DeMeco Ryans is back, again! The Houston Texans just signed the first San Francisco 49ers DB Jimmie Ward:
The #Jeans they are expected to sign the above #49ers DB Jimmie Ward, sources say, gave new coach DeMeco Ryans a familiar face and leadership in his defensive backfield.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 14, 2023
Ward, 31, has spent his entire nine-year NFL career in San Francisco, serving as their starting SS for most of that span. He was a major contributor every year after being taken in the first round by San Francisco in 2014, but his rushing count increased significantly in 2019. Under former coach Robert Saleh and then DeMeco Ryans, Ward had the your top-rated coverage years in your years. Four finals, with PFF grades over 69 in each.
His snaps dropped significantly in 2022, becoming more of a gadget player as Tashaun Gipson and Talanoa Hufanga took his place. Still, with over 600 snaps in 2022 and career-high 3 interceptions, Ward is clearly a difference maker in the backfield. There’s no question that this is Nick Caserio’s biggest move in free agency to date, and it gives the defense some veteran juice that’s been really missing since 2019.
What do you think of the Jimmie Ward signing? Is this Nick Caserio’s best signing yet, or just another mediocre starter? Let us know in the comments!
Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images
