Former Kansas City Chiefs Corner Buck Carvarius Ward He plans to sign a three-year deal worth up to $42 million, including a guaranteed $26.7 million, with the San Francisco 49ers, his agency, Universal Sports & Entertainment Management, told ESPN’s Adam Scheffer Monday.
Ward, who turns 26 on May 16, has been a regular in the Chiefs’ starting lineup since late 2018, when he joined the team as a rookie after a business deal with the Dallas Cowboys.
Ward has been an important part of the Chiefs’ defensive transformation this past season. He’s old enough to play in press coverage and has been an excellent striker during the regular season, missing just 5% of his attempts, according to Pro Football Focus data. This was the lowest rate of corner appearances since 2019.
In four seasons with The Chiefs, Ward played 67 games with 53 starts. He had four objections.
Looks like he put The Chiefs in Super Bowl LIII with his interception of Tom Brady Passing late in the final quarter of the 2018 AFC Championship, but his teammate D’Ford They were penalized for lining up offside to nullify play. The Patriots ended up winning in overtime to advance to the Super Bowl.
His addition would be the most significant commitment the 49ers have made at full-back since coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch arrived in 2017. But it was also essential after the Niners took eight corner kicks in 2021 due to various injuries.
And although San Francisco finished sixth in the NFL in pass yards allowed, the Niners ranked 29th in pass percentage allowed (68.3%) and 26th in opponent QBR (51.3).
Ward should be able to help in both areas. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, he allowed for the second lowest completion percentage among a defensive linebacker last season at 45% and the lowest average interval on goals (2 yards).
An incoming contract will indicate that he is ready to step in and start in the opposite direction Emmanuel Moseleywho is entering the final year of a two-year contract he signed in 2021. With nickel Williams being an unrestricted free agent, the Niners could turn into a spin that includes Ward starting versus Moseley as Moseley moves to slot in nickel and Cornerback packages for the second year. Ambery Thomas Abroad.
ESPN’s Adam Teicher, Nick Wagner, and Kevin Seifert contributed to this report.
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