The San Francisco 49ers started their offseason program on Monday and they did so without cornerback Tramaine Brock, who was released by the team on Friday following his arrest on a domestic violence charge. When the 49ers announced the release, they did so via an uncharacteristic one-sentence press release with no reference to the arrest or any quote from general manager John Lynch.
Monday was the first opportunity for the media to ask head coach Kyle Shanahan about the release of Brock. "We heard about it on Friday," Shanahan said. "It was a tough situation because it's a big deal and you don't have all the information. (It was) my first time going through it, I found out how hard it is to get all the information. So, we spent most of the day trying to figure out all the information you can -- as much as you can get. You never do get all of it but there was enough there that we felt it was a decision we had to make and move from."
Shanahan was asked if the release of Brock was a way to send a message to other players. "When you're dealing with people's lives, I would never want to use a situation as sending a message," Shanahan answered. "It's just us trying to do the right thing, whatever that is. I think each situation is different. You've got to look into every situation, gather all the information you can. When you do, you try as hard as you can to make the right decision. I think that's what we felt we did."
Shanahan said that he did not speak to Brock prior to his release. However, general manager John Lynch did speak to the former 49ers cornerback.
Tackle Joe Staley was asked about the release of Brock. "It sends the message to do the right thing, not only on the field but off the field," he said.
Brock's release leaves a gaping hole in a position that many felt was already a need for the 49ers. The previous coaching staff was very high on Jimmie Ward, who moved to cornerback and was praised by numerous coaches as their best player at the position. The 49ers had planned to move Ward back to safety, which was his natural position from college. Shanahan was asked if the release of Brock changes that plan.
"I know he's capable of doing both," Shanahan said. "That's something that we're starting to work at today. The good thing about Jimmie is that he's capable of doing both, which is a credit to him. In fairness to him, I want to make sure we put him at the best spot that is his best position and I don't think we have that answer yet. The good thing about him is that he can help our team in either way. We think he can play at a high level at both positions but that's something that's going to have to do with how he ends up showing us in practice and how our roster ends up panning out."
Ward left a December game against the Atlanta Falcons with a shoulder injury. He was placed on injured reserve on December 20. Shanahan said that Ward's shoulder is "solid" and he thinks that Ward should be ready to go when he is needed.