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The San Francisco 49ers are pretty well stocked on the defensive side of the ball, meaning room exists for potential trades if the Niners decide to go that route.
The team is still making moves even as training camp has officially begun. One trade proposal set forth by Brent Sobleski, of Bleacher Report, would reunite Niners cornerback Dontae Johnson with Robert Saleh, formerly the defensive coordinator in San Francisco and now head coach of the New York Jets.
“The New York Jets are young and suspect at cornerback. The position group certainly doesn’t present the same caliber of talent Robert Saleh had as the defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers,” Sobleski wrote in the article, published on Wednesday, July 28.
“The Niners are relatively set at the position with Jason Verrett, Emmanuel Moseley, K’Waun Williams and third-round rookie Ambry Thomas,” Sobleski continued. “Dontae Johnson might be San Francisco’s fifth corner even after playing in 14 games while starting three last season.”
Niners Are Strong Across the Defense, Particularly in Backfield
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GettyCornerback Jason Verrett #22 of the San Francisco 49ers.
Early in training camp, the Niners defensive backfield is showing out as a position group, with one man in particular highlighting his ability to shine.
Cornerback Jason Verrett broke up three passes from Niners starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, as well as tight end George Kittle, showing his coverage chops against the best targets San Francisco has to offer across the entire field.
“I’m capable of doing a lot of good things,” Verrett told media members following the second round of official practices on Thursday. “I’m capable of being a Pro Bowler, an All-Pro. It’s how I approach each and every week, each and every practice.”
“There’s always something you can just take over to the next day,” Verrett continued. “Tomorrow, I got to go out there and do it again. That’s my approach with everything I do. I try to be as consistent as possible.”
Trading Away Garoppolo Also Floated in B/R Article
Getty49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and a host of other key players spent much of the 2020 season sidelined with injury.
Also a part of his league-wide trade proposal column, Sobleski floated the idea of the Niners moving on from Garoppolo in favor of rookie and No. 3 pick in this year’s NFL draft Trey Lance.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters earlier this week that there is no QB competition in the Bay Area as of now, adding that Garoppolo remains unquestionably the guy. Sobleski openly questioned that approach, comparing Lance to other young signal callers who have recently been successful early in their careers.
“The San Francisco 49ers are making a mistake in how they’re handling their quarterback room,” he wrote. “Sure, some individuals need to sit and learn. Not all of them. The Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Chargers both made mistakes by not immediately starting Baker Mayfield and Justin Herbert, respectively.”
“Obviously, the 49ers saw something special in Lance to trade up and select him with this year’s No. 3 pick. Let him compete and dictate when he should play,” Sobleski continued.
“The 49ers could go a step further and just commit to the rookie now by trading Garoppolo to a quarterback-needy team like Washington. The franchise might as well rip off the Band-Aid now instead of letting the situation fester.”
