Following the initial flurry of free agency activity, ESPN's Bill Barnwell took a closer look at the remaining unsigned players, identifying ideal landing spots for each. Among the prospects, cornerback Tre'Davious White found himself connected with the San Francisco 49ers as a prime fit.
The Buffalo Bills, who selected White with the No. 27 overall pick in 2017, released the cornerback on March 13. The 49ers would love to bolster the defensive backfield, finding a better option to pair on the outside with Charvarius Ward and allowing Deommodore Lenoir to find a permanent home in the slot.
"San Francisco is set with its top two corners Deommodore Lenoir and Charvarius Ward, but the third spot is a bit of a question mark," Barnwell noted. "We saw teams pick on Ambry Thomas throughout the 2023 season, leading the Niners to bench him in the Super Bowl and play Logan Ryan in the slot. A miscommunication between Ryan and Ward helped free up Mecole Hardman on the touchdown that won the Super Bowl.
"With Lenoir moving into the slot in San Francisco's sub-packages, White could step in as the outside corner while building up his legs after the Achilles injury."
Ward expressed openness to the idea of White joining the 49ers' defensive lineup, highlighting that the two share the same agent. Taking to social media, Ward described White as a "hand in glove fit" for the 49ers defense.
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He added, "If y'all want him, [let me know]."
In an injury-shortened 2023 campaign, White registered 12 tackles, including a tackle for a loss, a quarterback hit, two passes defensed, and an interception, before suffering a torn Achilles. Prior to the injury, the cornerback earned a 79.0 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus, his best single-season mark since his rookie 2017 season (90.1).
NFL teams might be hesitant to sign a player with an extensive injury history, including a torn ACL in 2021 for White. However, Barnwell believes the veteran cornerback might still have something to contribute.
"While he allowed sub-60 passer ratings during the 2019 and 2021 campaigns, he held opposing quarterbacks to a 75.6 passer rating on throws in his direction in 2022 and a 70.6 mark in the four-game stint before the Achilles tear last season," Barnwell wrote. "He will nearly be a full season removed from the injury by the start of the year, so there's a chance he'll be able to play something resembling a full season in 2024."
