We need football season to start.
Summertime debates on the football timeline represent a prime example of this truism.
The latest? The decision by the San Francisco 49ers to make Fred Warner the highest-paid inside linebacker in the NFL. San Francisco gave Warner a five-year extension potentially worth $95 million, with $40.5 million guaranteed.
That touched off a debate over the positional value of off-ball linebackers. While there is certainly merit in discussing whether an off-ball LB is worth that kind of money, there are also reasons why the 49ers made this decision.
Reasons that you can see both on film, and through statistics.
So despite the warnings from my cardiologist, here is my attempt to wade into the discussion, making the case for why the 49ers were smart to pay Warner. Because if you have a rule, there are often exceptions.
And Warner might be the prototypical exception in this case.
