Brendel, Warner benefit from head-to-head 49ers camp battles

SANTA CLARA — The competition was apparent from the first snap of training camp. Linebacker Fred Warner loves to give his offensive teammates an earful on the 49ers' practice field. And it was center Jake Brendel who got the first helping of Warner's trash talk just moments after the team hit the field for the first 11-on-11 snap last Wednesday. As Brendel explains it, the 49ers' offense during the first couple weeks of training camp focuses on run plays in which everything is predicated on where the middle linebacker lines up. Brendel will come to the line of scrimmage and point out Warner to his teammates along the offensive line. Then, more often than not, Brendel's assignment is to get to the second level to block Warner. "A lot of it is just me and Fred right now," Brendel said. "He knows it. So any time he hears 'Fifty-four' come out of my mouth, it's usually a collision between us two." And, yes, Warner definitely knows it. "Me and Jake, it's always a one-on-one battle every day with me and him — who can beat who, who can get from Point A to Point B quicker," Warner said. "So I love competing against Jake every day." Brendel is a late bloomer who did not become an NFL...