EXCESS OF CORNERS

[49er4life1979]

So how does everyone see the CB department shaping up with competition approaching? I for one do not know why they are insisting that Tarvarius Moore switch to CB, we have plenty there! Starters Richard Sherman and Ahkello Witherspoon are set. Backups would be nickel corner K'Waun Williams who played well last year, Tarvarus McFadden who has potential to be a stud, and DJ Reed. Thats 5. Jimmie Ward I guess should be starting at FS since they picked up his option but I would love it if Adrian Colbert won the starting FS job. He is better. Not sure why they picked up Ward's option, he hasnt done squat and has been injury prone. Moore should be backing up Colbert. Marcell Harris hopefully wins backup SS job to Tartt.

[CrimsonCrew]

They have plenty at CB? I couldn't disagree more. It's arguably the thinnest spot on the roster. Witherspoon bounced back nicely after some initial struggles to show some real promise, but he's still something of an unknown. Sherman is coming back from a major injury and, if he can get back on the field for the opening of the season, may not be the same player he was before the injury. K'Waun Williams is adequate at slot corner, but not stellar. And behind those three they have...what? We need Ward to be playing CB because he's our only answer at the outside spot opposite Witherspoon if Sherman can't rebound for the season opener. And even with him, that's four guys at a position where we probably carry six.

We have no one who has come close to establishing himself behind Ward. Greg Mabin was a UDFA who is on his third team. That puts Moore, Reed, and McFadden up next. Reed is probably a pure slot guy who will also play some FS. He's probably not an outside player in this scheme (though he's only an inch-and-a-half shorter than Ward, and has arms over a half-inch longer). Moore has never played CB to my knowledge, and will be a project at the position. And McFadden was a UDFA who ran extremely slowly (in the 40; I'm not aware that he did the agility drills at all, which is pretty worrisome for a bigger guy). The team would have been fully justified in drafting a CB in the first or second round. The odds are against all three - or even two of the three - rookies making the team at all, much less developing into starting-caliber corners.

[NinerSickness]

Niners need to re-sign Eric Reid, so Ward can focus exclusively on the slot. Not gonna be easy now that he's suing the league (which is ret**ded because he turned down a contract offer already).

I agree Crimson; CB is a huge question mark. One of a few major holes on the team that's gonna keep 'em just out of reach of SB contention IMO (for now).

Maybe some players get cut for salary purposes and land in SF? That'd be nice.

[Pattersonca65]

So how does everyone see the CB department shaping up with competition approaching? I for one do not know why they are insisting that Tarvarius Moore switch to CB, we have plenty there! Starters Richard Sherman and Ahkello Witherspoon are set. Backups would be nickel corner K'Waun Williams who played well last year, Tarvarus McFadden who has potential to be a stud, and DJ Reed. Thats 5. Jimmie Ward I guess should be starting at FS since they picked up his option but I would love it if Adrian Colbert won the starting FS job. He is better. Not sure why they picked up Ward's option, he hasnt done squat and has been injury prone. Moore should be backing up Colbert. Marcell Harris hopefully wins backup SS job to Tartt.

The last piece I read said the 49ers would try Moore at both safety and corner but I agree with Crim that cornerback is a big question mark. Witherspoon is the only corner we know will start from day one. We don't know what we have in Sherman coming back from Achilles injuries. Williams is ok as a slot corner but other than that. Ward can't make it through a half a season without getting injured.