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Preseason week 2 GDT: 49ers vs Texans


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16 hours ago, 757-NINER said:

Me and a  Niner friend of mine were having this debate about Warner vs Foster at MIKE so I'd thought I'd bring it here...

My friend loves Foster at MIKE and says there's no chance we would or should move him. Now while I agree that Foster's insticts and nose for the ball you just can't teach and would probably be better served in the center of the defense, I really think with his penchant for nagging injuries and the fact that he's not the biggest guy physically, but tends to play alot more physical style, taking him out if the middle and moving him to WILL might preserve his body and keep him on the field in the long-run. 

Now I'm not saying Warner is ready this year to man the MIKE. But I think by his second year, with a firmer grasp of the scheme, he could hit the ground running. Warner is no Foster in terms of instincts but he's a very heady player who is better at shedding blocks and weeding through traffic in the box than I gave him credit for as a prospect. Even though it was just one preseason game, against mainly 2's and 3's, I thought he looked phenomenal when I re-watched the game. With how quickly he diagnosed things in front of him to his fluidity in coverage and how natural he is in space, to how assertive he was in taking on blocks and attacking the play instead of waiting for it to come to him like most young ILBs...I was pleasantly surprised to say the least. And with Warner being a bigger guy, I think he could stand up to the pounding of being in the middle more so than Foster, who seemed to get injured in every quarter of every game he played last year. Not mention Foster's tendecy to be over-agressive and overrun plays would be less of a detriment from the outside. I know it's a little early to annoit Warner after one preseason game but if he continues to show and prove like this all year, is what I'm suggesting.

So is it blasphemous to suggest moving Foster to WILL in favor of Warner? Have I lost my mind as my friend suggested? Or could a argument be made that if Warner plays and progresses into another young stud LB in the fold, that moving Foster to WILL isn't such a bad idea?

If you wonder about Foster taking punsihment at Mike, what about Warner. I think he weighed in at around 235 at the combine but when I look at him on the field he looks like a (big) S to me. If I had to guess his weight I'd be guessing something like 225.

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14 hours ago, 757-NINER said:

I think that was more experimenting with different line-ups and personnel. I don't think Smith@Mike is really feasible.

Whether it's feasible or not is another matter, but that's how they're lining up. Comes from Barrows in his No Brakes podcast. Also confirmed here:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.mercurynews.com/2018/08/02/top-10-highlights-from-49ers-camp-thursday/amp/

You put your best player (Foster) at his biggest impact position (WILL), so to me it makes sense. As Warner, and not Smith, is considered the future at the position, having Smith playing "out of position" is really not a big problem. Especially since WILL and MIKE are interchangeable in this scheme. The major difference is who makes the defensive calls (the MIKE).

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9 hours ago, N4L said:

Terrible standard considering the massive contract we gave richburg. Overpaidburg might be more accurate. I'm worried he's going to get outmuscled by those two boulders the rams have up front. 

Looking at that particular play, garnet blocking down on the nose with richburg getting upfield and then hooking the linebacker and/or clearing him out would have been more effective. 

I've never been a huge fan of the zbs in the NFL. I like the outside zone with boot action but I like traps and inside counters that are quick hitters up the middle as well. I see so many running backs lined up 7+ yards behind the los, never makes any sense to me unless you are going to run outside, but then you're tipping you're hand if that's the only reason you have them back so far. Joe williams is 8/9 yards back, that's too far imo. The timing of the hole is completely out of whack. 

I am a big fan of the trap play. We used to trap suh to death when he was in Detroit and he never made the adjustment. It can be very effective when the timing is right. I would love to see juice used for traps the same way that delanie walker used to be. It's a good way to get hats onto the second level, which seems like a main strategy of the zbs as well. 

I can't recall Kyle ever running a trap play, it would be a nice wrinkle to add.

The problem is that the majority of the running backs we have on the roster aren't built for that type of play. Breida is the only running back we have on the roster with any sort of instincts, it's a problem. 

Agreed. It'll take time, he will most likely have trouble with the angles when it comes to the run game. Also kind of funny how the NFL informed him that the holding penalty called against him actually shouldn't have been a penalty. 

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1 hour ago, mw2noobbuster said:
Here’s Jullian Taylor blowing up Quenton Nelson in college. This why I want Jullian Taylor to start at nose tackle. 

Pretty nice, and I like Taylor, but I think he just had some luck on his side there. OL play assignment and his apparent assignment had him likely to win that particular battle every time, assuming he had any power in him. (which he does, just sayin')

I can not imagine him as a NT in this scheme. Playing the 1 and soaking up bodies? That would just not compute in my albeit limited head.  

200w.webp

 

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7 hours ago, big9erfan said:

If you wonder about Foster taking punsihment at Mike, what about Warner. I think he weighed in at around 235 at the combine but when I look at him on the field he looks like a (big) S to me. If I had to guess his weight I'd be guessing something like 225.

Nah, 236 is fine for a rookie. He should bulk up to at least 240 over time. 4 lbs isnt that big if a deal. Bowman was around 240 and he was just fine.

Foster might be 230 lbs. He's cut up but he's definitely not the biggest guy. He's statue is more compact, which helps but he's still on the lighter side for a MIKE.

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Also worth noting that Foster is only 6'0. I think i even saw an earlier height at 5'11. Point being, he's already short for his size, going to naturally carry less weight. Dude is still thicc though.

Imagine him at 205 fighting in the UFC. Good god he'd kill someone. 

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Not to mention that the game is changing and teams are passing more than they're running the ball, which means less violent contact with 300+ lbs guys and more running sideline to sideline. I wouldn't be surprised if, in a few years, the average weight of a linebacker in the NFL is in the 220 lbs range. 

Julian Peterson and Manny Lawson would be superstars in today's NFL with their athleticism, coverage ability, and versatility.

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