With 49ers OTAs in full swing, we’re taking a position-by-position look at the team’s roster to figure out the strengths, weaknesses, potential dark horses to make the team and other nuggets about the players who will be competing for jobs on the 53-man roster.
The 49ers’ defense has always been built front to back during head coach Kyle Shanahan’s tenure. However, it’s increasingly clear that a requisite level of cornerback play is required to contend with the quality of quarterbacks and receivers San Francisco will face en route to a championship.
Last offseason the team invested in free agent CB Charvarius Ward, but they didn’t make any similar investments this year despite losing CB Emmanuel Moseley in free agency.
It’s not unusual for this coaching staff and front office to lean on its own players before exploring outside options, and that’s exactly what they’re doing at CB this year in hopes it won’t have a pernicious effect.
There’s no doubt it can work, but it turns the potentially easy decision-making on an important unit into something of a hirsute process for Shanahan and his coaches. They have can for the most part pencil in their two outside starters and their nickel. After that, everything is up in the air.
Let’s take a look at what the 49ers are working with at cornerback going into training camp:
Charvarius Ward
(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Ward’s arrival in free agency last year marked a significant moment for the 49ers’ secondary. He was stellar as the team’s top cornerback, and while he may not fall in the ‘shutdown corner’ category, he made life difficult for any WR he covered. It was rare that he was beat deep, and even more rare that a player racked up big yards after the catch on him. Ward is consistently around the ball and dropping receivers immediately after they make a catch. Coverage is obviously his top priority, but run stopping became something of a paramour last year for Ward as he turned in the…
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