:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65355375/1075983602.jpg.0.jpg)
According to Matt Barrows of The Athletic, the San Francisco 49ers are going to work out a pair of veteran cornerbacks this week, and that could be as soon as Monday morning. The team initially planned on going into this week with Emmanuel Moseley and Jason Verrett as their top options, but general manager John Lynch said Verrett had a minor injury against the Steelers. “He came out of the game a little nicked up, so we’ll see where he is health-wise.” That’s what Lynch told KNBR on the radio this past Friday.
So the 49ers will face a Browns passing attack that thew for 337 yards against the Ravens without Ahkello Witherspoon and possibly another depth piece at cornerback. Kyle Shanahan is scheduled to meet with the media today at 12:40 p.m. PT, so we may have some updates on injuries and a possible signing then.
Last Friday, when Lynch said he believes this team can be special, he also said, “‘Spoon was playing at a really high level, was playing some really great football. So that’s always hard when you lose a player like that for some time.”
Barrows mentioned three names in his article. One will make you close this article—that’s Dontae Johnson, who the Chargers released this past Saturday. The former 49er has been on and off the roster multiple times. The other two are six-year veteran David Amerson, who was drafted in the second round by Washington in 2013 and has played with the Raiders and the Cardinals. There is also eight-year veteran Coty Sensabaugh, who started ten games with the Steelers in 2018. Neither of those names will make you jump out of your seat, but after Moseley, it’s D.J. Reed, and then nobody else, if Verrett is indeed injured. So the 49ers need somebody.
Sensabaugh’s PFF grade for 2018 was 65.7. He allowed a 51.9 completion percentage. According to Football Outsiders, his success rate in 2018 was 55%. For reference, Ahkello Witherspoon’s was 52% last season, and Richard Sherman’s was 60%.
For Amerson, he played 293 snaps with the Cardinals in 2017, where his PFF grade was a 58.4, allowing a completion percentage of 52.4, and a success rate of 57%. We’ll find out later this afternoon.