The San Francisco 49ers have reportedly signed former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Tavares Gooden to a one year deal. Ravens Insider Aaron Wilson reported the Ravens and 49ers were discussing a possible trade for Gooden but could never come to terms and the Ravens finally released him. Gooden was the Ravens third round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft but he seemed to regress a bit from 2009 to 2010.
SB Nation has a deal with Fantasy Sports Services that provides scouting reports for NFL players and they had this to say about Gooden:
An athletically-gifted and versatile linebacker. A very smooth player who excels in coverage. Reads the action well and flashes on the scene. Can be a prolific tackler. Not a big pass-rushing threat.
Over at ESPN, their Insider scouting report reflects similar comments in regards to his athleticism. The question appears to be if he can develop some manner of consistency. With the release of Keaton Kristick, Gooden would likely be battling Larry Grant for backup playing time at inside linebacker.
The question now is who will get cut to make room for Gooden. I know a lot of people are quick to say Moran Norris, but the team does have a whole lot of defensive lineman. Could we see one of them get cut to make room for Gooden?