Why 49ers hosted ‘hell of a player’ Asante Samuel Jr. for tryout on Monday

The 49ers on Monday hosted free-agent cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. on a tryout at the team’s practice facility in Santa Clara.Samuel, 26, played four seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers after being a second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. He was limited to just four games last season with injuries that were described as stingers in both shoulders. Samuel underwent spinal fusion surgery in April.He recently received medical clearance to resume his football career. Samuel previously visited the Carolina Panthers, Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings. He reportedly has visits scheduled with the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers this week.Coach Kyle Shanahan described the workout on Monday as a fact-finding mission for the 49ers’ personnel department. He said he did not meet Samuel nor did he watch the workout.“I’m sure [it was] just to check him out and see where he is at,” Shanahan said on a conference call with reporters.“We know he has been a hell of a player, so it’s probably just to see where he is at right now.”Samuel started 47 of the 50 games in which he appeared over his four seasons with the Chargers. He...