The 49ers still have a safety issue. Even after going into free agency with an abundance of salary cap space in a deep safety market, San Francisco wound up re-signing safeties Jimmie Ward and Antone Exum Jr. for their only moves to upgrade the position. That simply can’t be their only answer.
It’s arguable that Ward was the team’s best free safety last season. It’s his natural position, and he played well there after switching back from corner. Injuries once again derailed his season though and he played just nine games.
That’s one key reason they can’t lean too heavily on Ward. He’s been in the league five years and played 16 games once. He’s only played more than 10 games twice.
Injuries obliterated the 49ers’ safeties last year and led to a ton of problems with communication on the back end. It’s difficult to imagine a scenario where the oft-injured Ward is the surefire answer at safety.
His return does make sense given his familiarity with the defense and the coaching staff’s high praise for the 27-year-old. He came on a cheap one-year deal and is a starting-caliber player when healthy.
On the other hand, they now have to invest in the position with somewhat significant draft capital. There are no sure answers for the team in the back end of the secondary, and a late first or early second-round pick who can compete for a starting job on Day 1 is a necessity. The free agency pool still has names available as well, but the front office doesn’t appear eager to invest resources in that position.
There’s a real chance Ward captures and keeps the starting job if he’s able to stay healthy this season. Those are two somewhat substantial risks though, and the 49ers need to mitigate some of that with an early draft pick or additional free agent signing.
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