49ers free agency: 5 bargain cornerbacks Niners can still target

49ers Cornerback Target No. 2: Rasul Douglas

Sticking with the theme of long, lanky cornerbacks who’d fill the 49ers’ traditional mold for boundary players, former Carolina Panthers corner Rasul Douglas would be an easy player to target on the dwindling free-agent market.

At 6-foot-2 and 209 pounds, the former third-round pick from the Philadelphia Eagles managed to find himself in more of a starting role after being waived and then acquired by Carolina last year, getting in 14 games in 2020 and starting 11 of them.

While Douglas wasn’t anything close to a lockdown defender and gave up over 12 yards per reception last year, it’s worth noting he’s only 26 years old and still has some room to develop. Plus, one could see how Douglas transitioning to a predominantly zone-style defense could take advantage of his natural skills instead of being asked to perform more man coverage.

Douglas is another one of those players who’d stand to benefit from a one-year cheap “prove it” deal, especially with the diminished salary cap where he’d take a chance on himself to showcase his long-term value.

The Niners could easily take a flier on a player of Douglas’ caliber, looking to capitalize on his physical abilities and stature while hoping he improves upon what was merely an OK effort with the Panthers a season ago.