The 49ers’ status at cornerback is still very much uncertain, with unrestricted free agent Tarell Brown still on the market and Carlos Rogers' recent release.
Brown still ranks No. 1 on the team’s wish list, and the Niners are hoping the interest in Brown is lo, so they’ll be able to retain him.
But in the meantime, the 49ers are looking elsewhere for corner help, and that could include signing former Seahawks corner Walter Thurmond.
For the 49ers-Seahawks rivalry – a heated affair both on the field and between the team’s fan bases – the signing of Thurmond would be sure to cause consternation in Seattle.
When Thurmond tweeted Thursday that he had a great visit with the Jaguars and was now “off to San Fran” for a visit, some Seahawks fans didn’t like it.
“I just lost all love for ya,” responded one.
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Thurmond, who can play on the edge and also in the slot against three-receiver sets – an area where Rogers often played – has no worries about visiting or signing with the 49ers as some of his former teammates have had. Receiver Golden Tate, for instance, declined a visit with the 49ers and signed with the Lions because he didn’t want to tick off Seahawks fans.
But Thurmond is exploring his options, including a move to San Francisco.
“It’s never personal its business, just how the Hawks let red (defensive lineman Red Bryant) and everyone else walk,” Thurmond tweeted. “Obviously there is a reason I haven’t signed back yet. People need to chil. I haven’t made a decision.”
He said talking with the 49ers is just a visit.
“You know like college recruiting, same thing,” he wrote.
It’s possible that the 49ers could bring Thurmond aboard, meaning he’d face Seattle twice this coming season while giving his new team more cornerback depth and flexibility. But neither the 49ers or Thurmond is zeroing in on just one option.
Thurmond also plans to talk to the Redskins, and has talked to Jacksonville. And the 49ers are bringing in former Vikings pass defender Chris Cook.
Still, if the 49ers sign Thurmond, it would spice up what already is the NFL’s best rivalry.
As Stephen Cohen of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer wrote: “Obviously, for some fans smarting from the losses of Super Bowl heroes, Thurmond’s move to San Francisco would be considered a betrayal of the highest order.”
