San Francisco 49ers: Creating the ideal starting lineup for 2018

Safety

Free Safety: Earl Thomas

Strong Safety: Jaquiski Tartt

OK, time to make some major changes.

There shouldn’t be too much concern with strong safety Jaquiski Tartt. He’s one of the few carryover pieces from the era under former general manager Trent Baalke, and Tartt has come into his own at strong safety the last year-plus. He’s signed through 2021 now, so it’s apparent he’ll be a long-term fit for the foreseeable future.

But it’s looking like free safety Adrian Colbert is more of a one-year wonder than a long-term fit. His 2018 efforts have looked far more the likes of a seventh-round NFL Draft pick than a hidden gem.

And with defensive coordinator Robert Saleh’s Cover 3, single-high safety defense needing a true center fielder, why not grab the best one on the open market?

This means going after Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas, who is more than unhappy with his contract situation in Seattle and likely played his last game with the team before suffering a season-ending broken leg.

Thomas thrived in this scheme with the Seahawks, earning six Pro Bowl nods during that tenure. Sure, he won’t come cheap and will turn 30 years old before the 2019 season begins. But he’ll have a former teammate, cornerback Richard Sherman, to recruit him.

Age hasn’t exactly affected Sherman either.

Just like that, the Niners secondary gets the invaluable piece it so desperately needs.