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San Francisco 49ers Should Target Free Agent CB Sean Smith

By Dan Schmelzer

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - OCTOBER 18: Sean Smith #21 of the Kansas City Chiefs poses while warming up before the game against the Minnesota Vikings on October 18, 2015 at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - OCTOBER 18: Sean Smith #21 of the Kansas City Chiefs poses while warming up before the game against the Minnesota Vikings on October 18, 2015 at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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The San Francisco 49ers are flush with cap space and have needs all across their roster. They need to start making improvements somewhere, and a certain free agent big bodied cornerback would make a lot of sense for this team.

The San Francisco 49ers may not be in a full-fledged rebuild, but this is definitely a team in transition. New head coach Chip Kelly is undoubtedly going to make at least some schematic changes (I doubt GM Trent Baalke gives him too much control over personnel after his debacle in Philly), but they need to get more legitimate level NFL talent on the roster.

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Heading into free agency, the 49ers’ $55 million in cap space is the fourth most in the entire NFL. They could certainly add some impactful veteran players to their roster, but with 2016 not likely to be much of a competitive year no matter what they do, the 49ers need to be careful about hamstringing their flexibility going forward.

Having cap space is nice, but recklessly spending just because you have the money can be detrimental to the franchise for a long time. The 49ers should look to be aggressive in free agency, but they must be smart with their moves.

Oct 4, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Sean Smith (21) against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 36-21. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 4, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Sean Smith (21) against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 36-21. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /

There are many available players who make sense for this team, but former Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Sean Smith stands out as an obvious choice. The 49ers will likely check in on a lot of players, but Smith needs to be towards the top of their list.

Standing 6-foot-3, and weighing in at 218 pounds, Smith has ideal size and length for the cornerback position. He is a big and physical corner with obvious press man-to-man skills on the outside. Smith also shows solid speed and great athleticism for the position. Add in his natural coverage ability and fantastic ball skills, and Smith really is the total package at the cornerback position.

The Chiefs would undoubtedly love to have Smith back in the fold, but they have a lot of free agents to deal with this off season. With the emergence of NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Marcus Peters at the cornerback position for Kansas City, I could certainly see them not offering the kind of contract to Smith that he will get from another team on the open market.

There are many teams in the NFL with obvious needs at the cornerback position, and Smith will undoubtedly receive a ton of interest. However, with ample cap space and a big of a need as anyone at the position, the 49ers should aggressively be involved with Smith, who is arguably the best player at his position on the open market.

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Tramaine Brock has grown into a solid cornerback for the 49ers, but he is nothing more than a solid number two. Them placing him against the top receivers on the opposing offense is unfair and only puts him in a position to fail. However, the 49ers did not really have a choice.

Smith is a true number one corner who can defend the best of the best in the NFL. Signing him would allow Brock to slide down to the number two role and give the 49ers a solid duo at the position. Basically, one move would turn an obvious position of need for the 49ers into a potential strength.

Baalke and Kelly may not agree on everything for the 49ers’ roster going forward, but they are both believers in size and physicality at the cornerback position. Smith’s skill-set fits what they are trying to put together perfectly, and he fills an obvious need.

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The 49ers will undoubtedly look at many options to improve their roster this off season, but targeting Smith has to be a priority. He is a slam dunk fit in every way.