49ers defenseman Jimmie Ward heads for the free hand. And he may need to go elsewhere if he wants to return to his favorite position of free security.
GM John Lynch recently stated that Ward wasn’t thrilled about moving from the security to the slots corner in 2022. And Lynch knows Ward wants to return to San Francisco’s last line of defense.
Lynch recently spoke about Ward’s initial reluctance to play Slot Corner.
“At first he thought we were crazy,” Lynch said of NBC Sports Bay Area’s Jennifer Lee Chan. “He wanted out, but Kyle [Shanahan] did a good job. I know they had a meeting and convinced him to stick with it. He did that and it sounds like he’s trying to get back to safety, but I think it helps who he is as a player when he shows that he has that kind of versatility.
Lynch believes playing the corner helped Ward get the ball more often, addressing a long-standing criticism of Ward’s overall game.
Ward, a 49ers first-round pick in 2014, said he was told he would be benched if he didn’t change positions.
“Kyle doesn’t quite remember it that well,” Lynch said. “We never benched Jimmie. I think he was more trying to sell him why it was a good thing for him and our team.”
Both Ward and free safety Tashaun Gipson will become free agents in 11 days. If Ward wants to play safety again, he may have to go elsewhere – if Gipson re-signs with the 49ers.
And there is an interesting fold in the Ward/Gipson question. According to NFLPA records, they are represented by the same agent. So maybe Ward will know what Gipson is up to, and Gipson will know what Ward is up to.
Lynch says the team wants both Ward and Gipson back. When that happens, you’re on the bench – or you’re playing Slot Corner.
After moving to the slots corner, Jimmie Ward wants to be safety again, originally appeared on Pro Football Talk
