Fred Warner ‘hyperfocused' on Week 1, not 49ers' off-field distractions

49ers linebacker Fred Warner speaks to reporters following San Francisco's training camp session on Tuesday in Santa Clara.

Fred Warner 'hyperfocused' on Week 1, not 49ers' off-field distractions originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

View More

Video Transcript

What have you seen from Larry Ward today out there?

From Larry Ward, rookie Larry Ward.

I'm sorry, say it one more time.

Larry Ward, linebacker, on draft day.

Oh, Larry.

Yeah, Larry, he's, Larry's just continued to get better, man.

I've loved what I've seen from Larry, from the moment he, he came onto the team.

You know, you expect rookies to come in and bring great energy, and I think he's done that.

And he's continued to get better at playing the position.

I know he has a safety background, but learning how to play off, stack off the ball, linebacker, using his hands, getting on and off blocks, being a physical player, you know, I think he's done a great job.

All right, so Kyle said that, you know, Jed's arrest had no effect on the team and the field.

I mean, it's impossible to ignore and, and not see what's going on.

So what, what's been the talk in the locker room among you guys about Jed?

And you've obviously known him for so long, so what, what are your, your thoughts on it?

Yeah, no, I mean, Cam, we're, we're all aware, right?

I think we all have social media, so we see things.

But at the same time, you know, I got a lot of love, a lot of respect for Jed, and don't feel the need to, to comment on the situation.

I think the team is kind of the same way.

Like, it was, it really wasn't a conversation being had in the locker room.

Of course, yeah, you notice it, but, at the same time, we're so hyper-focused in this building of, of trying to prepare for week one.

You know, a lot of guys are on the bubble trying to even make the team.

So, you know, we're, we're just trying to get better as a football team and letting that, that, you know, that's a personal situation, letting it stay personal with, with him.

You obviously had Kyle's accident at the beginning.

Sorry, at camp, you have this.

I know they're not the, the same thing at all.

They're not the football team, but does it just hit you like there's a lot of stuff been going on outside this team this, just this last few weeks?

Yeah, I mean, I didn't really put that together until you, until you just spoke on it because i- if, if I'm being so, you know, honest about it, training camp is a beast in itself when it comes to just football and preparing yourself, for what a 17-game season, entails.

Kyle's done a tremendous job of, you know, recovering and being present for us as, as the, as the head coach and, you know, it's been a seamless transition for, you know, what he went through.

We're, we're so, like I said, a- again, like we're so hyper-focused on, on what we gotta do on the field.

That, that kind of stuff that may get, you know, there's different narratives and things that are talked about, maybe whether it's social media or amongst you guys and everything or amongst the, the fans.

In here in this building, it's, it truly is all about football and trying to make sure we have the best product on the field for everybody, right?

For ourselves and for everybody that's counting on us.

So I mean, I, that truly hasn't really been a, a thought in my mind or the rest of the team, I'd say.

Fred, through, through the spring and even early in camp when you were asked how different you think the defense is gonna look this year, I think you've said, "We'll see."

Mm-hmm.

Now that you've been through basically all of camp here, how, how different do you think things are gonna look fr- on that side of the ball this year?

Yeah, I mean, it, it is gonna look a little different.

We do have similarities as well of things that we've run in the past.

So it's just really a blend of putting those things together and running them as seamlessly as possible.

You know, the things that, the thing that will always remain the same is the style of play.

I, I always talk about, right, the, the speed, the physicality, the energy that we bring, with little wrinkles here and there, as to what we'll, we'll run in the season.

But, you know, it is a blend at the end of the day, so, I guess we'll have to see week one what that looks like.

Is it enough?

Is it enough difference for you that this camp has been a little more challenging in some ways, just in terms of the things you need to be aware of, getting guys lined up, things like that?

No, I mean, at the end of the day, you know, I think that part's always come to me pretty naturally.

And like I said, there is a lot of stuff that I've already done in the past that we're, we're still doing.

And so for me, it was honestly just getting back to form, having not played football in a long time, which that happened pretty quickly for me.

And, yeah, just, just continuing to get reps, you know?

You and, and Brock have been chirping back and forth for, for years now.

We noticed it the, the other day.

Brock was particularly loud.

Could hear everything, huh?

Is that, is that the most, I don't know, animated he- you've seen him?

And is it, is it more so this year?

I mean, has it been growing year to year with him?

Yeah, it's definitely, I think it's been a growth and, you know, I love Brock with all my heart.

I love everything that he's about, the competitor that he is, you know, the confidence that he exudes now to, to send it back to me, you know, as long as I'm a far- far enough distance away and can't retaliate.

No, I'm just kidding.

But, yeah, man, I mean, that, that's great.

At the end of the day, it's, for me personally, I'm trying to create an environment that is as game-like as possible, right?

And, and Brock's the same way.

I think when him and I are going like that, you know, and I'm, I'm chirping at him, I'm chirping at the offense all day and they're sick and tired of it and they finally get me and you got the whole offense cheering because, you know, they got me or something like that, and we're on the 500th day of training camp and you, you know, that kind of energy is out there, it's like, man, you're doing something right, right?

So, I think that's what every building around, around the league is trying to search for at this point in, in camp, where it is kind of a lull of guys, you know, on the bubble trying to make it.

There's a third preseason game coming up versus, you know, guys who are tru- truly trying to get better for week one, and it's like, how can you breed an environment of competition, to where everybody's getting better at the end of the day?

And so that's, that's what it truly is all about.

I know you don't have a lot of, interactions with, with Mac Jones just 'cause you're on a different unit, but how is he in that, in that, the chirping department?

I mean, you, you know Mac Jones.

He, he got, he, he got plenty to say, so he's not lacking in, in things to say.

But at the end of the day, man, they're out there trying to play the position better than anybody.

I think the, the, the talking and all that gets, gets kind of lost and, that, that part is not as important as actually, you know, executing and doing your job.

Fred, this training camp, you guys have kind of made it in a few weeks.

Have you seen a growing of comfortability in, in Raheem's new system on the defense when it comes to the younger guys, when it comes to you guys all learning this new defense?

And if so, how?

Yeah, I mean, it's, it's, it's, it's a constant, you know, process of finding, you know, mastery, right, at what you do.

And, you know, we, whether it's a new system, whether it's a new DC, which we've dealt with, you know, over the past, what, five seasons, it's just a constant just everybody's starting to really familiarize each other, familiarize themselves with each other, through the process.

And, you know, I, I've talked about it won't be a finished product come week one, right?

We're gonna have to try to find what's the best product that we can put on the field to win against the Rams, but it'll be a continu- you know, a continual process of trying to figure out how to be the best defense, for our team to ultimately win games.

Fred, yesterday you guys traded for Dion Jones, and I was just looking at some of his numbers.

He's only 31.

He's had five seasons of 100 tackles.

What-- You know, he's a pro b- former Pro Bowler.

Have you had a chance to talk to him?

What do you think of that, that addition?

Yeah, no, I loved it.

You know, I, I, man, I've admired Dion's game for a long time.

You know, he came out in 2016 and, and flashed onto the scene pretty quickly over in Atlanta.

I think he has, like, five career pick sixes.

You know, and they ran our cover three scheme.

So early on in my, my younger, my younger days of, you know, trying to learn the system, we saw a lot of Atlanta's tape and I watched him a lot.

So, you know, like you said, Pro Bowler, has been around it, has great perspective for the room and, yeah, I, I really like the addition.

I think he'll, he'll help us.

Close