WEBVTT - 1st & 10: Previewing the 49ers 2023 Defensive Unit

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<v Speaker 1>Hello, and welcome to the forty nine Ers First and

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<v Speaker 1>ten Podcast, ten minutes of the most up to date

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<v Speaker 1>forty nine Ers news, First thing in the morning. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>your host, Brionna McDonald, and I'm joined by forty nine

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<v Speaker 1>Ers team reporter Lindsay Polares. As we work our way

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<v Speaker 1>closer to training camp. Today we're talking forty nine Ers defense.

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<v Speaker 1>San Francisco's defensive unit is going to look a bit

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<v Speaker 1>different from last season as Demiko Ryans, the former forty

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<v Speaker 1>nine Ers defensive coordinator and twenty twenty two Assistant Coach

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<v Speaker 1>of the Year, departed shortly after the end of the

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<v Speaker 1>season for a head coaching position with the Houston Texans,

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<v Speaker 1>and that's where Steve Wilkes steps in. We've heard a

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<v Speaker 1>lot about the type of flair Wilkes wants to bring

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<v Speaker 1>to the team, and he's explained what his specialties are.

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<v Speaker 1>But what have you heard from other members of the

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<v Speaker 1>forty nine Ers about the type of coach Steve Wilkes

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<v Speaker 1>is and how he fits in with the team.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, Brie, I think a lot of what we heard

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<v Speaker 2>is that on the forty nine Ers side, they didn't

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<v Speaker 2>want to have a drastic change from Demico Ryans, and

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<v Speaker 2>that doesn't mean just in defensive philosophy. What we've heard

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<v Speaker 2>since the very first time that general manager John Lynch

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<v Speaker 2>addressed the media regarding Steve Bolts higher, there's a heavy

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<v Speaker 2>diving into his personality. And one thing that I really

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<v Speaker 2>like and that I've talked about with him is this

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<v Speaker 2>notion of him being a leader of men and more

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<v Speaker 2>importantly a leader of people. That he is a player's coach,

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<v Speaker 2>and one of the first things he wanted to do

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<v Speaker 2>was come in and establish personal relationships with the players

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<v Speaker 2>because that way he has a respect built with the

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<v Speaker 2>players he's working with day to day, and I do

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<v Speaker 2>feel from what we've heard from the players that that

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<v Speaker 2>mutual respect is already forming. We heard from linebacker Fred

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<v Speaker 2>Warner who said it's been a seamless transition, which I

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<v Speaker 2>think is just a really heavy endorsement, because Fred Warner

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<v Speaker 2>absolutely love and respected Demiko Ryan, So to get that

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<v Speaker 2>from him is really great.

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<v Speaker 1>You know.

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<v Speaker 2>I think Steve Wolks mentioned coming and doing a lot

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<v Speaker 2>of just team bonding exercises, and I do think it's working.

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<v Speaker 2>We also heard from defensive lineman Eric Armstead just calling

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<v Speaker 2>out that he is a great leader. He's come in,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, and ready to take control of that defense.

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<v Speaker 2>And that's what you want. You want the endorsement of

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<v Speaker 2>the leaders and the veterans on that defensive unit, and

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<v Speaker 2>then also obviously just the effort that's been put forth

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<v Speaker 2>to create those relationships.

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<v Speaker 1>The forty nine Ers also hired a few other new

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<v Speaker 1>faces to the team during the off season, including offensive

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<v Speaker 1>passing game specialist Clint Kubiak and defensive quality control coaches

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<v Speaker 1>Jake A. Webster and Cameron Brown. For more information on

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<v Speaker 1>them and a complete list of the forty nine Ers

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<v Speaker 1>coaching staff, check out the latest installment of the twenty

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<v Speaker 1>twenty three roster breakdown on forty nine ers dot com. Now.

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<v Speaker 1>The team's motto for the defense heading into the season

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<v Speaker 1>is that it starts upfront, and the forty nine Ers

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<v Speaker 1>have built a stacked defensive line over the off season

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<v Speaker 1>that highlights one of the team's biggest playmakers, Nick Bosa.

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<v Speaker 1>NFL dot Com named Bosa a top ten franchise building block.

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<v Speaker 1>Can you explain exactly what that means and how Nick

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<v Speaker 1>Bosa is a fit for that title? Absolutely?

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<v Speaker 2>Brief So this was an interesting ranking system that happened

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<v Speaker 2>because when you say franchise building block, the analysts Bucky

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<v Speaker 2>Brooks and Daniel Jeremiah wanted to zero in on players

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<v Speaker 2>that are still young and coming into the prime of

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<v Speaker 2>their careers, and that means underage twenty six one of

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<v Speaker 2>the big specifications for them, so that the teams that

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<v Speaker 2>they're a part of will continue to build rosters around them.

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<v Speaker 2>So Nick Bosa checks every one of those boxes. He

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<v Speaker 2>is under twenty six and is coming off a year

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<v Speaker 2>in which he was named the ap NFL Defensive Player

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<v Speaker 2>of the Year. We all know his stats, but all

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<v Speaker 2>refreshed people's memories a little bit. Eighteen and a half sacks,

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<v Speaker 2>led the league in sacks, fifty one total tackles, nineteen

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<v Speaker 2>tackles for loss, forty eight quarterback hits, a pass defended,

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<v Speaker 2>two forced fumbles. Just absolutely a career year for Nick Bosa.

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<v Speaker 2>And on top of that, we've gotten to just hear

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<v Speaker 2>how much players respect him and just his commitment to

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<v Speaker 2>continue fine tuning his craft. And that is why he

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<v Speaker 2>came in at number two. He was just behind Dallas

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<v Speaker 2>Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons. Just an elite player and as

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<v Speaker 2>you've seen and we've seen this free agency and off

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<v Speaker 2>season is that the forty nine ers are building that

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<v Speaker 2>defensive line around the talent that they've already got established.

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<v Speaker 2>You've got Nick Bosa and Rick Armstead already there. They

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<v Speaker 2>brought in Javon Hargrave to make that interior absolutely unstoppable.

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<v Speaker 2>There's the development of Drake Jackson, and then you've got

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<v Speaker 2>Carrie Hider Junior coming back as well. That is absolutely

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<v Speaker 2>going to be a formidable defensive line in twenty twenty three,

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<v Speaker 2>or at least that's what the team is hoping, and

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<v Speaker 2>Nick Bosa is absolutely an anchor of that defensive line.

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<v Speaker 1>Like you mentioned, Nick Bosa had an incredible twenty twenty

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<v Speaker 1>two season en route to an NFC Championship game. He

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<v Speaker 1>led the league in sacks, He earned a Pro Bowl nod,

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<v Speaker 1>and was honored as the Defensive Player of the Year.

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<v Speaker 1>And something that stuck out actually in his acceptance speech

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<v Speaker 1>for that award was that he's not done. What's the

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<v Speaker 1>ceiling like Nick Bosa and how is he constantly elevating

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<v Speaker 1>his game over each season.

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<v Speaker 2>I think there is no ceiling for Nick Bosa.

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<v Speaker 1>And we got to see.

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<v Speaker 2>Him for the first time this off season when he

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<v Speaker 2>came back with the rest of the veterans for Mini camp.

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<v Speaker 2>He looks as if he's in mid season for he

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<v Speaker 2>didn't practice. I guess I'm just talking about physical appearance.

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<v Speaker 2>And you know, I don't know if anybody saw the

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<v Speaker 2>funny meme creation that our creative team made of somebody

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<v Speaker 2>photoshopping Nick Bosa's thighs onto George Kittle. He's absolutely built.

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<v Speaker 2>He continues to look that way. And one thing that

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<v Speaker 2>I remember head coach Kyle Shanahan said is that Nick

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<v Speaker 2>Bosa is not a guy that you have to worry about.

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<v Speaker 2>He spends most of his off season in South Florida

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<v Speaker 2>with his brother, Joey Bosa. They work out together. These

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<v Speaker 2>are not a couple players that are taking any days off,

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<v Speaker 2>And in fact, Nick Bosa said that in the off

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<v Speaker 2>season he's had to just learn to work in alternative

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<v Speaker 2>forms of working out so that he can actually give

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<v Speaker 2>his body time to heal, rejuvenate and get back to

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<v Speaker 2>one hundred for the upcoming season and get ready for

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<v Speaker 2>that big twenty twenty three season low that they're hoping

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<v Speaker 2>to have. So I think he is absolutely got no ceiling.

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<v Speaker 2>Expect more from him in twenty twenty three and I

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<v Speaker 2>think a lot more good things to come for Nick Bosa,

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<v Speaker 2>who is still on his first pro contract.

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<v Speaker 1>Just behind that defensive line is a linebacker corps that

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<v Speaker 1>we've seen is ready to go full speed after each snap.

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<v Speaker 1>This year, San Francisco's linebackers rank at the top of

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<v Speaker 1>the charts for Pro Football Focus. Tell us a little

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<v Speaker 1>bit more about that ranking from PFF.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, so PFF is taking into account just the many

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<v Speaker 2>boxes that the linebacker role fills, which is both in

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<v Speaker 2>coverage and against the run, And from what we've seen

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<v Speaker 2>from the forty nine ers linebacker corps is that they

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<v Speaker 2>can handle it all. And of course that position group

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<v Speaker 2>is headlined by All Pro Fred Warner and also Dre Greenlaw,

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<v Speaker 2>who I think is just continuing to build year over year.

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<v Speaker 2>He just wrapped up his third season with the team,

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<v Speaker 2>and they're absolutely the dynamic duo of the linebacker corps.

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<v Speaker 2>So I don't think it's a coincidence that it's number

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<v Speaker 2>one and two in tackles on the team right there,

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<v Speaker 2>as he's al Shier was also part of that linebacker corps.

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<v Speaker 2>Of course, he departed to the Tennessee Titans in free agency,

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<v Speaker 2>so I think it's a great opportunity for someone like

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<v Speaker 2>an Orin Berks and a Demetrius Flannigan Fowls, or a

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<v Speaker 2>Marcelena McCrary ball or a Curtis Robinson or even some

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<v Speaker 2>of the rookies De Winners and Jalen Graham to step up.

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<v Speaker 2>There's going to be a lot of opportunity to continue

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<v Speaker 2>and to grow in their careers because of that personnel change.

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<v Speaker 2>But again, just an absolute force on the defense. Two

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<v Speaker 2>hundred and fifty seven total tackles between Fred Warner and

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<v Speaker 2>Dre Greenlaw. They earned a ninety point seven grade as

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<v Speaker 2>a core against the run and eighty eight point five

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<v Speaker 2>mark from PFF in coverage. They are absolutely I think

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<v Speaker 2>we've heard this a lot, but the linebackers and particularly

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<v Speaker 2>Fred Warner are the heartbeat of the defense, and I

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<v Speaker 2>do think that is something that's pretty widely known on

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<v Speaker 2>the defensive unit for the forty nine Ers.

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<v Speaker 1>Things are definitely looking bright for the forty nine ers

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<v Speaker 1>defense in twenty twenty three, But that will do it

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<v Speaker 1>for today. Be sure to look out for all of

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<v Speaker 1>the forty nine ers off season content on forty nine

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<v Speaker 1>ers dot com. Thank you so much, Lindsey for joining

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<v Speaker 1>me in this off season update. Don't forget to follow

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<v Speaker 1>First and ten on Spotify and Apple podcasts. Be sure

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<v Speaker 1>to turn on the notifications so you're in the know

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<v Speaker 1>when we post any breaking news updates. And thank you

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<v Speaker 1>faithful for tuning in

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<v Speaker 2>Attitude to the