As a 49er rookie, Tarell Brown will be watched

By Darrell Laurant  |   Friday, May 04, 2007  |  Comments( 15 )

San Francisco 49ers
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In light of the Tank Johnson and Pacman Jones situations, did it make sense for the San Francisco 49ers to select Texas cornerback Tarell Brown in the fifth round of the latest draft?

Sure.

In a strictly football sense, Brown probably would have been a second-round pick -- third at the worst -- had his off-campus shenanigans not scared off a lot of teams. His 2006 numbers weren't eye-popping at Texas, but sometimes that can be a plus for a defensive back. If other teams avoid you, you're not going to pile up interceptions, tackles and breakups.

As it was, the former high school running back finished seventh in tackles on a very good defense and had eight pass deflections.

Oh, yes, and two arrests.

The latest was dismissed by the Williamson County, Texas, prosecutor's office three days before the draft when it was determined that marijuana found in a car in which Brown was a passenger apparently belonged to Brown's cousin, Christopher Hawkins.

"I would be wise for Mr. Brown not to ask Mr. Hawkins for a ride anywhere, ever," said prosecutor Jana Duty.

If that was the only black mark against Brown, it could be dismissed as placing too much trust in a relative. But during Labor Day weekend, 2006, Brown was in the back seat of another vehicle pulled over by the police, this one driven by former Longhorn linebacker Aaron Harris.

Once again, Brown was charged with pot possession but had the charge dropped when his drug test came up clean. What had to be more disturbing to teams thinking about drafting him was that Brown was found with a loaded 9 millimeter in his lap.

Football is a sport that attracts tough people, and tough people are often drawn to the edges of the law. There's a fine line between aggressiveness on the football field (and Brown is definitely an in-your-face cornerback) and aggressiveness off it.

To 49ers head coach Mike Nolan, his fifth-round pick just made a couple of bad decisions. One point in Brown's favor was his regular appearance on the UT academic honor roll.

Of course, time will tell, especially with the emphasis NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is placing on "character issues."

But it's not as if San Francisco really needs Brown this year. If there's any position the Niners are solid at, it's cornerback. Nate Clements was the prize catch of the free-agent season for the 49ers, coming over from Buffalo. Walt Harris was a Pro Bowl choice who picked off eight passes last season. Shawntae Spencer was a 2006 starter opposite Harris, Donald Strickland had 12 starts as an Indianapolis Colt in 2003-04, and B.J. Tucker played some nickel back last season.

Tarell Brown may not even make the team.

If he does, however, he will be watched closely. And if he ever gets to the point of having an entourage, you can bet it won't include Chris Hawkins or Aaron Harris.

As for the gun incident, give him Tank Johnson's phone number. In his cell block.

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