SANTA CLARA – The first three starts at free safety have provided some glimpses of Tarvarius Moore’s potential in the 49ers’ defense.
But there still is plenty of room for improvement, especially when it comes to being the last line of defense to prevent touchdowns.
“Tarvarius can get a lot better at angle tracking,” 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said.
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In the 49ers’ past two games, Moore has taken poor angles after completions and the results were long touchdown passes surrendered to Cincinnati’s John Ross and Pittsburgh’s JuJu Smith-Schuster.
“At the end of the day, everything goes back to playing the right technique,” Moore said. “If you’re playing the right technique, taking the right steps, bursting out of your breaks like you’re supposed to, everything will take care of itself.
“So it’s a matter of just cleaning up the minor details on my technique and that would’ve put me in better position for some of the plays I missed.”
Moore was a third-round NFL Draft pick in 2018 from Southern Mississippi. The 49ers transitioned him at cornerback as a rookie. He appeared in all 16 games and started the final two games of the season.
San Francisco 49ers
In the offseason after Ward sustained a fractured collarbone, the 49ers moved him back to his natural position of free safety.
Then, Moore ended up in the starting lineup for Week 1 when Ward sustained a fractured ring finger on his right hand and required surgery. Ward took part in full practices this week and appears ready to play Monday night against the Cleveland Browns.
The job of the 49ers’ free safety is keep the damage to the minimum in the middle of the field.
“That’s why he’s called the eraser. He erases all the mistakes that happen in front of him," Saleh said.
When asked if Ward excels at tracking angles, Saleh answered, “Yeah, he’s good. Jimmie’s pretty good at tracking.”
Moore said he does not know what the plan is at free safety against the Browns. Ward said it gives the 49ers a tactical advantage for the Browns not to be tipped off on the identity of the starter until the defense trots onto the field for the first time on Monday.
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Moore said Ward helped him while he was unavailable and he sets an example for how to approach his career, too. Ward, a first-round draft pick in 2014, has finished four of his first five NFL seasons on injured reserve with fractures to his foot, collarbone and, the past two seasons, his left forearm.
“He’s never going to change each and every day,” Moore said of Ward. “He’s the same guy. He was always looking out for me when he was inactive. If he saw something I didn’t see, he’d help me out as much as he can.
“Despite the things he’s been through in his career, he still just stays the same -- just level headed -- and goes about controlling what he can control, 110 percent every day.”