49ers Sign Cornerback Brian Allen
The 49ers need healthy bodies who can play cornerback.
So they signed free-agent corner Brian Allen to their practice squad, according to Allen’s agent, Steve Caric.
Allen is healthy, which means he might actually start Sunday against the Jets if the 49ers make him one of the two players they call up from the practice squad for the game. Because Richard Sherman is on the Injured Reserve List with a leg injury. Ahkello Witherspoon suffered a concussion Sunday against the Cardinals and is in the concussion protocol, according to the Athletic, and may or may not play against the Jets. And Jason Verrett has a pulled hamstring and has appeared in just six games since 2015. Last season he played just four snaps on defense.
Which means Emmanuel Moseley is the only healthy cornerback on the roster who can line up outside and not only in the slot. The Niners have two cornerbacks on the practice squad -- Dontae Johnson and Tim Harris Jr. But Johnson is terrible and Harris never has appeared in an NFL game.
Enter Brian Allen.
The good news: He was a fifth-round draft pick in 2017 and he has appeared in 16 NFL games.
The bad news: The Steelers cut him in 2018 and he hasn’t been on an active roster since. He has been on Pittsburgh’s and Seattle’s practice squads. This offseason, he attended training camp with the Buffalo Bills, but they released him after camp.
Allen, 26, is 6’3” and has 34-inch arms, so he fits the 49ers physical profile for cornerbacks. But he has just three tackles and zero pass breakups in his career.
For the 49ers sake, I sincerely hope they don’t need Allen to play this Sunday. Unfortunately, he might be their best option.
Maybe the 49ers should have drafted a cornerback this year. They haven’t drafted a corner before Round 6 since 2017, and they have drafted a corner before Round 3 since 2002.
The entire 49ers organization does not value cornerbacks.
Time to update that philosophy.
