3 ways 49ers go about replacing departed K’Waun Williams
By Peter Panacy
The 49ers lost nickel cornerback K’Waun Williams to NFL free agency, meaning they’ll either turn to on-roster options or look elsewhere.
It shouldn’t be too big a surprise the San Francisco 49ers are losing veteran nickel cornerback K’Waun Williams in NFL free agency.
A year after returning to the Niners on a team-friendly one-year deal, the soon-to-be 31-year-old Williams is looking at what’ll potentially be his last sizable contract on the open market, even though nickel backs rarely receive the kind of money boundary corners receive.
And as things turned out, Williams is now joining the Denver Broncos on a two-year deal, according to Pro Football Network’s Mike Kaye:
Former #49ers CB K'Waun Williams is closing in on a two-year, $7 million deal with the #Broncos, per league source.
— Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) March 22, 2022
Williams now joins former San Francisco players, offensive lineman Tom Compton and nose tackle D.J. Jones, in Denver.
Good for him. But what the 49ers will care about is trying to find a way to plug the void left by Williams, one of general manager John Lynch’s first free-agent acquisitions way back in 2017 when the team was undergoing a massive rebuild.
It won’t be easy. Williams, when healthy, was a mainstay of the Niners defense and provided exceptional play for someone with a 5-foot-9, 185-pound stature.
San Francisco already added a top cornerback in NFL free agency, former Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Charvarius Ward, but he’ll be expected to upgrade one of those two boundary spots.
And with limited resources available, financially speaking, Lynch probably isn’t going to look at spending big money on the free-agent market to replace Williams.
Although it is possible and one of the first ways the 49ers go about replacing Williams on the depth chart this offseason.