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The San Francisco 49ers are back at practice today, and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio provided a minor update on cornerback Tarell Brown. The 49ers DC was asked about Brown's return, and while he wouldn't commit to anything specific, he did say that the team would ease Brown back in as he comes back from his rib injury.
The 49ers are still dealing with injuries, but they are getting healthier at certain positions that had questionable depth at times. As Brown gets healthy, he will provide the cornerback corps with that much more depth.
The question is how the team will work him back in. My guess is initially he would split nickel work with Eric Wright, but at some point his workload would increase. Would it be enough to supplant Tramaine Brock or Carlos Rogers in the starting lineup? My guess at this point is no. Carlos Rogers is having a very solid season, and Tramaine Brock's performance this year has been rewarded with a four-year contract extension. Brown is heading into free agency after this season, and there are no signs that he will be back next year.
The 49ers entered this season with fans questioning the direction of the secondary. With the season three-quarters of the way complete, the secondary has stood up to the challenge. It has not been a perfect unit, but it's been significantly better than I think a lot of us expected. Getting Tarell Brown back into the rotation boosts it.
