The San Francisco 49ers were interested in acquiring cornerback Marcus Peters from the Kansas City Chiefs, but did not get him, as he went to the Los Angeles Rams. Later, it was reported multiple times that the 49ers were the only other team really in on discussions, but that they also never actually made a formal offer.
None of this is surprising.
San Francisco’s cornerback situation isn’t dire, but it’s far, far from ideal. Ahkello Witherspoon, a third-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, managed to see the field last season and steadily improved. Dontae Johnson, a Trent Baalke selection, was a starter but steadily degraded as the season went on. He was a favorite target of opposing quarterbacks, and was simply not good.
The 49ers were reportedly interested in David Amerson before he signed. They have worked out Vontae Davis, younger brother of former 49ers tight end Vernon Davis, one of the more intriguing names on the market due to the highs he’s reached in the past. 49ers players have tried to sell pending free agent Malcolm Butler on the team.
And mock drafts around the Internet have the 49ers taking a cornerback, namely Denzel Ward.
The position will be addressed. The fact that it wasn’t addressed in a trade for Peters is not that surprising, though. It only seems like a much bigger deal because Peters, an excellent cornerback, joined the Rams, an NFC West rival. Yes, the Rams got a great player. Yes, that player will try and make life hell for Jimmy Garoppolo two weeks out of ever season going forward.
But he has his issues. He has concerns on and off the field and in the locker room. The 49ers have one headache right now in Reuben Foster — a headache that is significant, and of course, football is secondary in his matter.
We don’t know if the 49ers ultimately didn’t make an offer for Peters because they considered these issues too much of a headache to deal with. We don’t know if the asking price was always just too high for them to make an offer. But it’s not surprising either way. Those issues are serious, and John Lynch certainly knows what he’s looking for in a defensive back.
It sure would be nice to land a cornerback with Peters’ skillset, but the market is still very strong in free agency and the NFL Draft. It will be addressed.