49ers free agency: 5 bargain cornerbacks Niners can still target
By Peter Panacy
49ers Cornerback Target No. 4: Darqueze Dennard
If the 49ers miss out on a player like Nickell Robey-Coleman and still pass on re-signing K’Waun Williams, going after someone like former Atlanta Falcons nickel cornerback Darqueze Dennard on the cheap wouldn’t be a bad move.
Heck, re-signing Williams wouldn’t even rule out a Dennard addition anyway. Especially considering Williams missed eight games with injuries last season.
At 29 years old, Dennard is anything but a shutdown corner. But he performed well enough with the Falcons, who ran a nearly similar defensive scheme last season as the Niners, holding opposing quarterbacks to a passer rating of 89.2 when targeting him.
Dennard is coming off a cheap contract, too, where he earned a mere $1.01 million for his efforts in Atlanta last year. Considering San Francisco re-signed Dontae Johnson at approximately the same price, Dennard would be equally as affordable yet provide the 49ers with a quality depth option who could easily start in a pinch.
He did, after all, start six games for the Falcons last year while appearing in eight total.
Consider Dennard a contingency plan for the Niners depth chart, and those are needed anyway given the lack of experienced options behind the presumed starters.