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49ers mailbag: What's the plan at linebacker if Reuben Foster is unavailable? | The Sacramento Bee

Erik Brekke‏ @ekbrekke Assuming Reuben Foster starts the season suspended or off the team, how do you see the LB depth chart shaking out?

ANSW: My guess is that Malcolm Smith is the starting weak-side (Will) linebacker and that the true competition this summer will be among veterans Brock Coyle and Korey Toomer, and third-round draft pick Fred Warner, to play middle linebacker (Mike). Warner wins in athleticism. But he mostly played out in space -- like a strong safety -- at BYU. The question will be whether he can do the old-school, nitty-gritty things an NFL inside linebacker must do.