With a glaring need at cornerback, many San Francisco 49ers fans were hoping the team would make a serious run at Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters. On Friday, Peters was traded to the NFC West ... just not to the 49ers.
A trade between the Chiefs and Rams has been finalized and will send Peters to Los Angeles at the start of the new league year on March 14.
The 49ers and Cleveland Browns were reportedly the two other teams interested in a potential trade for Peters. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network said the 49ers' interest wasn't strong at all.
"There's been a report that the 49ers were the other team in on this," Garafolo said on the NFL Network show Up to the Minute. "I don't get the sense that their interest in this was that strong, that it was basically like a showdown between them and the Rams. I mean, I'm sure the Chiefs loved the fact that, at the very least, the Rams were aware that the 49ers were in on this one but I don't think that the 49ers really pushed this one too far down the road.
"There was just a little bit of interest in him, kind of lukewarm at best from what I am told, and not willing to go high on the compensation. And that's why he wound up with the Rams."
Ian Rapoport added that the same could be said of the Cleveland Browns' interest. He stated that there was a call between the Browns and the Chiefs, but Cleveland was not a serious contender for Peters.
In three NFL seasons, Peters has registered 151 combined tackles, 55 passes defensed, 19 interceptions, and six forced fumbles. Two of those 19 interceptions were returned for touchdowns.
49ers receivers will now go against Peters twice a year. However, the trade is a strong indicator that cornerback Trumaine Johnson doesn't stay with the Rams and hits free agency next month. In six seasons with the Rams, he registered 328 combined tackles, 67 passes defensed, 18 interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns, and two forced fumbles.