Veteran cornerback Isaac Yiadom's free-agent departure from the San Francisco 49ers this offseason likely didn't anger too many fans.
After all, there were plenty of sentiments suggesting the former New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers defensive back wasn't aiding an otherwise underperforming defense in what turned into a mere one-year stint in the Bay Area.
Now, whether or not defensive coordinator Robert Saleh wanted Yiadom back on San Francisco's roster in 2025 is anyone's guess, but it's a moot point anyway.
However, the 49ers may end up regretting letting Yiadom walk.
Isaac Yiadom could have been a valuable insurance policy to 49ers CB room
Yiadom was just one of two starting-caliber corners the Niners lost during the offseason, the other being All-Pro Charvarius Ward, leaving Deommodore Lenoir and Renardo Green as the returning starters this year.
San Francisco hopes its third-round draft pick, Upton Stout, quickly emerges as a starting nickel option, which would afford Saleh the option of keeping Lenoir out on the boundary in a permanent role.
While the 49ers have fringe backups in case Stout's development takes longer than expected, namely Tre Brown and Tre Avery, Yiadom likely would have been the stronger option.
Having signed a three-year deal with the Saints worth up to $9 million, it's not as if Yiadom priced himself out from San Francisco's comfort range.
And it isn't as if Yiadom's 2024 performance was atrocious.
Per Pro Football Reference, the veteran defensive back held opposing quarterbacks to a passer rating of 88.7 when targeted, giving up 312 yards and two touchdowns over 486 defensive snaps played.
That's not bad. Following a similar 2023 campaign in NOLA, it seems this would be Yiadom's trajectory for the next season or two.
Yet the Niners opted to let the cornerback walk. Should Stout's development stall, combined with a key injury or two to another one of San Francisco's would-be starters, the cornerback room would be paper-thin.
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