Robert Saleh was expressing gratitude recently for the 49ers having two players whose zeal for practice help pull along everyone else in a repetitive training camp setting.
One was tight end George Kittle, who makes no bones about the fact that he loves every rep and can’t conceal his unabashed joy for all things football.
The other is middle linebacker Fred Warner, a seven-year veteran who got his start under Saleh as a rookie out of Brigham Young and took his lumps playing an unfamiliar position in 2018.
Warner offered a gentle correction Thursday following a joint practice with the Las Vegas Raiders in Henderson, NV. The 49ers play the Raiders in their second exhibition game Saturday at 1 p.m. at Allegiant Stadium.
The practice habits Warner has are borne out of everything he learned as a young player during training camp and the days leading up to a game.
“I don’t know about loving practice because I’d rather play games,” Warner said. “But I know for a fact that when I came in I was far from a finished product having never played stack backer before. I had a long way to go and I’m the perfect example of practicing being a tool to continue to get better and be the player I am today.”
Warner, 28, is a four-time All-Pro and a fiery, steadying presence on a defense that underwent a dramatic offseason overhaul that included bringing Saleh back as coordinator. On top of that, the unit has been ravaged by training camp injuries, although none of them are considered long-term.
The new look defensive front is depending heavily on three rookie draft picks — end/tackle Mykel Williams (first round), tackle Alfred Collins (second round) and C.J. West (fourth round). Undrafted free agent Sebastian Valdez has a shot at being in the rotation. But Williams is out with a hyper-extended knee, and West followed suit with the same injury Thursday after a one-on-one drill.
Dee Winters has ascended to a starting position that used to belong to Warner’s sidekick Dre Greenlaw.
Fred Warner (right) goes through drills alongside Dee Winter (53) who will start alongside him on the 49ers’ defense. Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group
“It is a very new group. We’re obviously down at a few positions on the D-line now,” Warner said. “Guys have got to get healthy and it’s a great opportunity for the guys who are newer or young to come in and show what you got. I’m never going to use that as an excuse for how I go out there and approach my game at all. I’ve got to go out there and set the tone.”
A hybrid safety/linebacker in college, Warner was a quick study to the point where he got overloaded with information by Saleh in 2019, the year the 49ers went 13-3 and reached the Super Bowl. The 49ers were 7-0 and facing the Arizona Cardinals and Kyler Murray for the first time.
The 49ers won 28-25, but had to survive a furious late rally by the Cardinals.
“I put an enormous amount of pressure in that game to make sure we were in the right call,” Saleh said. “And I did him a disservice because he was thinking the whole game and not playing. It’s a learning experience for me. It’s not about the call, or being in the right call. It’s making sure the players can go fast as heck.”
It’s Warner’s job now to be a conduit for Saleh’s game plan for young players during a game, getting them to play fast as well as how to practice.
Warner played all 17 games a year ago, but wasn’t himself after a chip fracture in his ankle in Week 4 against New England. He made plenty of tackles, but both his coverage and ball-stripping dropped off. He’s been a regular presence on the practice field during OTAs and training camp, keeping up a running smack talk battle with the offense while encouraging, cajoling and correcting defensive teammates.
And it brings Warner back to his early days with Saleh and going from an occasionally confused rookie to a seasoned professional.
“People talk about leadership all the time and it’s not about me getting in the huddle and trying to fire guys up,” Warner said. “It’s about me getting out there every single day and being the example. If I’m doing it then everybody else can do it. If you come out and practice with intent, look at what you can achieve It’s about being out there and leading by example.”
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Said Saleh: “The game hasn’t jaded him, if that makes sense. But he’s still flying around, he expects a lot from his teammates and the bar he sets for those guys is high. He’s always been a coach’s dream.”
Whether Warner actually plays or whether he’ll be leading from the sideline against the Raiders and then against the Los Angeles Chargers on Aug. 23 remains to be seen.
“I just follow orders, man,” Warner said. “They have a plan that’s set in stone and I’m following whatever they tell me.”