Cornerback C.J. Goodwin has had numerous stops around the league, and given his age (28) that probably won’t be changing with the San Francisco 49ers. He joined the 49ers a month ago when the team claimed him off waivers from the New York Giants.
There is one thing to keep in mind though, Goodwin came into the NFL as a wide receiver. He converted to cornerback in 2016 while joining the Atlanta Falcons training camp. Now in 2018, perhaps he has figured out the nuances of the position to be productive and get himself a roster spot.
Not likely, with the young crop of defensive backs the 49ers have, but he may have a jump in ability given the time he’s had to acclimate to his new position.
Basic info
Age: 28
Experience: Two accrued seasons plus two seasons on practice squads
Height: 6’4
Weight: 220 lbs
Cap Status
He signed a one-year deal with the Arizona Cardinals as an exclusive rights free agent, worth $630,000. He was claimed off waivers by the Giants and then the 49ers, and so the contract transferred.
How he might improve in 2018
Goodwin has been playing at the cornerback position since his days with the Atlanta Falcons in 2016. This isn’t a tight end moving to halfback; positional changes, especially those in the NFL, don’t just happen in a span of weeks or months. A great example is Terrelle Pryor who took some time to move from quarterback to wide receiver and still has some hiccups to work out. Going from wide receiver to cornerback will take some time, and perhaps now Goodwin has put it all together to contribute on an NFL roster. He’s a big kid in the secondary and could perhaps help in some tight packages in the red-zone to blanket would-be big targets.
How he might regress in 2018
Father Time is unbeaten and Goodwin is 28 years old. He might show good things in training camp, but past returns are limited at best. The 49ers secondary is young and fast, and Goodwin’s abilities could start to decay against the potential he’s up against. The only time he’ll be on the field is in a complete disaster, and his ceiling wasn’t very high to begin with.
Odds of making the roster
The 49ers secondary has question marks, but also some nice youth and depth. They’ve got Jimmie Ward, who could be starting on some teams, sitting out until any of the cornerbacks or safeties gets injured. There isn’t any room for Goodwin. He’s a preseason Game 4 starter at best, and he’ll probably not even see the field then. The 49ers simply have too many younger options to develop to roll out a 28-year old, recently minted cornerback on the roster. He’s got great size, but he faces a tough slog.