49ers Free Agency Needs: Breaking Down the Cornerback Position

Niner Noise continues with the second installment of our NFL free agency needs for the San Francisco 49ers. In this session, we take a look at the cornerback position and see if the Niners try to make any moves on the open market.

Like the safety position, the San Francisco 49ers’ situation at cornerback isn’t quite as pressing as the many other areas of concern in advance of NFL free agency — starting on March 9.

You can read more about the safety needs in the first installment of our free-agency breakdown here.

The one problem with cornerback is the Niners lack any true No. 1 or shutdown corner entering 2017. Yes, second-year pro Rashard Robinson is, perhaps, the most promising out of this bunch. And defensive back Jimmie Ward continues to ascend within San Francisco’s secondary.

San Francisco 49ers /

San Francisco 49ers

While deep, this isn’t exactly a promising unit. So it wouldn’t be a shock to see 49ers general manager John Lynch make some moves in free agency here.

Keep in mind, the Niners aren’t pressed to watch their cap space this offseason. With over $93 million in space, per Over the Cap, Lynch and Co. can afford to be a little aggressive. But first, let’s look at the players already on San Francisco’s roster:

Tramaine Brock — 2017 Cap Hit: $4.3 million, signed through 2017
Will Redmond — 2017 Cap Hit: $834,019, signed through 2019
Dontae Johnson — 2017 Cap Hit: $790,136, signed through 2017
Keith Reaser — 2017 Cap Hit: $731,200, signed through 2017
K’Waun Williams — 2017 Cap Hit: $690,000, signed through 2017
Rashard Robinson — 2017 Cap Hit: $635,848, signed through 2019
Prince Charles Iworah — 2017 Cap Hit: $540,000, signed through 2017

2017 free agents — Marcus Cromartie (RFA), Chris Davis (RFA), JaCorey Shepherd (ERFA)

Projecting 49ers Roster Moves

We can all but guarantee the Niners will continue Robinson’s development, and there isn’t any reason to assume he’ll regress in 2017.

But Ward, who might move over to safety, opens up some competition at the nickel corner spot. San Francisco inked cornerback K’Waun Williams to a one-year deal this offseason. He’ll be in hot competition with second-year pro Will Redmond to cover the slot. And it wouldn’t be a shock to see Williams beat out Redmond, who missed all of 2016 while recovering from a collegiate ACL tear.

Nov 30, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns free safety K’Waun Williams (36) against the Baltimore Ravens at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Ravens won 33-27. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /

Veteran corner Tramaine Brock is an interesting commodity. On paper, his 81.8 Pro Football Focus overall grade looks solid. But fans will remember when he was burned on the field, it was bad. Very bad.

Last year, Niner Noise’s Nicholas McGee suggested the Niners bench Brock. It didn’t happen, but is that something we see this year? He’s in a contract year, but it’s not likely the 49ers cut him after training camp.

As for the rest, well, they’re there. Keith Reaser surely has an edge over Dontae Johnson, as his 351-to-101 snap count suggests. Yet it’s likely Reaser isn’t going to be a long-term solution at the position.

And as CSN Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco pointed out, the Niners won’t be tendering corners Chris Davis or Marcus Cromartie:

#49ers bookkeeping correction: Andrew Tiller scheduled UFA; while DuJuan Harris, Marcus Cromartie, Chris Davis RFAs who won’t be tendered.
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) March 6, 2017

Projecting Free-Agent Moves

Lynch was already active on the market signing Williams. But it’s unlikely this will be the only move San Francisco makes to address the position.

Former Houston Texans cornerback A.J. Bouye is likely to be the most sought-after player on the market at this position. A guess would be he makes between $10 million and $12 million per season for his next contract, which promises to be a big one.

Jan 7, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans cornerback A.J. Bouye (21) celebrates during the first quarter of the AFC Wild Card playoff football game against the Oakland Raiders at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

The Niners could afford this and shift away from their previous philosophy of relying on relatively unknown corners and a once-strong front seven.

Perhaps a slightly cheaper alternative would be former Jacksonville Jaguars corner Prince Amukamara, who’d likely command a bit less than $10 million per year.

Either way, both corners would be an upgrade over almost anything the Niners have on their roster right now.

And don’t expect Lynch to be idle at this position in the draft either.

Projected 2017 Depth Chart

First, let’s assume Ward moves over to a free safety role, which allows Williams to take over covering the slot.

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Robinson is going to wind up being a Week 1 starter. The only question is whether or not Brock assumes the other starting cornerback role. Should the 49ers be active on the free-agent market — and we should assume this — Brock likely gets relegated to a backup/reserve role. His primary competition would be with Robinson, but a guess has the Niners banking on the second-year pro’s development.

Redmond and Reaser round out the remaining crop, totaling five corners on San Francisco’s regular-season roster.

Next: 10 Free Agents the 49ers Should Consider after Franchise Tags

This would mean, of course, both Johnson and Prince Charles Iworah don’t make the 53-man roster. Although Iworah is still eligible for the practice squad.