Despite being the team that won the race to sign Nnamdi Asomugha, there’s a pretty good chance that the cornerback might not last the off-season and preseason training camps and workouts, with the San Francisco 49ers having other players fighting for a spot on the roster and Asomugha not due any guaranteed money.

Things change quickly in the NFL. When Asomugha made his way from the Oakland Raiders to the Philadelphia Eagles, he was considered as one of the best corners in the NFL, signing a huge five-year, $60 million deal, with almost 50% of it guaranteed. Two disappointing seasons later and he was cut, despite his resume filled with Pro Bowls (3) and All-Pro selections (2).

Asomugha was still quite a coveted player during the free agency period – the Saints and the 49ers were both chasing him, assuming that part of his decline wasn’t only age related, but also a lot about the defensive problems the Eagles have been having these last couple of years and Asomugha not used in the right way by the team.

And yet, signing a one-year contract with the 49ers, Asomugha didn’t guarantee himself any money, and opened him up for competition. That was the only way he was going to get a job, or at least on a team that has a chance of playing for something next season.

At the moment, it seems like three more players, Tarell Brown,Carlos Rogers or Chris Culliver, are competing for the position, all of them having an advantage of coming from within the system. It’s hard to believe Rogers isn’t going to be included in the plans of the 49ers for next year, making it a bit more narrower of a contest. Approaching 32, Asomugha, who has been in the NFL since 2003, needs to go out and prove he still has a place in this league.

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