How the 49ers get by without Reuben Foster for the first two games of 2018
By Peter Panacy
The San Francisco 49ers will be without linebacker Reuben Foster for the first two games of 2018. And here’s how they’ll manage to get by during that stretch.
All things considered, second-year linebacker Reuben Foster and the San Francisco 49ers are pretty lucky all his offseason drama and headache amounted to a mere two-game suspension to start 2018.
While Foster’s off-field legal issues resulted in, perhaps, the best possible outcome, the Niners are still faced with a tough challenge to kick off the upcoming season.
How will they go about replacing Foster in Weeks 1 and 2?
It’s not unlike a situation they dealt with a year ago. His rookie season, Foster missed a total of six games due to injury. In his place, San Francisco inserted backup linebacker Brock Coyle, who actually ended up starting 10 games after being a special teams contributor most of his career.
But that was when fellow linebacker Malcolm Smith was spending the entire season recovering from a pectoral injury. And the team was a year away from drafting BYU’s Fred Warner and signing Korey Toomer in free agency.
All five combined, the 49ers have a bit of a logjam at the position. With Foster’s suspension, however, at least two should see plenty of time early this season.
49ers’ Best Alignment for Weeks 1 and 2
San Francisco visits the Minnesota Vikings to kick off 2018, followed by its own home opener in Week 2 against the Detroit Lions.
The Vikings figure to use two-tight end sets a lot with quarterback Kirk Cousins under center. Kyle Rudolph is the starter here, although fellow tight end David Morgan will often line up opposite the Niners’ weak-side (WILL) linebacker — the place where Foster is slated to play this season.
In coverage, you’ll likely see a good bit of Warner, who excelled in such a role in college. But Warner has primarily worked at the MIKE spot during OTAs, per Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Warner could still be assigned coverage duties, possibly leaving Smith as the starting WILL.
Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh views both the WILL and MIKE spots as interchangeable — the only difference being the MIKE calls plays.
Smith is notably better against the run, which means he’ll likely see a good share of snaps in base downs. And given his prior experience under Saleh with the Seattle Seahawks, it’s likely Smith will see a lot of snaps anyway.
In Week 2, the 49ers won’t have to worry too much about dual tight end sets. No. 2 Lions tight end Levine Toilolo saw just 14 targets with the Atlanta Falcons last season. This means Smith won’t be put into too many positions where he’ll have to defend against the pass, leaving those duties to Warner.
San Francisco 49ers
Projecting the Linebacker Depth Chart for the First Two Weeks
A wild card in this whole equation is Toomer. Last season, he posted an 80.3 overall grade over 15 games and eight starts, per Pro Football Focus, roughly equally distributed against both the run and pass.
Toomer operated within a similar defensive system under Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, under whom Saleh worked with the Seahawks and Jacksonville Jaguars prior to 2017.
While he’s possibly on the roster bubble heading into training camp, Toomer is still excellent insurance for Warner’s development. Warner’s abilities against shiftier running backs could be a problem, meaning it wouldn’t be a shock if he’s off the field in base formations. Much of the rookie’s role will be determined during camp and the preseason.
As far as the depth chart goes, let’s go with the following:
- MIKE — Korey Toomer, Fred Warner
- WILL — Malcolm Smith, Brock Coyle
Toomer has the ability to play both MIKE and WILL spots. And his ability against the run and pass makes putting him in the center of the defense a better option in shadowing opponents’ running backs.
Smith, meanwhile, can hold down the playmaking WILL spot. Warner will see time, particularly in some sub packages, while Coyle is adequate enough to handle responsibilities in case of injury to any of the others.
Still, the 49ers can’t get Foster back soon enough. And while he’ll be able to practice with the team during his suspension, the Niners defense remains infinitely better with him on the field.
Next: Ranking the 49ers' top 5 strengths in 2018
In the meantime, the remaining cast will try to fill the void as best as it can.