Day 1 of the “legal tampering” period of free agency has been full of action for the San Francisco 49ers. The team has been linked to free agent defensive linemen Terrell McClain and has also released veteran safety Antoine Bethea.
But now a bigger domino is dropping with Houston Texans cornerback A.J. Bouye.
Among the teams expected to be extremely competitive for A.J. Bouye: Texans, Titans, Jaguars, Colts, 49ers, Browns
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) March 7, 2017
After a very inspiring performance on a contract season, Bouye is considered by many to be the top cover cornerback in the free agent class. An undrafted free agent out of Central Florida in 2013, he’s blossomed into a realistic No. 1 option. But he’s said publicly he wants to stay in Houston. The Texans have finished 9-7 the last three seasons. Bouye did commit the second most pass interference calls a year ago and wasn’t a starter until Week 5.
He’s also just 25 years old. Pro Football Focus named him one of the Top 10 breakout players of the year.
The last time A.J. Bouye saw significant time was in 2014, where he played 644 snaps for the Texans and was pretty average. That season, he allowed 61.2 percent of the passes thrown his way to be caught, and surrendered three touchdowns; QBs had a passer rating of 75.3 when throwing into Bouye’s coverage, a figure that was only kept that low because he notched three picks. This season, Bouye has yet to intercept a pass, but even so, is yielding a lower passer rating of just 62.8, because he has yet to surrender a score, and is only allowing 52.5 percent of the passes thrown his way to be caught. Even the ones that have been caught have gone for just 7.8 yards per reception.
Because Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch told reporters the team is considering moving Jimmie Ward to safety, the 49ers could be in the market for a lock down cornerback. Rashard Robinson had a fantastic rookie season and Tramaine Brock is a solid option. The team also has nickel back K’Waun Williams and last year’s rookie Will Redmond, who did not see the field after ACL surgery.
The 49ers have $99 million in cap space according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Might as well go after one of the most exciting, younger players on the market, right?