’t very good, any one of that group would be the unquestioned face of the team. Just ask Christian McCaffrey after his last couple years in Carolina.

Instead, there’s a debate because the bucket of players to choose from is so expansive and any argument for one eats into the argument against another.

If the 49ers had their druthers, their group of potential franchise faces would stay deep with Purdy playing well enough to elevate himself above the rest to become the undeniable face of the franchise with other stars settling in behind him in the pecking order.

For now though it remains a question mark, and that’s certainly not a bad thing.

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WATCH: Fred Warner sacks Chargers QB, pays homage to Nick Bosa

Fred Warner paid homage to Nick Bosa with his sack celebration Friday night.

The 49ers defense got a stop on its first series in their preseason finale against the Chargers. After a tackle for loss by Javon Kinlaw and Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles set the Chargers up with a third-and-14, Fred Warner flew in on a blitz to sack Chargers QB Easton Stick. Kinlaw got a really nice push up the middle before Warner got home.

After sacking the QB, Warner paid homage to his teammate Nick Bosa by doing Bosa’s shrug celebration and then doing the “make it rain” motion with his hands, presumably an indication that he’d like the team to pay the star defensive end and get him back with the club.

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Fred Warner lands at No. 15 on NFL’s top 100 players list

Fred Warner’s peers voted him the 15th-best player in the NFL. #49ers

There isn’t a linebacker in the NFL better than Fred Warner. Now according to the NFL top 100 list, there aren’t many players at any position better than him. Warner landed at No. 15 on a list voted on by NFL players and released on NFL Network.

The jump to No. 15 is a 32-spot climb for the All-Pro linebacker after he was voted 47th before last season.

It’s hard to dominate a position as well as Warner dominates it. He’s a superb run defender, he’s excellent in coverage, and he combines elite athletic traits with a football IQ that allows him to orchestrate everything on the defensive side for the 49ers.

Last season Warner posted 130 tackles, 2.0 sacks, one interception and 10 pass breakups, and he earned his second Pro Bowl nod along with his second First-Team All-Pro selection.

A player like defensive end Nick Bosa is always going to get most of the shine because of the position he plays, but the fact Warner is in the top 15 of a list created by NFL players speaks to just how vital he is to a dominant San Francisco defense.

He joins LB Dre Greenlaw (79), SS Talanoa Hufanga (78), WR Deebo Samuel (61), RB Christian McCaffrey (35), TE George Kittle (19) and LT Trent Williams (14) on the top 100 list.

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Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa receiving comparisons to NBA Superstar Steph Curry

49ers two-time First Team All-Pro LB Fred Warner compares Tua Tagovailoa to a basketball legend

All signs are indicating that Miami Dolphins quarterback [autotag]Tua Tagovailoa[/autotag] is poised for a breakout season in 2023. Tagovailoa is entering his fourth year in the NFL and each year he has improved in terms of wins, yards, touchdowns and quarterback rating. In fact, Tagovailoa led the NFL in both yards per attempt last season with 8.9 as well as a passer rating of 105.5.

The Dolphins are entering Year 2 under head coach Mike McDaniel, and he has brought new life to the Miami offense as well as Tua’s career. It was speculated that former Dolphins coach, Brian Flores, didn’t want Tagovailoa as his quarterback, so having a coach like McDaniel who has fully bought into Tua has completely brought new life to the former Alabama star. Many people think of the young Miami head coach as an offensive genius, and with a full offseason together, the offense will be even more confusing for defenses in 2023.

On top of that, the Dolphins have one of the best rosters in the NFL. The receiving duo of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle is well noted, but they also added All-Pro CB Jalen Ramsey this offseason, who is slated to return from injury in December. All across the Miami offense, Tua has weapons who are capable of scoring from essentially anywhere on the field.

San Fransisco 49ers superstar linebacker, Fred Warner, has the highest praise for Tagovailoa comparing him to future NBA Hall of Famer Steph Curry. Warner is widely considered to be the best LB in the NFL currently as he has two First-Team All-Pro selections in 2020 and 2022. Warner says of the Miami QB, “He’s like the Steph Curry of that offense. He’s the point guard. Everything runs through Tua.”

We will have to wait for the 2023 regular season to see if Tagovailoa can continue improving and take Miami to new heights.

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49ers LB Fred Warner praises Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa: ‘He’s like the Steph Curry of that offense’

49ers linebacker Fred Warner had some praise for Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with a comparison to Steph Curry.

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Before the Golden State Warriors and the rest of the NBA lace up for the start of the 2023-24 season, the NFL will take centerstage in the sports world with the start of the football season just around the corner.

While training camp is beginning to get underway, NFL Network is starting to reveal their annual player-voted list of the top 100 players in the league from the 2022-23 season. Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa landed at No. 82 on the list. During the show, San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner name dropped a member of the Golden State Warriors when talking about Tagovailoa.

When praising Tagovailoa’s ability to captain Miami’s high-powered offense on the show, the San Francisco 49ers All-Pro linebacker compared the Dolphins quarterback to another Bay Area star. Warner called Tagovailoa the “Steph Curry” of his offense.

He’s like Steph Curry of that offense. He’s the point guard. Everything runs through Tua.

Via @JacobMeshel on Twitter:

Despite missing five games due to injury, Tagovailoa threw for 3548 yards with 25 touchdowns and only eight interceptions while leading the Dolphins to a playoff berth.

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! 

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49ers dominant LB duo leads way in Madden 24 ratings

The #49ers have 2 of Madden 24’s 10 highest-rated linebackers:

It’s no surprise that the 49ers in “Madden NFL 24” have two of the game’s 10 highest-rated linebackers.

EA Sports is releasing the player ratings for the newest edition of its game and had 49ers LBs Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw rated among the 10 best at their position. Warner is the No. 1 overall rated LB, while Greenlaw checks in at No. 8 overall.

The rest of San Francisco’s LB corps is not great by the game’s standards, which isn’t a huge surprise with how many things the team still has to figure out there.

Here’s what the full LB ratings for the 49ers look like:

Bobby Wagner named among NFL’s top-3 linebackers going into 2023

He’s still an elite defender at his position, even at 33 years old.

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Thanks to some luck and a classic Super Bowl hangover for the Los Angeles Rams, the Seahawks were able to get Bobby Wagner back after cutting him last offseason. That filled the biggest hole on their roster, recovering one of the game’s greatest off-ball linebackers to lead a group that might very well be near the bottom of the league in overall depth otherwise. They got him at a discount too, signing Wagner to a one-year, $5.5 million deal.

Bobby may not be the superhuman stud he was during Seattle’s peak run (2012-2015) but he’s still an elite defender at his position, even at 33 years old. On Sunday Doug Farrar continued his lists of the top 11 players in the NFL at each spot, and Wagner came in at No. 3 on his linebacker rankings.

“The 32-year-old Wagner looked about like he’s always looked in 2022; he’s been on a Hall of Fame track for a while now, and last season, he had six sacks, three quarterback hits, 11 quarterback hurries, 89 solo tackles, and 50 stops. He also allowed 37 catches on 48 targets for 420 yards, 332 yards after the catch, one touchdown, two interceptions, five pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 92.4.”

However, as impressive as Wagner is, he’s not even the best linebacker in the NFC West anymore. That honor goes to Fred Warner of the 49ers, who was appropriately ranked No. 1 on Farrar’s list.

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49ers dominance at LB highlighted in Touchdown Wire top-11 list

No team does linebacker play like the 49ers, and it isn’t really close:

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The 49ers’ linebacking corps isn’t some well-kept NFL secret. Fred Warner is widely regarded as the best off-ball linebacker in the league. Dre Greenlaw has quietly improved during his four seasons and appears to be trending toward Warner’s tier. There isn’t a better duo in the NFL right now, and it may not be particularly close.

A top-11 list of NFL linebackers by Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar helps illustrate how far out in front of the league San Francisco’s LBs are.

Warner checks in at No. 1 on the list. Greenlaw isn’t far behind him at No. 5. We encourage you to read Farrar’s breakdowns of each player. It’s a fun read that underscores the versatility and quality the 49ers hold in the second level.

The incredible part about the 49ers’ representation on the list though is not only that they have two of the top five, but they’re the only team with two players even on the list. Cincinnati has Germaine Pratt at No. 9 and Logan Wilson as an honorable mention. Other than that no team has two players in Farrar’s list.

San Francisco’s pass rush will get plenty of headlines with reigning Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa leading the way, but what Warner and Greenlaw do in the second level with run stopping and taking away the middle of the field where modern passing offenses thrive is what helps elevate the 49ers into the elite tier of NFL defenses.

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The NFL’s 11 best linebackers

From Fred Warner to Frankie Luvu, it’s time to talk linebackers with Doug Farrar’s list of the 11 best in the NFL today.

The days of the base defense with three linebackers on the field are most definitely over. Last season, defenses played nickel (five defensive backs) on 12,630 opponent passing attempts. Defenses played dime (six defensive backs) on 2,715 opponent dropbacks. With just 3,206 opponent dropbacks against four defensive backs last season, base defense is no longer base defense — nickel is the new base, and has been for some time.

With that in mind, it’s also clear that the requirements for NFL linebackers have changed. Running backs motioning out of the backfield, and the advent of the 3×1 formation, have altered team needs at the position. The old-school forward-motion run-stopper is of limited use at best, unless he can also cover from the flat to the seam, and blitz everywhere from the second level to various gaps at the line of scrimmage.

It’s a new day for linebackers, and as such, we’re seeing different types of players define the position. Now, you need to be built like a safety while still hitting like a 250-pound middle linebacker from the 1970s. It’s not an easy gig, and that’s one reason for the supposed “devaluation” of the position. Linebackers are rarely thought to be the personifications of their defenses as they were in previous eras. Now, it’s mostly about cornerbacks and edge-rushers. If you want to stand out in the public eye like Dick Butkus or Jack Lambert… well, good luck with that.

Still, it’s an important position, and as the goalposts have moved, players have redefined themselves to bend with the times. Thus, the 11 players you’ll see on this list.

The criteria to make the list of the 11 best linebackers in the game today represented a focus on a multi-faceted approach to the game.

  • Beating blocks and getting through run fits on a consistent basis is crucial. If you can’t stop the run well, it’s going to be tough to get anywhere near this listicle.
  • Pass coverage is also crucial. Can you be a true half-field defender at linebacker depth and beyond? Can you work responsibilities from the flat to the middle of the field?
  • Finally, the ability to blitz effectively from multiple gaps is a must.

And now, here are the 11 best linebackers in the NFL today. You can also read our previous position lists; they’re all headed in the same direction: To our list of the 101 best players overall heading into the 2023 NFL season.

The NFL’s top 11 slot defenders
The NFL’s top 11 cornerbacks
The NFL’s top 11 safeties

(All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus and Sports Info Solutions unless otherwise indicated).