Cornerback Phillip Adams is ahead of schedule after suffering a gruesome broken left ankle against the Rams in the penultimate game of the 2010 season. Agent Scott Casterline said that Adams has resumed running and has begun cutting on the ankle - the final steps in the rehabilitation process. The plan is for Adams to travel to Texas at the end of this month where he would train alongside former NFL cornerback Kevin Smith, who worked with Adams before the 2010 draft.
Adams broke the ankle on a kickoff return on Dec. 26. He had surgery in St. Louis during which screws were inserted in the leg. (The break occurred just above the ankle.) Casterline said the fracture healed well, the screws were removed and that Adams is ahead of schedule. The 49ers have monitored Adams' rehabilitation during the lockout.
When Adams suffered the injury, it seemed almost certain that he would miss practice time during the offseason and risk falling behind teammates. That's not a promising scenario for a seventh-round pick from South Carolina State. A silver lining to the lockout - at least for Adams - is that he may not miss any practices.
The physical Adams is raw but showed promise during last year's training camp. He appeared in 15 games last season, mostly on special teams. The 49ers drafted two cornerbacks, Chris Culliver in the third round and Curtis Holcomb with the last of three picks in the seventh round, last month.
-- Matt Barrows
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