San Francisco 49ers: 5 starting positions up for grabs in 2020
By Peter Panacy
No. 1: Free Safety
Like wide receiver, free safety also winds up on the list of positions completely up for grabs in 2020, and for similar reasons.
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Jimmie Ward is poised to hit the free-agent market. And with him likely to command somewhere near $8 million per year on a new deal, one can only guess if the Niners are willing to bring him back at that price tag.
Could the 49ers lure in another cheaper free agent, perhaps someone like Chicago Bears safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix? Perhaps. It’s been suggested already. There’s also the idea San Francisco could use a pick on one of the top names in the 2020 NFL Draft, too.
But perhaps a would-be replacement for Ward already exists on the Niners roster.
One feasible option is to bump strong safety Jaquiski Tartt back to free safety, which is a position he’s played at the pro level before, then inserting third-year pro Marcell Harris into Tartt’s vacated spot. The 49ers also experimented with the speedy, lanky Tarvarius Moore at free safety during the preseason and early in 2020 before Ward reclaimed the starter’s job. Perhaps that’s a route the Niners explore again this offseason.
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Either way, there are a lot of choices San Francisco can make in this particular situation. And given the importance of a good free safety in coordinator Robert Saleh’s defensive scheme, it would make sense the 49ers pay close attention to this potential need between now and training camp.