49ers free agency: Latest news, rumors and reports after opening wave

Market still cool on K’Waun Williams

The 49ers re-signing Emmanuel Moseley and Jason Verrett was a massive boost to a secondary that was poised to lose nearly every one of its starting members to NFL free agency this offseason.

Yet there’s still a potential void at nickel cornerback, held last year by veteran defender K’Waun Williams.

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The free-agent market for nickel backs was thought to be initially set by the Cincinnati Bengals signing former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Mike Hilton to a four-year deal worth $24 million, and he was generally viewed as one of the top options here available.

Since then, though, there has been relatively little movement on nickel corners. Desmond King is with the Houston Texans now, so that’s one less option.

Still, the lack of major movement could be good news from the Niners’ vantage point, as they could potentially look to retain Williams, who’ll turn 30 years old this summer. While Williams initially drew some interest from the Jets at the beginning of free agency, it doesn’t appear as if there have been any late developments.

The longer Williams remains unsigned, the better it would seem for San Francisco.

Williams, whom the 49ers inked as a free agent back in 2017, has been a valuable part of the team’s defense despite missing half of 2020 with various injuries. Retaining him on the cheap would be an excellent move for John Lynch and Co.