49ers are facing tough choices on cornerbacks
The 49ers employ 10 cornerbacks, all of whom have this in common: They aren’t under contract beyond this season.
That’s partly a reflection of the 49ers’ relative inattention to the position in recent drafts. They didn’t select a cornerback last year, and they haven’t used a pick in the first four rounds on a cornerback since drafting Ahkello Witherspoon in the third round in 2017.
Witherspoon, who keeps drifting down the depth chart, is almost certain not to return in 2021. However, the 49ers, who will have salarycap constraints in the offseason, figure to have several difficult decisions to make when determining which corners they will ( or can) keep.
Here’s a look at the 10 cornerbacks in the final year of their deals:
Richard Sherman ( unrestricted)
Sherman signed an incentiveladen deal with the 49ers in 2018 when the AllPro was about to turn 30 and was coming off surgeries on both Achilles.
It wouldn’t be surprising if Sherman, who acts as his own agent, considers a similar contract this offseason.
Sherman, who turns 33 in March, hasn’t played since the season opener because of a calf injury that’s tied to his past Achilles issues. In 2018, Sherman gritted through less severe calf pain, missing just two games, but he didn’t recapture his elite form until 2019.
In other words, Sherman, the team’s oldest defensive player, has spent much of his 49ers’ tenure diminished or sidelined because of a chronic leg injury.
He remains on injured reserve, but he has a chance to return after the bye week when the 49ers visit the Rams on Nov. 29. How Sherman plays down the stretch could help determine what kind of deal the 49ers are willing to offer.
Jason Verrett ( unrestricted)
Verrett is poised to earn a massive pay raise.
A candidate for Comeback Player of the Year, the oftinjured TCU alum has stayed healthy while making seven starts that serve as a reminder of why he was a 2014 firstround pick and a Pro Bowl alternate in his second season.
He’s earning a $ 910,000 base salary this season because significant shoulder, knee and Achilles issues caused him to miss 58 of 64 games the previous four seasons.
However, even if Verrett finishes 2020 like he has started it, his bulging medical file and age ( he’ll turn 30 in June) could make him relatively affordable.
It will be interesting to see whether the 49ers can resign their top cornerbacks, Sherman and Verrett — a potentially formidable duo that could come at a discount but would carry a massive amount of injury risk in 2021.
If they’re forced to decide between them? Verrett, who is younger, likely more affordable and could be coming off a far better and healthier season, presumably would be more appealing.
Emmanuel Moseley ( restricted)
Moseley is an intriguing case: The 49ers could retain the restricted free agent next year with a secondround tender that would pay him about $ 3.4 million.
That’s a nice price for a solid starting NFL cornerback. But is that who he is?
Moseley has been dominated this season by Arizona’s DeAndre Hopkins, Seattle’s DK Metcalf and Green Bay’s Davante Adams. That’s a murderer’s row, and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh could have done a better job providing Moseley with help.
Still, it invites the question of whether the undrafted free agent is a slamdunk starter in 2021. Moseley is likely to return, given his overall strong performance over the past two seasons, but a better finish would add clarity to his future.
K’Waun Williams ( unrestricted)
Williams has been a bargain: He has emerged as one of the NFL’s best slot cornerbacks since signing a modest threeyear extension in 2017 that included just $ 5 million guaranteed.
However, his 2020 contract year has decreased his chances of finally cashing in: Williams, 29, missed most of training camp with a calf injury, missed three games this season with a knee injury and suffered a high ankle sprain last week that will keep him out indefinitely.
The silver lining for the 49ers: Williams’ apparently lost season could make him easier to retain.
Jamar Taylor ( unrestricted)
Even if Williams’ price is reasonable, Taylor has a chance to prove he’s worth resigning as an even cheaper alternative.
That would have sounded ludicrous two months ago, but the welltraveled Boise State alum, 30, already filled in brilliantly once this season.
When Williams was out with his knee injury, Taylor shut down one of the NFL’s best slot receivers, Cooper Kupp, in a win over the Rams and followed that with a twointerception performance in a victory against the Patriots.
That was surprising, given that Taylor has played for six teams since 2017 and was released by the 49ers after training camp. However, he’s a 2013 secondround pick who has 43 career starts and has another chance to prove his resurgence is for real.
Ahkello Witherspoon ( unrestricted)
Like wide receiver Dante Pettis, Witherspoon is a recent top75 draft pick who played in the Pac12 and had a promising rookie season.
Another similarity they soon could share: Both could be ex49ers before December.
The 49ers waived Pettis last week, a move that was foreshadowed when his lack of production led to inactivity: The 2018 secondround pick was a healthy scratch for three straight games shortly before he received his pink slip.
Similarly, Witherspoon, who wasn’t on the injury report, was inactive for last Thursday’s loss to the Packers as the 49ers dressed five other corners. The 2017 thirdround pick has played just 13 snaps in three games since he told the coaching staff he couldn’t start in a Week 5 loss to Miami. Witherspoon eventually said he could play when his novice replacement, Brian Allen, repeatedly was roasted in coverage.
Witherspoon isn’t guaranteed to be waived, but it’s safe to say he won’t be resigned in 2021.
Dontae Johnson ( unrestricted)
There’s a good chance Johnson, 28, is back in 2021 because, well, he always finds his way back to Santa Clara.
Johnson, who has had multiple stints with the 49ers, has played 77 games with the franchise that drafted him in 2014, which is the most on the team. His familiarity with the system and work on special teams could earn him another oneyear contract and a chance to compete for a roster spot. Ken Webster (exclusiverights free agent)
The 49ers signed Webster
off the Dolphins’ practice squad in September, and he has played primarily on special teams in seven games.
A 2019 seventhround pick of the Patriots, Webster made five starts with Miami last year. As an exclusiverights free agent, he has no negotiating rights and can be retained with a minimum salary tender.
Tim Harris ( exclusiverights free agent)
General manager John Lynch mentioned Harris as an intriguing young player in the offseason, but the 2019 sixthround pick needs to remain healthy to factor into the team’s plan.
Harris, who is on the practice squad, had two medical redshirt seasons at Virginia and spent his first NFL season on injured reserve with a groin injury. He was out for about a month with a calf injury this season.
Parnell Motley ( exclusiverights free agent)
Motley, who is also on the practice squad, was claimed off waivers from the Buccaneers last month.
The undrafted rookie was a firstteam AllBig 12 selection at Oklahoma last year after he had a teamhigh 13 pass breakups and tied for second nationally with five forced fumbles.