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The San Francisco 49ers are dealing with another injury to starting strong safety Jaquiski Tartt. He’s said to be nowhere near ready to return while dealing with a toe ailment.
For the time being, San Francisco has opted to replace him with former first-round pick and Pro Bowl safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter was the first to report that the two sides have come to agreement mere days before the San Francisco 49ers open their preseason against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Clinton-Dix, 28, was a first-round pick of the Green Bay Packers back in 2014. He played five seasons with Green Bay, earning a Pro Bowl spot in 2016. During that span, the former Alabama standout registered 275 tackles, 33 passes defended and 16 interceptions.
He last suited up for the Chicago Bears in 2019, starting all 16 games while recording 78 tackles and two interceptions. After signing a one-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys last offseason, Clinton-Dix was released ahead of Week 1. After adding depth to their safety group, we look at three more moves San Francisco should still make before its season opener.
San Francisco 49ers sign Dre Kirkpatrick
With the return of Richard Sherman looking less likely due to his legal situation, San Francisco brought in this nine-year veteran for a workout earlier in the summer. The two sides could not come to terms on an agreement.
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It’s now high time that general manager John Lynch and Co. kick the tires on this possibility again. The 49ers have major depth concerns behind starters Jason Verrett and Emmanuel Moseley heading into the 2021 season. Having started 78 games throughout his career, Kirkpatrick would give San Francisco valuable experience at cornerback. He recorded 56 tackles, seven passes defended and three interceptions in 14 games (11 starts) for the Arizona Cardinals last season.
San Francisco 49ers trade for N’Keal Harry
Speaking of depth concerns, San Francisco avoided the wide receiver position during both free agency and the NFL draft like it was a new variant of COVID-19. It’s somewhat surprising after Kendrick Bourne left for the New England Patriots in free agency.
With some major questions marks behind Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco would be smart to call up the Pats about this former first-round pick. Sure Harry has struggled over the course of his first two NFL seasons (33 receptions). But he can be a big-bodied target for either Jimmy Garoppolo or Trey Lance. The former Arizona State star is also still only 23 years old and could reportedly be had for a late-round pick.
San Francisco 49ers trade Jimmy Garoppolo
The ship might have sailed on moving off this Super Bowl quarterback. And in reality, it makes perfect sense for San Francisco to retain Garoppolo for at least one more season. While Lance has showed out in camp, having this type of experience under center for a Super Bowl contender should be in the cards.
With that said, Garoppolo’s trade value could soon increase depending on what we see during the preseason. Should the Denver Broncos’ quarterback situation remain unsettled, general manager George Paton might come calling. Depending on Carson Wentz’s injury in Indianapolis, the Colts might have to show interest ahead of Week 1. If San Francisco can get a second-round pick for Garoppolo and feels comfortable with Lance starting as a rookie, this at least has to be part of the thought process for the team.