San Francisco 49ers: 10 Free Agents to Consider Post Franchise-Tag Deadline
By Peter Panacy
No. 4: Cornerback A.J. Bouye
The Los Angeles Rams franchised cornerback Trumaine Johnson, who was a free-agent crush for a few of us here at Niner Noise.
San Francisco 49ers
But Houston Texans corner A.J. Bouye wasn’t far behind. And he’ll hit the open market.
Pro Football Focus ranked Bouye as their No. 3 cornerback last season, with an overall grade of 90.9. That, and his 16 passes defended, easily cement him as a true shutdown corner — something the 49ers have lacked for years.
San Francisco has some decent cornerbacks on its roster. Rashard Robinson is certainly a part of the future. And Jimmie Ward continues to ascend nicely. But Ward could move over to safety sooner rather than later, and the Niners probably shouldn’t put too much long-term faith in veteran corner Tramaine Brock.
This is where Bouye comes in.
Capable of operating on an island — which will be important in defensive coordinator Robert Saleh’s Seattle-like defense — Bouye would be an immediate upgrade over anything the Niners currently boast in the secondary.