Niner Noise
FanSided

5 Players the 49ers Must Avoid in NFL Free Agency

By Ken Wang

Nov 20, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Terrelle Pryor (11) during the game at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 20, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Terrelle Pryor (11) during the game at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 6
Next

Safety Tony Jefferson

The former undrafted rookie safety out of Oklahoma is set to have a major payday. The Arizona Cardinals were fortunate when no team made an offer for his services last season, and they were able to keep him for just $1.67 million.

The next team to sign Jefferson will not be so lucky.

According to spotrac.com, Jefferson will command a $5.7 million average annual salary. That’s good enough for seventh among strong safeties. While the 49ers have many holes to fill in the roster, safety is not be one of them.

GM John Lynch made it perfectly clear in a press conference last week that he viewed Jimmie Ward as a free safety. Per Eric Branch at SFGate.com, Lynch said that he believed Ward has “traits and skills that translate well” to the safety position. Lynch does have credibility when it comes to evaluating that department, as he was a former safety himself.

If Ward moves to FS, that presumably moves former All-Pro safety Eric Reid to strong safety. That leaves last year’s starter, Antoine Bethea, without a defined role. He could have a backup role, or he could be cut.

Next: Breaking Down Each Team's Need in Free Agency

All of this points to the 49ers not bringing in such a high-profile free agent, such as Jefferson, from the outside. While it would be nice to hurt a division opponent, the cost of doing so would outweigh the benefits, especially for a team that has so many needs elsewhere.