49ers could solve two problems with Charvarius Ward deal
The 49ers’ biggest free agency move might’ve already happened when they agreed to terms with former Chiefs cornerback Charvarius Ward.
While Ward doesn’t carry a ton of name value like JC Jackson or Stephon Gilmore, he’s a good, young player who is coming off his best year as a pro. He also could help the 49ers solve two problems at once.
San Francisco needed cornerback help in a bad way both outside and in the slot. Emmanuel Moseley and Ambry Thomas were both figured to start outside for the 49ers in 2022, and perhaps that would’ve worked, but there would’ve been sizable question marks and depth still would’ve been a problem. Not to mention their only real in-house slot option is second-year cornerback Deommodore Lenoir who struggled as a rookie in 2021.
Ward does two things for a needy 49ers secondary.
First, he provides an immediate upgrade over the 2021 third-round pick, Thomas. Ward allowed a completion rate of just 51 percent last season and he sits at or near the top of a slew of advanced metrics.
Second, in a roundabout way he helps solve the nickel corner issue. His insertion into the depth chart probably sends Thomas to the bench in base packages. In sub packages though Thomas can line up outside with Ward while Moseley kicks inside, which he’s more than capable of doing. With nickel packages so prevalent in the NFL now that trio would spend about three quarters of the snaps on the field together.
The 49ers could certainly use some more depth since one injury would throw that entire plan out of whack, but having three capable starting cornerbacks on the roster puts San Francisco in a good spot to bolster that group either through the draft or a cheaper free agent signing. They could also target a slot corner specifically so Thomas can work as a reserve and fix their depth issue.
Exact depth chart machinations will be decided in training camp and the preseason, but it appears the Ward deal allows the 49ers to check two offseason boxes at once if they want to play it with Moseley working as the nickel. If that’s how it goes, the 49ers could very quickly turn around what had become a leaky defensive backfield.
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