49ers Urged to Trade for Ex-Rams Starting DB With ‘Long-Term Upside’

Getty Safety Jordan Fuller of the Carolina Panthers.

Still just 26 years old, Carolina Panthers safety Jordan Fuller spent his first four seasons with the Los Angeles Rams before inking a $3.25 million deal with Carolina this offseason.

Fuller started 46 games for the Rams, netting 279 total tackles, 17 pass breakups and 7 interceptions in that span, also winning Super Bowl 56 with L.A.

One analyst believes the San Francisco 49ers should try to add the veteran safety via trade. San Francisco’s defensive backs have yet to intercept a pass yet this season, and the team is dealing with multiple injury issues in the secondary.

Cornerback Charvarius Ward has been limited with a knee issue, and safety Talanoa Hufanga is dealing with a wrist injury that will likely keep him out longer than a month, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin made a list of one deal every team should make heading into the NFL’s trade deadline on November 5. For the 49ers, he thinks adding depth in the secondary is a primary need, and he believes Fuller could help.

“Banged up on the back end, giving up too many big plays, San Francisco rented safety help in 2023 and could do so again,” Benjamin wrote on October 8. “Fuller is still young, too, offering long-term upside after four years with the Rams.”

Would 49ers Be Interested in a Trade for Safety Jordan Fuller?

It’s certainly possible, but one issue is Fuller’s health. The Panthers safety was placed on the injured reserve list with a hamstring injury on September 24. Hamstring issues have the tendency to be nagging, and adding another injured player isn’t going to help the Niners’ secondary.

When healthy, Fuller is a very solid run defender with decent coverage skills. Per Pro Football Focus, over his five years in the league, opposing quarterbacks have a collective 95.8 passer rating when throwing Fuller’s way. If his hamstring is fine, he could be an intriguing option.

Fuller has played the bulk of his career snaps at free safety (1,946 snaps), and he’s a very good tackler, which the Niners could use. Current second-year starter at free safety Ji’Ayir Brown’s missed tackle percentage over his first two seasons is 14.1, so Fuller would certainly be in upgrade in that area.

Brown has been about as good in coverage as Fuller has, though, with opposing QBs netting a 97.9 rating when targeting him in coverage. But Benjamin’s point about Fuller being a potential low-risk, high-reward option is a good one. Considering Fuller’s affordable contract, he might be an intriguing option for the Niners to pursue.

49ers DC Nick Sorensen, Shanahan Address Team’s Defensive Issues

The 49ers have struggled on defense this season, allowing 7 passing TDs and 4 rushing TDs while giving up three plays of 40+ yards. Still, things could be worse. The Niners are giving up just 197.0 passing yards per game, which is ranked 12th in the NFL heading into Week 6.

“We’ve got to attack it more,” 49ers defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen said about his secondary hauling in more picks. “I mean, there’s always ops. It’s just one of those things where we need a mindset of when it’s up, it’s ours. Be the receiver, be the aggressor. Just hasn’t happened yet. We need to be more aggressive with it.”

“I think Nick’s doing a real good job. I’ve been impressed with him since the beginning,” Shanahan said at his October 8 press conference. “Each week, I like how he handles the defensive staff. I like how they set up the practices and I’ve liked his game plans and I liked how he’s called it.”

The 49ers have a short week, as they visit the Seattle Seahawks on October 10. We’ll see if the secondary can step up.