The San Francisco 49ers selected eight players in last week's draft. Noticeably absent was some safety help. Although, the team did reportedly bring in 6-foot-2 undrafted free agent safety Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles of Arizona to compete for depth.
The absence of a safety among the 49ers' most recent draft class was curious to some. Many expected the team to select one in the third round after addressing the pass rush in the first and wide receiver in the second. General manager John Lynch, a former NFL safety himself, explained after the draft why the 49ers avoided an upgrade at the position.
"It's not the easiest to go find a safety who can beat out Jimmie Ward or (Jaquiski) Tartt," Lynch told reporters, "or the two guys that we drafted in the last two years with Marcell (Harris), (Adrian) Colbert and (Antone) Exum, who stepped in and did a good job for us, who's played on other NFL teams, too. That's not an easy thing to do. If there's guys there, who you think is better than the guys you have and that makes more sense than another position, then it's an easy decision."
The 49ers passed on addressing the safety position in free agency too. Most felt the team would heavily pursue Earl Thomas, who seemed like the perfect fit in San Francisco's Seahawks-based defense. Thomas ended up with the Baltimore Ravens without indication that the 49ers showed much interest in paying him top dollar.
One veteran option who remains available is Eric Berry, whom the Kansas City Chiefs released on March 13. His injury history has played a part in his remaining on the market. The 30-year-old five-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time first-team All-Pro has visited with NFL teams but has yet to identify a new home.
John Breech of CBS Sports identified the 49ers as a team that might be a good landing spot for Berry. Although, it is important to note that this is just based on speculation and fit, and there is no indication of insider info that the 49ers might be interested in Berry or he in them.
"When Berry has been on the field, he's been one of the best safeties in the NFL," wrote Breech, "but the problem is that he hasn't been on the field very often over the past two years. After signing a six-year, $78 million deal in 2017, Berry played in just three out of 32 regular season games for the Chiefs."
Breech believes the 49ers would not be scared off by Berry's injury history. After all, the team gambled and seemingly won when they signed cornerback Richard Sherman, who was coming off of an Achilles injury, last year. He started 14 games with San Francisco in 2018.
Plus, Berry would fill an immediate need.
"The thing about Berry is that he would arguably be an instant upgrade at the safety position in San Francisco, which is why the 49ers should reach out," writes Breech.
The other teams on the list as potential fits are the Washington Redskins, Indianapolis Colts, Cleveland Browns, and Dallas Cowboys. The 49ers ranked No. 2 on Breech's list.
"If Berry meets with the 49ers and Lynch feels that he's better than anything the 49ers have, it wouldn't be surprising to see San Francisco make this move," he added.
H/t to Kirk Larrabee of 24/7 Sports for the find.
