After a week of training camp, San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio questioned whether Nnamdi Asomugha still had any "gas left in the tank."
Four weeks later, Fangio has confirmed that Asomugha has overtaken Tramaine Brock for the third cornerback job, which had been filled by Chris Culliver last season.
"He's done well in his reps that he's had in the game and in practice," Fangio said, via the San Francisco Chronicle. "Particularly the last two or three weeks, he's played much better."
Asomugha has allowed only one catch for 5 yards in 39 pass-coverage snaps this preseason, according to Pro Football Focus. Quarterbacks have a 39.6 passer rating -- albeit on a very limited sample size -- when targeting Asomugha.
If the 49ers spell the 32-year-old from time to time -- as NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reported last week -- they can turn to Brock or recent acquisition Eric Wright.
As it stands now, Fangio believes Asomugha still is playing at a high enough level "to be a major part" of the defense.
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