As we enter the new NFL season, teams all around the league are looking to find players to fit their systems. The San Francisco 49ers appear to be in decent shape bringing players back on veteran or team-friendly deals. Below is one of the 49ers whose contract will expire on March 16 but may return to the organization.
With the signing of free-agent cornerback Charvarius Ward, the 49ers currently only have one void to fill in their secondary. Nickel cornerback K'Waun Williams' contract expires when the new league year begins. Williams, soon to be 31 years old, is still one of the better nickel corners in the league.
The Cleveland Browns drafted Williams in 2014. The Browns released him in August of 2016 and he signed with the 49ers in February of 2017. Williams was offered a three-year extension at the age of 26. In 2021, Williams signed with the 49ers on a one-year deal as a free agent. According to Spotrac.com, his contract was a one-year, $2.37 million deal.
Pro Football Focus recorded Williams making 49 tackles, five assisted tackles, one forced fumble, one sack, one interception, and five missed tackles while giving up eight and a half yards per reception. Williams dealt with injuries in 2021, missing two games—matchups against the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals—with a calf strain. He was tasked to cover several number one wide receivers when lined up in the slot but struggled against Cooper Kupp, Amari Cooper, and Davante Adams. Two of his worst games were against the Los Angeles Rams. Though it appears that he's slower and has lost a step, when healthy, Williams can still produce at a high level.
The 49ers can offer Williams a one-year deal for $3.2 million or a two-year deal for $6 million to give the defensive back a sense of job security, especially coming off a one-year deal. If the 49ers aren't high on second-year corner Deommodore Lenoir's ability to improve at the nickel position or fail to upgrade in free agency by adding D.J. Reed or Kyle Fuller, look for the 49ers to draft a nickel corner in the 2022 NFL Draft.