The New England Patriots are set to take on a San Francisco 49ers team with plenty of defensive playmakers on their roster.
For this week’s Gimme Him, the Patriots could use 49ers three-time All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner, who has become a staple of the 49ers’ linebacker unit.
Warner is having another solid start to the season. He has 20 combined tackles on the year, a sack and an interception. He is coming off a game against the Los Angeles Rams that saw him record four total tackles, following his seven tackles against the New York Jets and nine tackles against the Minnesota Vikings
The Patriots need help at the linebacker position with Ja’Whaun Bentley out for the season. Bentley was missed in Thursday’s 24-3 loss to the Jets. In particular, the New England defense had trouble stopping the run, which Bentley greatly excelled at.
Warner could help fill that gap and provide New England with veteran leadership at the position.
In addition to what he could bring to the table this season, Warner has been a consistent player throughout his career. He has 786 total tackles, 10 sacks and nine interceptions. His versatility and ball instincts are both things the Patriots’ linebacker group could use at the moment.
Of course, this is very much a dream scenario. Even still, there’s no denying that Warner would be an instant upgrade to the linebacker group on a defense that struggled last week.
He would be exactly what the unit needs to stay competitive after a 1-2 start to the season.
