The San Francisco 49ers have a few areas of need heading into the 2023 offseason. Overall, this is one of the strongest rosters in the NFL, but they are lacking depth at a few spots. In addition, a few key contributors are hitting free agency who the team may have to replace as retaining everyone will be virtually impossible.
Arguably the biggest area of need in San Francisco is the secondary. The team made a splash during the 2022 offseason, signing Charvarius Ward away from the Kansas City Chiefs. He was able to anchor the secondary as their No. 1 cornerback and provides a great core along with Deommodore Lenoir and safety Talanoa Hufanga.
However, a team needs more than three secondary players to be successful at the back end. A lot of depth could be on the move this offseason as Jimmie Ward, Emmanuel Moseley, Tashaun Gipson, Jason Verrett, Tarvarius Moore and Dontae Johnson are all free agents.
Bringing in a few new faces could certainly be on the table this offseason. Without a ton of money to spend, the 49ers’ front office will have to get creative in filling the voids. One player that would be a nice fit for them is veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson.
Peterson had one of the best seasons of his career with the Minnesota Vikings in 2022. At 32 years old he showed he still had plenty left in the tank, recording a career-high in tackles and tackles for loss. He also added five interceptions and 15 passes defended as the lone bright spot in an otherwise unproductive secondary.
With the 49ers, Peterson could slip into the lineup as their No. 2 cornerback opposite of Ward. That is a role he is likely best suited for nowadays as relying on him to shut down No. 1 wide receivers on a weekly basis would be a lot.
San Francisco can also sell him on the idea of playing for a contender if his price starts getting too high. There aren’t many franchises in the league that can do the same and could be their best bargaining chip.
While Peterson proved he can still play at a high level and doesn’t need to ring chase just yet, playing for a contender would be appealing. The 49ers played in three playoff games this past season alone. In 12 seasons, Peterson played in only his fourth with the Vikings. So, joining a contending team would certainly be appealing for him.
