SF 49ers roster: Targeting one free agent for each position in 2021
By Peter Panacy
SF 49ers Cornerback: Michael Davis
No position on San Francisco’s roster is going to go through more free-agent attrition this offseason than cornerback.
Richard Sherman, Jason Verrett, K’Waun Williams, Dontae Johnson, Ahkello Witherspoon and Jamar Taylor are all unrestricted free agents, and it’ll be a tall order for the SF 49ers to retain all of them.
While it’s likely the Niners add a few names via the 2021 NFL Draft, landing a veteran presence would be a smart move.
If there was one name who’d act as both a scheme fit and embody the physique San Francisco has historically maintained for its boundary cornerbacks, it’s the LA Chargers’ Michael Davis.
Davis, 26 years old, is also likely in line for a solid pay increase after recording 64 tackles, 14 passes defended and three interceptions — all career-highs. And at 6-foot-2 and 196 pounds, his long-limbed frame would seem to be a perfect fit for DeMeco Ryans’ defense. And like Keanu Neal, Davis also has played in a Seahawks-like defense under former defensive coordinator Gus Bradley.
A former undrafted free agent, Davis will be in line for his first major contract this offseason. But the lack of name recognition and his former draft pedigree could keep him in the affordable range.