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The renewed San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams rivalry has spilled over to March, as both have become aggressive early spenders during the free agency period.
And now, based off of the actions of the latter NFC West team on Thursday, March 17 that bolstered an already potent aerial attack, you could be looking at the newest individual rivalry worth watching among the two best teams from the conference this past season.
It’s time to get used to a battle between two players worth up to $42 million and $46.5 million by their new teams, plus a future battle between the most prized free agent acquisitions on the 49ers and Rams.
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Ward vs. Robinson
Charvarius Ward versus Allen Robinson has the makings of the next best individual duel on the field — and can spark the interest for anyone who loves a great cornerback versus wide receiver battle.
The 49ers’ newest $42 million cornerback Ward signed with the franchise on Tuesday evening to spark the secondary — a defensive backfield that in their last game witnessed Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham combine for 20 catches for 255 yards and 2 touchdowns (both from Kupp).
There are those who cover and follow the 49ers who are lauding the addition of the former Kansas City Chiefs cornerback, who once won the Super Bowl over his newest team back in February 2020.
For one: Ward is coming to the Bay Area to bolster the man coverage schemes defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans plans to throw on the field.
Ward also surrendered the fourth lowest reception rate among cornerbacks.
David Lombardi, 49ers insider from The Athletic, said the move to add Ward “hits the sweet spot” of what the 49ers were aiming to do all along at the cornerback position: Get a veteran to pair with Emmanuel Moseley and Ambry Thomas.
Lombardi adds in his video “the 49ers are increasingly moving away from cover three. Cover three is dying across the league. It’s not just ‘zone, zone, zone’ all the time. Even when it was, the 49ers needed that stalwart on the back end because rush and coverage worked together.”
Another strength the 6-foot-1, 195-pounder brings to the ‘Niners? He’s first in the league at defending tight window throws.
And that’s where we bring the new Rams receiver into the picture.
Robinson’s Strengths & How Ward Comes in
Robinson will add more height and physicality to a high-powered attack. His past Pro Bowl credentials with the Jacksonville Jaguars and his three career 1,000-yard seasons with both the Jags and Chicago Bears are proof of his field dynamics.
But noted by Next Gen Stats, the 6-foot-2, 220-pound target is a top three performer when it comes to making the contested grabs.
Yet, when the two men last went toe-to-toe on December 22, 2019, Ward played with patience and denied the six-point attempt from Robinson.
Robinson was bottled to 6 catches for just 53 yards that evening, which was won by Ward’s Chiefs 26-3.
The NFC West is already glutted with star power at receiver — from Kupp, to Arizona’s De’Andre Hopkins and to Seattle’s D.K. Metcalf. Now, depending on the free agent status of Beckham, this is the proposed offensive lineup for the Super Bowl champs:
Fortunately for the 49ers, they jumped ahead and snatched their future No. 1 CB option. There’s already 49er fans realizing the importance of nabbing a defender like Ward: To prepare for options like Robinson.
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