49ers Sign Former Chiefs Cornerback Charvarius Ward to a Three-Year Deal
A new face has joined the red and gold.
The 49ers have signed former Chiefs cornerback Charvarius Ward to a three-year deal worth up to $42 million, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.
$26.7 million of the deal is guaranteed, so the 49ers took a step out of their comfort zone and splurged quite a bit on a cornerback. The price to reel in Ward may seem overpriced to a degree, but that is the business of free agency. Ward is a solid corner who will easily slide in as the starter opposite of Emmanuel Moseley.
Best part of all is that he is 26 years old, so he can still ascend in his performance. Should that happen, no one will care about the price Ward signed for. And given that he is stepping into an elite defense that trumps the one he is leaving, I'd say he'll end up looking much better than he did in Kansas City.
Signing Ward reveals just how much faith the 49ers have in Ambry Thomas as a starter. While he is capable, it is clear now that the 49ers want to rock with Moseley and a proven talent opposite of him in Ward. They're not quite ready to hand Thomas the starting reigns yet. Reports on Monday had also indicated that the 49ers were in on Stephon Gilmore. Signing a corner in free agency was the team's top priority.
Ward doesn't carry anywhere near the same stardom as Gilmore, but one thing that should be liked about this signing is the trajectory of Ward. It is better to invest in a multi-year deal for a player who is young that hardly sustains injury than player who is on the downward slope of their career and possibly injury-riddled. And Ward right now is a really solid corner who will instantly make the 49ers better.
Ward is a smooth addition for the 49ers. It is about time they did not go with their typical bargain bin signing approach at cornerback.
