5 players 49ers should have signed in free agency

The 49ers did a great job retaining many of their own free agents in 2021 while bringing in others to help, but these five should have been targets, too.

It’s pretty remarkable to think the San Francisco 49ers were able to do what they did in NFL free agency this offseason when, at one point, they were projected to have just over $8 million in salary-cap space ahead of the league new year.

Thanks to general manager John Lynch and chief contracts negotiator Paraag Marathe, who combined to rework a number of rostered players’ contracts, the Niners were able to free up additional cap space while retaining key free agents like left tackle Trent Williams, fullback Kyle Juszczyk and cornerbacks K’Waun Williams and Jason Verrett.

Onboarding Pro Bowl center Alex Mack and EDGE Samson Ebukam shouldn’t go unnoticed either.

Still, it’s OK to be somewhat critical and wonder whether or not San Francisco should have pursued and/or signed some other free agents to bolster what was an injury-riddled 6-10 roster last season.

Perhaps by looking at these five players whom the 49ers should have pursued more aggressively in NFL free agency.

No. 5: Cornerback Michael Davis

Verrett and Williams are back solely on one-year deals, and Verrett’s lengthy injury history despite a bounce-back 2020 campaign remains a cause for concern.

While it’s not quite clear just how close the Los Angeles Chargers let four-year cornerback Michael Davis test NFL free agency waters when the league negotiating window opened on March 15 –Davis re-signing with LA was announced later in the day by NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo — it would have been wise for the Niners to aggressively go after the 26 year old who had five interceptions and 23 pass breakups the last two years.

Davis ultimately inked a three-year, $25.3 million contract with $15 million guaranteed, so it’s possible San Francisco was going to be outbid anyway.

Yet the 6-foot-2, 196-pound defensive back has both youth and health on his side, which would have given a team like the 49ers more solidarity at a position. And Davis would have been a good scheme fit, too, as the Chargers previously ran a defense, not unlike that of the Niners.

It’s a “what could have been?” scenario for San Francisco, and Davis would have been an exciting player to add to the defense if Lynch and Co. could have gotten a deal done.