Baldy names 49ers’ top offseason priority to close the NFC gap
“Defensively, you have to get a lot better,” Baldinger said. “Seattle’s defense is the number one defense in football (in points allowed). New England’s was the fourth-best defense in football. Denver’s was the third-best. Houston was [the second-best]. You’ve got to have a top-ten defense, and maybe a top-five defense, to get this far…….so, I think that’s where it’s got to start right now. I saw [general manager] John Lynch at the Senior Bowl last year, and here comes Mykel Williams and [Alfred] Collins and CJ West, whatever. They’re going to have to continue to upgrade across the board on defense right now.”
Baldinger also emphasized how well the Seahawks have infused their defense with young, elite talent, suggesting that’s an area where the 49ers must close the gap.
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49ers’ Fred Warner shares exciting recovery update
“One hundred and twenty percent,” Warner confidently said. “Past 100 percent, yeah. I feel great. Best I’ve ever been.”
The All-Pro linebacker reflected on the rapid recovery that had him ready just over three months after the injury. He was asked how realistic it was that he would have suited up for the NFC Championship Game, had his 49ers reached that point.
“It was so true,” Warner said. “I actually think I surprised myself throughout the healing process, with how quickly I did heal from this injury, because it’s one of those ones—it looks horrific when it happens. It was honestly a fear of mine. I had seen that happen to other people, and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, that looks horrible.’
“But, surprisingly, once they put it all back together, after surgery, and then you start getting into rehab, you start feeling way better, getting that range of motion back, the strength back, and you really pop back pretty quick. And so, it was very true that I could have played.”
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The War Room: Welcome to San Francisco Edition
“I don’t necessarily dislike Tyson, but there’s talk of him going top 10 and I don’t really see that right now. In comparison to Carnell Tate, there’s no comparison. Tyson has a lot of wasted movement, a lot of Tik Tok-ey hesitation in his routes that will lead to missed timings in the NFL. Ricky Pearsall had to learn some of that, and there’s some similarity in their style, but I think Pearsall maintained speed a bit better. Tyson’s probably better in the open field, and should be a big addition, but I’m not convinced he’ll hit the ground running on Day 1 like Tate. He’s a guy I’d expect to figure it out a bit more in the second half of his rookie year.
People have given Boettcher a lot of love after the Senior Bowl, and I get it. He hits hard. He plays run-fitting, meathead football. I’m just not particularly convinced he offers more than that. I saw Thienemann clean up quite a bit behind him in Oregon. I think Boettcher would be a great special teams player and probably a nice SAM option at the next level, but thus far, I’m not sure he has the pass game feel or range to be a plus middle linebacker. And this is a rare class with a few of those.
It might seem confusing to have one big edge I love in T.J. Parker and one I don’t in Derrick Moore, but I think it boils down to burst and disruptive consistency. Parker’s a bit faster off the line, and has got real power that shows up consistently. Moore’s not nearly as consistent. I don’t see the same pop from him — he won some nice reps in the Senior Bowl — and I was honestly more impressed by his edge partner, Jaishawn Barham, who’s a bursty, bendy long edge.“