Fred Warner isn't being given time to ease into his NFL career.The r

ookie for the San Francisco 49ers is slated to start in his debut on Sunday in Minnesota at a relatively new position of middle linebacker with all the responsibilities that come with calling the defensive signals."I'm very excited Ameer Abdullah Jersey , being this will be my first start," Warner said. "I'm just trying to make sure I'm as prepared as possible heading into that game on Sunday. I'm just going to do what I do, which is ball out and make plays and be the leader out there as the Mike."The Niners drafted Warner in the third round out of BYU in part because of his ability to guard tight ends, running backs and even slot receivers in the passing game as an outside linebacker.But Warner has spent most of his time on the inside for the 49ers and is filling the void created by the two-game suspension that has sidelined Reuben Foster.Now instead of being counted on to show off his coverage skills in space, Warner will need to take on much bigger offensive linemen in the run game for San Francisco."I feel like it's kind of my natural position, you could say," Warner said. "Obviously, I didn't do a lot of that in college. But just being out there, I feel like if I wasn't as natural, I probably wouldn't be doing as well as I am — and being in the position I'm in."Playing middle linebacker comes with lots of responsibility as Warner will be the man relaying the defensive calls from coordinator Robert Saleh to the rest of the defense.It's a task he welcomes and that his coaches feel he is more than prepared to handle."He was one of, if not the smartest interviews I've ever had personally at the combine for a linebacker," Saleh said. "He's picked it up well. He's got great command of it. He's got a long way to go. I don't want to crown him quite yet, but he's a rookie, he's going to have his peaks and valleys, but we have great confidence in him."Warner said he never doubted he was physical enough to play in the box and said most of the critics who said he couldn't just hadn't seen him do it. Saleh credited San Francisco's scouts for finding plays from Senior Bowl week and other games that showed that Warner was willing to take on the contact that he will have to deal with in the middle of the NFL defense.Saleh said that showed up again in the preseason and he has no questions about Warner's physicality and ability to tackle.The bigger challenge this week might come in dealing with Minnesota's offense that relies heavily on run-pass options that make life difficult on linebackers and has star running back Dalvin Cook healthy again after last year's season-ending knee injury.Warner said he has studied film of Cook from last year and Eagles games from last year to try to get a sense of what kind of offense new coordinator John DeFilippo runs. He particularly watched how Philadelphia played against Atlanta and the Chargers last season since those teams run a similar defensive scheme to San Francisco's.Dealing with the RPOs that the Niners are anticipating will be key to their success."It puts stress on the defense as a whole if you're not prepared for it," Warner said. "So that's why we're kind of making some adjustments to make sure we're not getting hit in certain areas where we're not protected."NOTES: LB Malcolm Smith (hamstring) is doubtful. ... LB Dekoda Watson injured his hamstring in practice and will miss the game. ... T Erik Magnuson (hamstring) is also out Sunday.Tuesday Open Thread: August 28, 2018 Hello and a very merry Tuesday to you all!Hey, are you excited for the new season yet? Man, I’m as excited as a mud fence. No, wait, that’s how ugly I am. Ummmm, I’m as excited as a bag of hammers. No, that’s not right either, that’s how dumb I am. Well Danielle Hunter Jersey , anyway, I’m excited, and as a Vikings fan, I have every reason to be. This has the makings of a tremendous season for the purple and gold, as long as the injury plague that seems to have settled in on the team makes like a tree, and gets out of here.The Vikings, and every other team in the league, will play its final preseason game on Thursday. You will likely not see the starters on the field much, if at all, and with the way the injuries have been piling up, I’m glad they won’t be. I’d wrap them all in bubble wrap, carefully place them in heavily padded, bullet-and-bomb-proof limousines, like the ones they use for the presidential detail, then form a perimeter of heavily armed security guards around them. Then I’d dig a moat around the armed security guards and fill it with battery acid then another moat around that one with crocodiles and some walleye (in case someone needs to go fishing), then populate the area around the outside of that moat with rabid wolves, tarantulas, vipers, a full battery of surface-to-air missles, claymore mines, and lots of those little legos. Then, to top it off, I’d pipe in some really loud top 40 music (pipe the music away from the wolves, tarantulas Eric Kendricks Jersey , and vipers, we don’t want to be cruel). The top 40 music by itself should be enough to keep anyone far away, but it never hurts to add the additional measures, just in case. Oh, and don’t let the backup QB help anyone break into their limousine if they get locked out.Around the DN since our last open thread:Ted shares his thoughts on the Brett Jones trade. I keep calling him Brent, I should ask him to change his name. That’s not an unreasonable request, IMO, it would save me some time with the backspacing and what-not.Eric highlights five game-changing plays from Friday’s Vikings-Seahawks matchup.Vikings news from other sources and news from around the rest of the league:From CBS Sports, here is Thursday’s slate of games for the grand finale of the 2018 NFL preseason. Let’s hope for no injuries and some standout showings for those who are battling for those final team roster spots.Over at Vikings.com, catch newest Viking, Brett Jones as he talked to reporters yesterday, hear what ST Coach Mike Priefer has to say about helping his young kicker through a rough showing on Friday, and there’s lots more to look through in the media vault.The Strib looks at the struggling Vikings specialists, as they get a final chance to gain some positive momentum to carry them into the regular season (I’m not a big believer in momentum, but if it helps them perform better, go with it).Odell Beckham Jr. should have no problem making ends meet, as he signed a five-year extension with the Giants, reportedly worth $95 million, per The USA Today. From The USA Today, Browns rookie, Denzel Ward, was injured because of ‘the stupid way he tackles’. That very eloquent and masterfully worded quote came from known psychopath, and Browns defensive coordinator, Gregggggggggggggg Williams. Wow Trae Waynes Jersey , with such a brilliant, well spoken leader to guide him, I’m very shocked that a player would ‘tackle stupid’. I’d think he’d probably be quoting Shakespeare and doing advanced calculus in his head while tackling. Maybe finalizing that cure for cancer while he intercepts a pass. You’ll remember that Greggggggggggggggg is the same piece of...........redacted...... who thinks it’s okay to pay his players to intentionally injure opposing players on the field, lie about it, and just be an all-around waste of a human being. He should not be in the NFL, IMO. Oh, and he coaches stupid, also my opinion, but also a fact, in my opinion.We come to our media selection.Okay, I’m getting amped up for the sesaon, and when I’m amped up, there’s nothing better than a little AC/DC. THE gold standard for rock. Crank. It. Up.Again, we all know the rules, but in case someone is new:No discussion of politics or religionNo feeding of the trollsThis isn’t a male version of The View, so leave the gender hatred at the doorKeep the bad language to a minimum (using the spoiler tags, if you must)Speaking of which, if discussing a newer show or movie, please use spoiler tagsNo pictures that could get someone fired or in serious trouble with their employerIf you can’t disagree in a civil manner, feel free to go awayWhile navigating the open thread, just assume it’s sarcasmWith that, the beer light is on and the bar is open. Belly up and tie one on. Don’t forget to tip your waitress, and try the blood sausage