SANTA CLARA, Calif. _ Making declarative statements about an NFL team's offseason after the first two weeks of free agency is often foolish.
The 49ers recently provided a strong example. This time last year, they were being lauded for upgrading their pass rush with the trade for Dee Ford. But a big question remained: What about the secondary that struggled so badly in 2018? Jason Verrett was the only notable addition to a group many thought needed an overhaul.
But that secondary wound up being just fine in 2019. San Francisco fielded the best pass defense in the NFL while getting good-to-great showings from Richard Sherman, Jimmie Ward, K'Waun Williams and Emmanuel Moseley. The idea that group would be a liability, as it was the year before, was disproved.
