Free agent cornerback Jason Verrett is visiting the 49ers, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets that the Texans are presently scheduled to host Verrett after his trip to the 49ers, and the Chiefs are on the docket after that.
The former first-round pick of the Chargers has played in just five games in the last three years due to injury, and he missed the entire 2018 campaign after suffering a torn Achilles during a conditioning test last July.
Because of his health concerns, San Francisco is making a physical part of Verrett’s visit, and Houston and Kansas City may do the same. Rapoport indicated that Verrett was garnering significant interest, and that certainly seems to be the case.
Verrett was a Pro Bowler in 2015 and looked primed to establish himself as one of the best young corners in the league, but his career has been sidetracked in a big way. However, he reportedly looked like his old self in minicamp last year before the Achilles injury, and if he can make good on a one-year prove-it deal, he may be able to really cash in next offseason.
The 49ers have made major upgrades to their defense this week, signing Kwon Alexander and trading for (and extending) Dee Ford. They are also looking to bolster their secondary and made an offer to cornerback Bradley Roby, who ultimately chose to sign with the Texans.
But even with the addition of Roby, Houston could stand to add to its stable of CBs, and Kansas City is also in the market for corner help. The Chiefs are meeting with Ronald Darby tonight.
If healthy, Verrett could be in store for plenty of playing time if he lands with any of these clubs.
A player coming off an ACL? Sure why not, welcome to the 9ers lol. McKinnon, Jimmy G, Alexander and now Verrett. Would much rather have one of these other guys out there that isn’t always hurt like this guy and isn’t coming off an ACL for a position where you gotta be able to stop and cut quickly following a WR but I’m no GM so hopefully they know what they are doing. When healthy the guys really good but he never is healthy
To be fair Jimmy g and McKinnon got hurt after they sign. The LB and this guy are coming off injures
That’s true.
It was an Achilles injury not acl
Yea I realized that after I said it. Still not a good injury to be coming off of as a CB. Sherman did bounce back though so hopefully he will be able to also.
Plus, like you alluded to earlier, when Verrett is healthy, he’s an excellent corner. Although, like you said earlier, he’s also injured quite frequently..
If he’s able to maintain his health, and if the 49ers sign JV, it could very well do some wonders for their defense as a whole!!
With their improved D-Line, their improved LB play, and with an improved secondary, the 49ers would def. be looking at a significant talent increase across their entire defensive depth chart.
Plus, the secondary and the d-line’s success are tied in directly to one another. A great pass rush leads to errant throws, and forces QBs to have to get rid of the ball faster. On the flip side, a good secondary can give the pass rushers more time to get to the QB, ultimately leading to what are known as coverage sacks.
The 49ers have already greatly improved their ability to stop the run, but more importantly their pass rush should be immensely better!! With the addition of Dee Ford and by potentially adding either N.Bosa or J.Allen, the 49ers will have two shiny new weapons they’ll be able to use off the edge to help get after the QB.
Or as an alternative, Saleh, Shannahan, and Lynch might want to target Q.Williams with the #2 overall pick. If so, he and Buckner could form one of the best, most dynamic DT combos in the NFL. Buck and QW would be a nightmare for their opponents!!
Either way, whether it’s collapsing the pocket from the middle, or using their speedy edge rushers, ethe 49ers will have significantly better edge options than they had last season..
Alexander and Warner compliment each other very well at the LB spot, so now, they are set there. However, their next major hole is in their secondary.
The 49ers have to add another boundary corner to help out their secondary..JV would fit perfectly, and if healthy, his presence would go a long way towards helping the 49ers defense regain their lost glory.
They have to add Verrett, or another similarly skilled/talented boundary CB, add a solid coverage safety, and then they can use their 3rd round pick on another talented DB, and their secondary will go from being a liability and one of the worst in the league to actually becoming a pretty formidable opponent!!