The NFL's free agent cornerback market is about to get set in a big way. Janoris Jenkins is set to sign with the New York Giants when the signing period begins, according to Adam Schefter. More importantly, the deal is reportedly set to be in excess of $12 million per year, according to Jason Cole. I'll continue to take the latter with a grain of salt, but if that's true, that's some serious change, no matter what the guarantees end up actually being.
The San Francisco 49ers were never connected to Jenkins in the rumor mill, but this does potentially impact the 49ers plans. The team has reportedly discussed the idea of signing cornerback Sean Smith. Even if Smith does not get the same deal as Jenkins, he is going to get a sizable chunk of change when free agency opens. The 49ers and Raiders have been connected to him, and there will likely be a few more teams that emerge. He would seemingly be due a deal in excess of $10 million per year.
It is always important to note that per year average on any NFL contract should always be taken with a measured response. The guaranteed money in the deal is more important. Of course, when we're talking about double digit per year deals, the guaranteed money is more often than not going to be pretty big. We'll see if this means the 49ers are in play for Sean Smith, or if they look elsewhere.