It’s Super Bowl week in Minnesota with the NFL world transfixed on the Patriots and Eagles before their showdown for the Lombardi Trophy on Sunday.
Can the 49ers get to a Super Bowl next season? The sharps in Vegas don’t think it’s that far off.
But we have another long offseason to navigate before we can start thinking about championship contention. With that, your latest edition of our 49ers Tuesday Twitter Mailbag!
Here’s one: Rashaan Melvin, a free agent cornerback of the Colts.
He’s not a big name mostly because he had just 10 games of promising play under his belt after an otherwise underwhelming career in Indianapolis, Baltimore and New England previously. But his path towards free agency isn’t entirely unfamiliar.
Last year the Jaguars signed former Texans undrafted cornerback A.J. Bouye, who quickly became one of the league’s best at the position. Bouye had two seasons of starting experience and cashed in with a five-year, $67.5-million deal. He was integral in the Jags’ run to the AFC title game.
Melvin, 28, won’t command that type of money, but he could be a worthwhile addition capable of starting. He has the size (6-foot-2) and length the team covets despite going undrafted in 2014 out of Northern Illinois, where Jimmie Ward played.
(Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports)
Melvin’s metrics last season were pretty impressive. Per Pro Football Focus, his passer rating when targeted (60.3) ranked 12th among 126 quarterbacks with at least 150 coverage snaps. He allowed just a 52.7 percent completion rate. He ranked 20th in run-stop percentage and second in tackling efficiency, answering questions about his physicality.
He missed the final five games with a hand injury, but managed three interceptions and 13 pass breakups in his 10-game breakout season. Melvin looks like a mid-level free agent that would make a lot of sense – and he would come cheaper than free agents Trumaine Johnson, Malcolm Butler or potential trade target Aqib Talib.
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