Why the 49ers Met with Julian Blackmon

When the 49ers drafted Ji'Ayir Brown last year, it seemed as though he and Talanoa Hufanga would form the 49ers' starting safety duo for years to come.

Apparently not.

This week, the 49ers met with free agent safety Julian Blackmon, and a few weeks ago the 49ers met with safety Rayshawn Jenkins. Which clearly means the 49ers are in the market for another starting free safety. I'm guessing they're not offering a big contract, because Jenkings ultimately signed with the Seahawks for two years and $12 million. Which probably suggests the 49ers are offering one or two years for an average of $3 million or $4 million -- roughly what they paid starting free safety Tashaun Gipson the past couple seasons.

If the 49ers don't add a safety in free agency, it seems pretty obvious that they'll add one early in the draft. And then they'll have three safeties to choose from.

It's possible the 49ers plan to move Hufanga to linebacker in the nickel defense, which would put three safeties on the field together. The 49ers' current starting weakside linebacker is De'Vondre Campbell, who's decent at stopping the run but terrible in pass coverage. The 49ers have played safeties at linebacker before under head coach Kyle Shanahan, particularly when they moved Eric Reid to that position in 2017.

It's also possible the 49ers plan to trade Hufanga. He's eligible for a contract extension this offseason and he was an All Pro in 2022, so he could conceivably ask for big bucks. And if the 49ers don't want to pay him lots of money, they could add someone who's cheap either in free agency or in the draft and then trade Hufanga to a team that wants to extend his contract.

Keep an eye on the 49ers' safety search. It doesn't seem over yet.