Why the 49ers Should Sign Aqib Talib
This one’s a no-brainer.
The 49ers have $15.7 million in salary-cap space, and cornerback Aqib Talib is a free agent. They should sign him today. As in right now, before some other signs him.
Here are five reasons why Talib is perfect for the 49ers:
1. Cornerback is the 49ers’ weakest position.
They have talent and depth everywhere on their roster except cornerback. They have Richard Sherman, who’s good. But other than him, they have Emmanuel Moseley who has started merely nine games in his career, Ahkello Witherspoon who seems to get benched every other week, and Jason Verrett who has appeared in just two games the past three seasons. Two. He’s always injured.
The 49ers are too good of a team to have such a glaring weakness. They’re a Super Bowl contender and they have cap space. They should sign a corner, and Talib is the best one on the market.
At worst, he would push the younger corners and make the training-camp competition more competitive. At best, he would win the competition and improve an already great defense.
2. Talib still is a good player.
He’s 34, which is ancient for a cornerback. But in 2018, he allowed a miniscule passer rating of just 66. He was elite, even though he missed eight games in the middle of the season after having ankle surgery.
In 2019, Talib broke his ribs and played only five games. So the Rams placed him on Injured Reserve against his will and effectively ended his season even though he was healthy enough to return by mid November. And they traded him to the Dolphins to dump his salary.
Meaning Talib has had plenty of time to recover. He has played only 13 games the past two seasons. He should be fresh and healthy for 2020.
3. The 49ers need Talib for just one season.
Sure, he’s old. But he wouldn’t be a long-term investment.
The 49ers kept most of their team together from last season to make one more run at the Super Bowl. After next season, the team will look drastically different. Every starter in the secondary other than Jimmie Ward will be a free agent. The 49ers most likely will rebuild their defensive backfield in 2021.
For now, they need a cornerback who can give them just one good season. Or half a season. Realistically, the 49ers would need Talib only for the playoffs, because when the season is on the line, Talib won’t bust a coverage the way Moseley did on third and 15 in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl.
4. Talib would be nuts not to want to sign with the 49ers.
He didn’t want to sign with the 49ers two years ago -- he chose instead to sign with the Rams. But he made the right choice at the time. The Rams were ascending and the 49ers weren’t just yet.
Now the 49ers are one of the best teams in the NFL. They’re perfect for Talib. They would give him a phenomenal chance to get back to the Super Bowl and win it one more time before he retires. And he most likely would improve their chances of winning.
The 49ers and Talib are perfect for each other.
5. Talib would be relatively cheap.
He’s still available, so he can’t be too expensive. The 49ers can offer him a one-year, $6 million contract with $1 million or $2 million guaranteed. If he plays well in training camp and wins the starting job, he’ll get the full $6 million. If he gets injured again and the 49ers release him before the regular season, he’ll get $1 million or $2 million. That’s a reasonable price to pay to see if Talib still can play.
Don’t be cheap. Sign him.
