5 teams that should trade for Vikings cornerback Xavier Rhodes

2. San Francisco 49ers

Richard Sherman was a nice addition last offseason, but otherwise the 49ers’ secondary was not good in 2018 on their way to a league-low two interceptions. Dee Ford and Kwon Alexander have come aboard to fortify the front seven, but the secondary remains an area of need.

To this point, the only outside addition at cornerback for San Francisco has been Jason Verrett. But it’s been a long time since he earned a Pro Bowl nod with the Chargers in 2015, and he has only played five games over the last three seasons due to a torn ACL in 2016 that he was slow to recover from and a torn Achilles last preseason.

The 49ers didn’t get free safety Earl Thomas to be a centerfielder/ball hawk in the Seahawks-influenced defensive scheme of coordinator Robert Saleh, despite it looking like a perfect fit. Rhodes could eventually be forced to make a transition to safety, approaching the end of his peak usefulness as a corner (29 years old in June), though it’s safe to say catching the ball hasn’t been a particular strong suit for him.

The 49ers have the salary cap room to take a bit of a risk ($38.67 million), as they try to meet heightened expectations a year late with their key pieces healthy. Rhodes fits a need, and a move to get him has to be on general manager John Lynch’s radar.