Golden Nuggets: Fred Warner plans to lead the 49ers defense by example

Your daily San Francisco 49ers links for Saturday, July 24, 2021

Friday is supposed to be a slow news day, but that was not the case. The Patriots and Vikings both fired offensive line coaches who refused to get vaccinated. Cowboys QB Dak Prescott doesn’t know what HIPAA actually is. Four players were placed on the reserve/COVID list around the league.

I’m thankful that no 49ers player has come out and embarrassed themselves as we’ve seen from other players. Instead of taking the practice field next Saturday, the players will now take the field this coming Wednesday.

Fred Warner had wholesome way to celebrate 49ers contract extension

“That’s funny because that’s kind of a common question when something like this happens. It’s like, ‘Oh, what’s the big purchase to be? What type of car are you going to buy?” Warner told reporters Thursday in a press conference to announce the signing of his record-breaking, five-year extension with the 49ers. “I’m not the type to go splurge on something crazy for myself. I did happen to have my family here when it happened, and we went to dinner, that was nice. The thought of being able to provide a home or a house for my mother one day, and even buying a home myself just to have somewhere to call for me and my future family, just little things like that mean the world. That’s what this deal and something like this allows. That’s the biggest blessing in the world.”

Five 49ers That Need an Impressive Training Camp

Richie James Jr.

One player who I have always felt never gets a fair shot is Richie James Jr.. He has had some sweet moments for the 49ers the past two seasons, but can never be looked at as more than a special teams role player by Shanahan. Going into training camp last year, I was skewed towards James being a camp casualty just because he isn’t in good standing on Shanahan’s favoritism ladder. That same thought I had last year remains the same going into this year’s training camp.

Trey Lance’s chances to start right away for the 49ers and Nick Bosa’s potential return to form — mailbag

Is there any chance Nick Bosa improves off the Super Bowl season or is him trying to reclaim his past form a more likely ceiling? Seems like we need him to be superhuman with a lack of great DEs. — Brian Clinger

Let’s remember that Bosa was superhuman in that 2019 season, or at least close to it. He racked up 12 pressures in the Super Bowl, and that happened even while the officials were obviously very reluctant to throw holding flags in that game. Anyway, a return to prior form for Bosa would be, for all intents and purposes, a return to superhuman status.

Bosa has already proved that he’s built differently than merely “good” edge rushers. Now, we’ll see if that’s translated into a seamless recovery from the ACL tear. That injury has derailed some 49ers D-linemen for over a season, with the most notable recent case being Ronald Blair (who’s now with the Jets). But all feedback regarding Bosa’s rehabilitation process has been positive so far.

49ers sit smack in the middle of NFL Wire pre-camp power rankings

Ultimately, however, the biggest question facing them is how soon Trey Lance sees the field. John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan made a splash this past off-season, moving to the top of the draft board to select a quarterback from the FCS level with limited experience but a ton of talent and tools.

Lance might just be a perfect fit with Shanahan, given the schematic overlaps between the offense Lance ran at North Dakota State and how Shanahan has constructed the 49ers offense. But how quickly will the coach hand his rookie passer the keys?

Warner’s strong message to 49ers can set tone for Super Bowl run

“If I’m leading by example, I know that that is going to carry more weight for guys who are watching what I do in the locker room, out on the field, in the weight room — those different things hold weight instead of just going out there and barking orders at people,” Warner told reporters Thursday in a news conference to announce his extension. “I’m extremely excited to really attack this training camp head-on.

“I’ve been telling the guys that you’ve got to prepare your mind for this to be the hardest training camp you’ve ever endured. Because if we really want to have the season we want, you’ve got to go through hell to make it to heaven. So that’s what my mindset is going into it. That’s why I’ve been preparing my body and my mind just for that.”