This qualifies as some of the least shocking news in a while, but it is still worth noting. The 49ers are reportedly in the process of granting cornerback Shawntae Spencer permission to seek a trade. I assume there is some paperwork to allow for that otherwise I'm not quite sure what the "process" would be. If the 49ers are unable to work out a trade, the team would likely release the veteran cornerback.
I actually think the 49ers could land a late round draft pick in any trade. They don't have much leverage since most people expect them to cut Spencer, but if I'm a team in the market for cornerback help, Spencer would actually be a decent addition for very little. The Oakland Raiders are fairly limited in picks but they make sense as a possible destination given their recent release of Stanford Routt.
Spencer had a lot of injury issues during his time with the 49ers and never fully maximized his potential with the team. The former second round pick (2004) had some solid times with the 49ers during his eight year career. He bounced around between the top three cornerback positions for the first seven years, peaking in 2009, but then lost his job this past season. Injuries were the primary culprit as they impacted his ability to show his stuff and make an impact.
The combination of emergences by Carlos Rogers, Tarell Brown and Chris Culliver more or less ended his chances of a significant role and he was inactive during the playoffs.
It's a shame it ended this way, albeit not particularly surprising. Even though Spencer was under the radar, he was always one of my favorite 49ers in part because he just went about his business, never talked a bunch of smack, never got in trouble. He just seemed like a low key, good guy. There wasn't much to it other than that and hopefully he finds success wherever he ends up.