San Francisco 49ers give rising CB Tramaine Brock a very team-friendly extension
San Francisco 49ers defensive back Tramaine Brock (26) intercepts the ball against the Carolina Panthers during the second quarter at Candlestick Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
San Francisco 49ers 25-year-old cornerback Tramaine Brock pulled the starting gig from veteran Nnamdi Asomugha earlier this year, and the 49ers promptly cut ties with Asomugha due to Brock’s play. Brock has been one of the biggest stories of the season for the 49ers, and his extension earn him some more recognition. He deserves more people talking about him, too, because he’s been one of the better corners in the league this season.
According to CSN Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco, the 49ers are giving Brock a four-year deal worth $16 million overall, and $7 million of his deal will be guaranteed. That’s quite a bit of guaranteed money in comparison to the total dollar amount, but it’s a very shrewd deal from Trent Baalke. The 49ers are locking up a very good, very young starting cornerback through his prime at just $4 million a year. That’s an extremely low amount, and it’s definitely a good “risk” to bank on Brock at least maintaining this level of play. His performance this season could be a fluke, but it’s more likely that Brock will only improve as he progresses through this contract.
Brock has recorded four interceptions this season, and this extension guarantees that he’s going to be locked in as this team’s starting cornerback. It makes Carlos Rogers expendable in the future, too, because the 49ers will likely move ahead with Brock, Chris Culliver, and Tarell Brown as their top three CBs. Those three are all great players, and the 49ers would continue to have a group of CBs that is among the best in the NFL (right up there with the Denver Broncos and rival Seattle Seahawks).
Don’t sleep on Tramaine Brock, and use his extension as an excuse to learn more about one of the NFL’s best up-and-coming corners. He’s made plenty of plays this season, and, more importantly, he’s also been busy shutting down receivers this season. Although he is a bit burnable, he rarely gives up receptions in coverage and has a whopping nine passes defended this season. He may give up big plays at times, but the big plays he generates make up for those slips in coverage.
Even though he isn’t the starter, Brock has played enough snaps this season to show that he will be a solid starter for this team in the future. There’s some risk in this move, but it’s definitely worth it from the 49ers perspective. Brock will be making his first start of the season on Monday night in place of an injured Tarell Brown, and hopefully he has another strong performance now that he’s received a major payday.
Great work, Baalke. You locked up a good corner who is only going to get better to a deal worth just $4 million a year, which is less than what a veteran corner will make on a similar deal in free agency. You probably leveraged Brock’s need for security to get him to sign a deal which will keep him in San Francisco for the prime of his career.