5 free agents SF 49ers can purge from NFC West teams in 2021
By Peter Panacy
No. 4: Cornerback Quinton Dunbar, Seattle Seahawks
The SF 49ers could potentially lose each one of their starting cornerbacks this offseason. Corners Richard Sherman, Ahkello Witherspoon, Jason Verrett and K’Waun Williams are all unrestricted free agents, while Emmanuel Moseley is of the restricted variety.
Depth corner Dontae Johnson is a free agent, too.
Considering many a defensive back struggles in the transition from the college ranks to the pros, it wouldn’t be shocking if the Niners spent some money on a veteran corner this offseason.
Perhaps the Seahawks’ Quinton Dunbar fits the mold.
Granted, a lot of it depends on what happens with San Francisco’s defensive coordinator situation in the wake of Robert Saleh poised to get his own head-coaching job this offseason. But if the scheme remains mostly the same, Dunbar’s fit makes sense.
At 6-foot-2 and 202 pounds, he has the ideal size for a boundary corner in a zone-style scheme. And while his 2020 campaign in Seattle wasn’t exactly impressive, Dunbar is only a full year removed from a four-interception, eight-pass-breakup campaign with the Washington Football Team in 2019.
Turning 29 years old before next season begins, he’ll still have a lot of time to bounce back in the prime of his career.