San Francisco 49ers: Looking At Some Potential Options At Safety
The San Francisco 49ers head into the offseason with decisions to make at the safety position. Who should they keep or let go? Read on to find out!
It feels good to say the San Francisco 49ers have a considerable amount of talent. One area in particular that we will focus on is the safety position. The 49ers haven’t had a dangerous and talented safety duo since the Dashon Goldson and Donte Whitner tandem during the Jim Harbaugh era.
However, the 49ers don’t have to look far to find a dynamic safety duo for the upcoming season. Let’s look at the safeties currently on the team who should be on the roster for next season, as well as the ones who should be released.
Jaquiski Tartt
Drafted in 2015, Jaquiski Tartt should definitely be a player that the 49ers should keep, given that he may be the best safety on the team.
A broken forearm cut his 2017 campaign short, but at 6’1″ and 221 pounds, Tartt is the perfect size for a safety.
He played in nine games this season and started all nine; take a look at some of his 2017 stats:
55 total tackles, 0.5 sacks, three passes defensed, and an incredible one-handed interception against Cam Newton. His 55 total tackles ranked him sixth among all 49er defenders. A tremendous stat given that he didn’t even play the final seven games.
More from Golden Gate Sports
- Raiders: Rookie stock report following Week 3 performance
- 49ers sign new long snapper amidst a flurry of roster moves
- Oakland Athletics win Game 2 of Wild Card round with late-inning drama
- 49ers: George Kittle and Deebo Samuel cleared to return to practice
- 49ers expected to place DE Dee Ford on injured reserve
Now, imagine how much of an impact he could make if fully healthy and playing alongside the safety nobody expected to breakout.
Adrian Colbert
A seventh round draft from this past season who made sure people will regret their decisions of not picking him on Twitter, Adrian Colbert is another safety to keep.
Every San Francisco 49ers fan should have their mouth watering for a Colbert-Tartt starting combo. At 6’2″ and 205 pounds, Colbert does need to add more muscle, but the talent he has is obvious.
Colbert will be a star if healthy and he proved it time and time again this season (ask DeAndre Hopkins).
He started six games when injuries started piling up for the team, and racked up 37 total tackles, 34 of them being solo. He also had five passes defensed, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
Like Tartt, imagine the impact Colbert can make on defense if he starts every single game.
Colbert and Tartt should be the two starting safeties because they are future stars.
Jimmie Ward
Now here is where it gets interesting. Jimmie Ward, entering his fourth season, has shown talent but has not shown durability. Ward’s season has been cut short three times out the four he’s played, but he makes an impact when he does play.
This season he had 32 tackles (27 solo), one pass defensed and one fumble recovery. He is a little smaller at 5’11” and 193 pounds, but he could be a valuable role player in Robert Saleh’s scheme.
Time is running out for Ward to prove his worth. If he gets injured severely one more time, you let him go. If he can stay healthy and produce at a high level, you give him a short extension to see if he continues to be durable.
Eric Reid
Entering free agency, Eric Reid should be a keeper, but he may be gone. Depending on how much you re-sign him for, he clearly wants to remain a 49er and he should. He’s been healthy for the majority of his five seasons and ended his season strong with an impressive performance against the Los Angeles Rams.
Reid ended the season third on the team in tackles with 67 total. He also had four passes defensed, two interceptions and one fumble recovery.
One thing about Reid is the fact that he could possibly transition to a linebacker. That is Reid’s best chance at making an impact unless Colbert, Tartt or Ward are hurt.
Reid is a proven veteran that deserves a chance to stay as a 49er.
Next: 49ers 2017 Season Report Card
The Wrap-Up
The San Francisco 49ers definitely have an immensely talented safety core. Any other safety on the current roster didn’t make a big enough impact to have a clear keep or let go status, as they were mainly brought in as the roster depleted thanks to injuries.
Who do you think the 49ers should keep or let go?