Although the San Francisco 49ers haven’t won the Super Bowl championship since the 1994 season, they appear to have everything they need to finally earn their sixth Vince Lombardi Trophy.
They have a young, near-elite quarterback in Brock Purdy, legitimate stud playmakers in wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk and running back Christian McCaffrey and several stars on defense. Their head coach, Kyle Shanahan, has gotten criticism for some decisions he has made in the big games he has lost, but he is also regarded as an offensive genius.
The 49ers, however, could use another reliable cornerback in order to plug holes in the secondary.
Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report wrote that they could be interested in veteran corner Marshon Lattimore if the New Orleans Saints decide to trade him.
“When the Saints see what the secondary would look like with Paulson Adebo and Kool-Aid McKinstry as their starting outside cornerbacks, they might be willing to see what they can get for Marshon Lattimore,” wrote Ballentine.
“The 2017 first-round pick has been a good player for the Saints when healthy. But he’s 28 years old and has played in just 17 games over the last two seasons. As the Saints look to retool while constantly facing a salary-cap space deficit every offseason, they need to evaluate who they are willing to pay.
“… Multiple teams with cap space should be interested in Lattimore, including the 49ers, Packers and Vikings.”
Marshon Lattimore would bolster the 49ers’ slipping defense
Lattimore has been a fixture for the Saints dating back to the tail-end of the Drew Brees era. He was the No. 11 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft and was named the Defensive Rookie of the Year after posting 18 passes defended, five interceptions and 52 total tackles (43 solo).
That 2017 campaign also marked the first of four Pro Bowl selections for him. He was slowed a bit by a lacerated kidney and an ankle injury the last two years, but last season, he still managed to record eight passes defended and 48 tackles (39 solo) in 10 games.
The Niners already have a Pro Bowl cornerback in Charvarius Ward, but the rest of their secondary has been iffy at times over the last couple of years. They had the NFL’s best defense in 2022, but in 2023, it took a step back and sometimes looked vulnerable.
During the Shanahan era, the 49ers have won starting with defense, and if they could afford to absorb Lattimore’s contract while also giving out competitive extensions to Aiyuk and Purdy, perhaps Lattimore would be a worthy investment for them.
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