The San Francisco 49ers have yet to truly commit to Nnamdi Asomugha. To be fair, the cornerback has not been at elite status since signing that large contract with the Philadelphia Eagles a few years back. After just barely getting pick up in the offseason after getting released, Asomugha's spot in San Francisco has been rocky at best. Now that the team is getting secondary star Eric Wright back healthy, Asomugha is a risk of getting cut.
In an interview with the NFL Network, head coach Jim Harbaugh said that Wright was very close to returning and the cornerback could be back on the field either this week or next. The coach is thrilled with the progress Wright is making in practice. For those that do not remember, the 49ers got the cornerback in a trade from Tampa Bay only to rescind that deal once Wright got arrested for drunk driving. The Buccaneers eventually released Wright and the 49ers signed him. Then the cornerback got injured. Now with Wright back in the mix, CSN Bay Area is reporting Asomugha is on the outs.
"There is not a clear role for Wright when the 49ers decide to create space for him on the 53-man roster. That roster spot could come at the expense of veteran cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, who has been a healthy scratch for the past several games."
NFL Insider Ian Rapoport reports that there is a very real chance Asomugha gets released upon the return of Wright. The 32-year-old has only seen action in three games. Tramaine Brock has looked promising in his spot and could take over.
Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio notes that right now, Wright is concerned about picking up the team's defensive system and learning the ins and outs of their schemes. He is not ready to step on the field just yet, but when he does Fangio is confident there will be a role for him.
"Obviously, he's not comfortable in the system, yet," Fangio said. "But he's a guy who we think once he kind of grasps it, he'll grow leaps and bounds quickly because he's played in the league. He's done a lot of the things we do. He just has to learn to work with our guys and our lingo."
Asomugha has seen a pretty steep fall from grace ever since being one of the most sought after free agents a few years ago. He has yet to look like the player he once was after struggling with the Philadelphia Eagles when he signed a large contract. With Wright coming back and the cornerback continuing to be scratched, things do not look good.
