4 remaining free agents 49ers must consider before it’s too late

The 49ers still have some roster concerns, and the pool of available players in NFL free agency might be able to help before Week 1.

For the most part, it seems as if San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is satisfied with the roster he’ll whittle down in training camp and the preseason towards the 53-man group that’ll grace the field in Week 1 this season.

But Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have never shied away from trying to improve wherever possible, and there are already some question marks facing both the depth and roster shortages in the opening days of training camp.

The pandemic-altered 2021 offseason, which resulted in a diminished salary cap, has led to something of a buyer’s market, and there are still a number of high-profile free agents out there.

While former Niners cornerback Richard Sherman‘s off-field challenges may have removed him from consideration of a reunion with San Francisco, his position is just one of a few Shanahan and Lynch may elect to address between now and the start of the regular season.

Let’s take a look at four still-available free agents the 49ers have to consider before time runs out.

49ers NFL free agency target No. 4: CB Dre Kirkpatrick

The Niners apparently had at least some interest in upgrading their cornerback group, potentially guarding against injuries to players like Jason Verrett, by working out 31-year-old former first-round NFL Draft pick, Dre Kirkpatrick, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Kirkpatrick left without a deal, but that doesn’t mean San Francisco is completely turning its collective head the other way.

True, Kirkpatrick also has an extensive injury history and hasn’t had a full 16-game season played since 2015.

But considering the 49ers’ depth behind Verrett, K’Waun Williams and Emmanuel Moseley is both untested and thin, it would certainly be worth stockpiling some extra veterans who could step in at a moment’s notice on the cheap.