Insider explains why 49ers passed on Jaire Alexander

On Wednesday, the Baltimore Ravens announced the signing of former Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander. Some believed the San Francisco 49ers should have targeted Alexander to bolster their secondary. However, one team insider isn't surprised the 49ers opted to pass on the veteran defender.

Alexander signed a one-year deal with the Ravens worth up to $6 million, including $2 million in performance-based incentives. That price tag, combined with Alexander's expectations of being a starter, likely made him an ill fit for the 49ers' current plans.

San Francisco is confident in its cornerback group, which includes rising standouts Deommodore Lenoir and Renardo Green. The team also used a third-round draft pick to select Upton Stout, further bolstering its depth at the position.

"The 49ers have their starters," NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco said Wednesday on Bay Area radio station KNBR. "So, I think that a guy like Alexander would have to come to the 49ers on backup money, and with the understanding of, hey, you're our third guy.

"So, I don't think that they would have been in the market necessarily to pay a guy starting money, and a guy who thinks he's coming in as the starter as long as he's healthy. I'm sure Jaire Alexander is at a point in his career where—and rightfully so—he considers himself a starter."

While the 49ers have significant salary cap space, much of that is earmarked for the future with quarterback Brock Purdy now one of the NFL's highest-paid players.

"But I think, for the 49ers, where they are with the salary cap and everything else, they weren't going to go out and pay another guy to come in with the starter's money that it takes to sign a guy when you already have Renardo Green and Deommodore Lenoir," Maiocco concluded.

Bleacher Report recently ranked Lenoir and Green as the NFL's No. 9 cornerback duo, calling Lenoir one of the league's "most underrated cornerbacks" and praising Green's impressive rookie campaign.

If both can continue to develop—and a reliable third corner emerges—San Francisco's secondary could be a key strength heading into the 2025 season.

You can listen to Maiocco's entire interview below.

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