Why Jason Pinnock has been the 49ers' Best Signing of the Offseason

For the most part, the 49ers' offseason has been extremely underwhelming.

They've purged the roster of expensive veterans they can't afford and replaced them with a bunch of cheap backups, most of whom are on one-year deals.

But there's one player the 49ers signed who has a good chance to start, and that's free safety Jason Pinnock.

The 49ers signed Pinnock to a modest one-year deal this week. They took a flier on him. But he's only 25, he's a converted cornerback who's very athletic and he was a starter the past two seasons on the Giants. In addition, he was drafted in Round 5 by the Jets when Robert Saleh was their head coach. Now, they're reunited.

Don't be surprised if Pinnock starts at free safety for the 49ers next season and plays well. For the first time in his career, he'll play for a good team and solid organization. And he'll be in a backfield with Deommodore Lenoir, Renardo Green and Malik Mustapha. Those players will elevate Pinnock and help him reach his full potential for the first time.

Pinnock is a good tackler who has the speed to play centerfield as a single-high safety. In addition, he has the movement skills to cover tight ends. Which means he can play free safety on first and second downs and strong safety on third downs. That's how the 49ers used Jimmie Ward when Saleh was the defensive coordinator the first time.

Pinnock could fill that role.