This 49ers Veteran is Fighting for his Job After Nate Hobbs Signing

The San Francisco 49ers' signing of Nate Hobbs can be viewed as mostly depth for a team that needs it in the secondary. Hobbs has 1,748 snaps in the slot, along with 973 snaps on the outside, per PFF so he can fill the role of backup slot, outside, and even starter in dime looks.

However, if there is one starter who should be worried about the addition of Hobbs, it has to be Renardo Green.

Did the San Francisco 49ers sign Nate Hobbs to push Renardo Green?

Hobbs spent most of his time with the Las Vegas Raiders in the slot, but Green Bay signed him to play outside. While he got hurt, he had 232 snaps outside and 86 snaps in the slot. They liked him for what he could bring on the outside.

When you look at the 49ers' cornerback situation last season, Upton Stout was just a rookie, but he showed a lot of promise. He finished on a strong note and was excellent in the playoff win over the Philadelphia Eagles. He is a bit undersized, but they are unlikely to be pushing him off of the field any time soon.

Meanwhile, Renardo Green was not nearly as good in his second season as he was in his first. PFF grades are not everything, but he went from a 69.2 defensive grade to 54.8 overall in Year 2. A lot of this is aided by his increase in penalties committed along with a decrease in plays on the football.

Two of his worst games were in losses to the Seattle Seahawks, and a dumb penalty in the playoffs had Kyle Shanahan bench his starter for a brief period. Of course, during that time, the backup was picked on, and a touchdown was allowed.

So, if Shanahan wanted to bench Green again, or if he got annoyed with him, or if his lack of progression continues, the team officially has an outlet to turn to without fearing that they will get burned. This is not good for Green, who clearly was already on a short leash, and it just got a lot shorter.

Hobbs will enter the year as the fourth man, a depth piece, and someone fighting for dime work. However, there is no doubt that Green is going to feel the heat of the addition when the training camp practices kick off this summer.