Everyone has been penciling in Tom Compton at right guard since the San Francisco 49ers signed the versatile offensive lineman in March. News of his signing came minutes after it was reported that the 49ers had informed last year's starter, Mike Person, that he was being released.
Compton spoke with reporters on Wednesday via a video conference call and confirmed that he will indeed compete for that guard spot.
"The plan is to compete for the right guard position," Compton said. "They're obviously not just going to hand it to me. It's definitely something that has to be earned. My mindset is that I'm competing for the right guard spot."
Compton's versatility might be an advantage as he competes this offseason.
"A nice thing about me, as well, is that I played basically every position," he added, "so I'm also very versatile when it comes to that. But yeah, during meetings and stuff, my focus, right now, is at guard."
Compton had to choose between the 49ers and re-signing with the New York Jets. For him, the decision was simple.
"San Francisco had talked to my agent, and my agent let me know that they were interested," Compton said. "I immediately was very interested in that. ... Once it got closer, and it was between the Jets and the 49ers, it was kind of a no-brainer for me."
Compton, after all, had previously spent three seasons with 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. Two were with Washington (2012-13) when the coach was the offensive coordinator there, and another (2016) with the Atlanta Falcons before the 49ers hired Shanahan.
"I think the coaching staff (in San Francisco) is a huge deal," Compton explained. "I know just about everybody on the offensive staff here and had previously worked with them.
"They are, I think, the best coaches in the NFL. They all work together well. They're all on the same page. It's very cohesive. They're very smart. They're coming up with new things all the time, innovating, and it just seems like you'd want to be a part of that.
"I had a chance with them in Atlanta for a year, and it was awesome. I've just always wanted to be a part of this system, no matter how it comes about, and to get the opportunity, I tried to jump on it as fast as I can."
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