The Buffalo Bills stunned the NFL on Wednesday with a fire sale of some of the mainstays of their roster, releasing several key players in an effort to get under the salary cap.

Among the players let go by Buffalo was cornerback Tre'Davious White, a first-team All-Pro in 2019, second-team All-Pro in 2020 and a two-time Pro Bowler.

White's release comes after he tore his ACL in November 2021, missing the rest of the season and much of the 2022 campaign, before tearing his Achilles tendon in Week 4 of the 2023 season.

As such, he hits the open market at age 29 likely considered something of risk for team's interested in the services of a highly talented corner.

Yet for a team like the San Francisco 49ers that has a need at corner and limited financial flexibility — the Niners are themselves $285,281 over the cap — White could be a gamble worth taking.

Consistency and scheme diversity

Though major injuries have taken some of the shine off an impressive career in recent years, White's play when healthy has been remarkably consistent. Indeed, only once (in 2020) has White allowed a completion percentage above 60 percent across an entire season and, despite his injury issues, he has recorded at least one interception in every year of his career.

With his 2023 cut short, this past season marked the first in which White did not have a minimum of six pass breakups.

In 2019, White's passer rating allowed of 46.8 in man coverage was the sixth-best among corners with at least 100 coverage snaps. In zone, he allowed a still impressive rating of 65.9, with three of his six interceptions that year coming in zone, per Pro Football Focus.

More recently, across eight games in the regular and postseason in 2022, White conceded two touchdowns on eight man coverage targets as he struggled coming off his ACL injury. However, he did not allow a touchdown on 27 zone coverage targets, forcing three incompletions and recording an interception.

At his best, White is a scheme diverse corner with tremendous coverage skills who can make plays on the ball. The question for his suitors will surround his physical capabilities coming off the Achilles injury.

A low-stakes gamble

Such concerns are likely to drive down his price, and that could play into the hands of a 49ers team that isn't afraid to take gambles on players with a checkered injury history, the most notable example being their continued commitment to Jason Verrett.

If they are satisfied with where he is in his recovery, the 49ers could sign White to be the starter at the outside corner spot across from second-team All-Pro Charvarius Ward, freeing up Deommodore Lenoir to kick inside full-time having rotated between the outside and the slot during the second half of the Niners' run to the Super Bowl.

A potential prove-it deal for White would not preclude the 49ers from adding more insurance at the position in the draft. The 49ers have done homework on the cornerback class, most notably on the top slot corners, and they could still insulate themselves against another injury for White by picking another outside corner or a nickel who would enable Lenoir to shift away from the slot if required.

As Ward and Lenoir have developed into an excellent starting duo for the 49ers, the problem at corner remains the same in that the Niners do not have enough insulation, and that was apparent in the postseason as veteran Logan Ryan was pressed into action in the slot because of the struggles of Ambry Thomas on the outside on nickel downs.

The 49ers can't put themselves in a situation in which Thomas is the number three corner going into 2024. By signing White, the 49ers would give protection to any rookie they pick and Darrell Luter Jr. — the fifth-round selection from last year who is highly thought of — allowing them to develop without being unduly rushed into action. At the same time, having that young depth in reserve would theoretically give the 49ers more confidence to put White out there knowing they have several options behind him if it doesn't work.

San Francisco is expected to be aggressive this offseason as the 49ers try to finally get over the hump following their heartbreaking Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last month. Whether they can afford a splash signing remains to be seen, but the Niners can afford to take a low-risk gamble on White, which has the potential to pay huge rewards if his injury misfortune comes to an end.  

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