3 offseason moves 49ers still need to make

No. 1: 49ers must re-sign Richard Sherman

Now at 33 years old and coming off a 2020 campaign in which calf injuries limited him to a mere five games played, it’s tough to assess just how much veteran cornerback Richard Sherman has left in him and what he could offer to a team like San Francisco.

The 49ers already have a trio of starting-caliber corners in Jason Verrett, Emmanuel Moseley and K’Waun Williams. But the depth behind those three is noticeably thin, and both Verrett and Williams have a worrisome injury history, too.

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It would be one thing if the Niners’ two rookie cornerbacks, Ambry Thomas and Deommodore Lenoir, were impressing early in OTAs. But they’re not, and it’s looking like both first-year defensive backs may require at least a year’s development time before being asked to assume anything more than just a reserve role.

At this point in his career, Sherman probably wants to sign only with a contender and for a bona fide role. San Francisco can give him the former, but it might be a bit too premature to automatically give him a starting job.

If this was the case, however, moving Moseley down into a primary backup job wouldn’t be the worst idea, and it would help guard against the injury attrition the 49ers would have to be worried about here.

Plus, at the very least, the Niners can use Sherman’s mentoring and leadership to help mold players like Thomas and Lenoir, and that’d be a massive plus.