The San Francisco 49ers locked up defensive end Arik Armstead on Monday, and perhaps have shifted focus to one of their other bigger-name free agents — safety Jimmie Ward. At least, that is what Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL is reporting.
According to Caplan, the 49ers are trying to re-sign Ward, who is scheduled to hit free agency on Wednesday. Ward's representatives have been free to speak with other teams since 9 a.m. PT on Monday. Caplan told 95.7 The Game that San Francisco is "working on" keeping the safety.
"(The 49ers) are trying to get Jimmie Ward back. They're working on it." -- our NFL Insider @caplannfl joins us NOW to discuss all the latest from NFL free agency.https://t.co/ff0VLOebQA pic.twitter.com/CI27bnCbpi
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) March 16, 2020
The 49ers entered the week with nearly $13 million in salary-cap space. That was before the re-signing of Armstead. NFL teams need to get below the $198.2 million salary cap by the start of the new league year on Wednesday.
We don't yet know the details of Armstead's contract, which perhaps pushes much of his salary toward future years. The team also has time to free up some money in other ways. That could mean trading, releasing, or restructuring the contracts of players.
The 49ers are reportedly shopping wide receiver Marquise Goodwin. Running back Jerick McKinnon is also on the books for a significant amount.
The 49ers made Ward the No. 30 overall selection in 2014 after playing college football at Northern Illinois. He registered 65 combined tackles, a sack, and eight passes defensed through 13 regular-season starts with the 49ers in 2019.
Ward, 28, has just twice — including 2019 — finished an NFL season without landing on injured reserve.