The San Francisco 49ers lost many key players this offseason, especially on the defensive side of the ball. However, they still may not target Jaire Alexander, who was just released by the Green Bay Packers.
Alexander signed a four-year, $84 million deal in 2022. He had a $24 million cap hit this season, but had failed to stay healthy, forcing the Packers to make a difficult decision. He is a two-time Pro Bowler and two-time Second Team All-Pro, but has missed 34 games in the last four seasons.
The 49ers lost Charvarius Ward in the offseason, so Alexander may seem like an ideal target for the team. However, FanSided’s Peter Pancy noted that the 49ers’ offseason moves point to them staying out of the mix for Alexander.
“True, the 49ers bade farewell to starting cornerback Charvarius Ward this offseason, which left a noticeable hole within the secondary,” wrote Pancy. “Yet the Niners’ plan going forward appears to bump fellow corner Deommodore Lenoir full time out to the boundary, while second-year pro Renardo Green is slated to occupy the No. 2 boundary spot. Third-round rookie corner Upton Stout seems destined to take over as San Francisco’s first true full-time nickel cornerback since K’Waun Williams patrolled the position from 2017 through 2021.”
The 49ers have a plan in the secondary and do not have much cap space to make outside additions. However, even if they did have the money, it may not be the best decision to bring Alexander in.
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“Unless the 49ers are bearish on Stout’s development, which would be hard to determine until training camp begins, there’d be little room to take on Alexander without hindering either the rookie or Green’s development,” wrote Pancy.
Injuries are a real concern with Alexander. When he’s healthy, he’s an elite player, but there is little reason to believe he can stay on the field. Bringing him in and giving him a majority of reps in the offseason would really hurt the team if he were to go down. In that case, Green would be lacking the offseason experience to step in and play at his best.
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