49ers defense may have gotten major gift from Indianapolis Colts

The San Francisco 49ers may have gotten a gift from the Indianapolis Colts.

ESPN's Adam Schefter on Thursday reported the Colts granted defensive back Kenny Moore his release after he requested to be let go. Moore has been a popular name in NFL trade rumors throughout the offseason and now he'll hit the free agent market.

Moore, a nine-year veteran, has primarily played as a nickelback with the Colts since landing there as an undrafted rookie out of Valdosta State in 2017. Of his 7,542 career snaps, 4,804 of them (63.7 percent) have come as a slot CB. That alone makes him an interesting player for a San Francisco secondary that doesn't have a ton of assurances beyond Deommodore Lenoir. However, a position change could be in the offing for Moore that makes him a more interesting potential free agent addition for the 49ers.

During his career Moore has also lined up as a safety on 1,002 defensive snaps according to Pro Football Focus. As he enters his 10th season at age 32, moving primarily to the back end of the secondary may be something that helps prolong Moore's career.

The 49ers need some help at safety, and while it's not a certainty Moore would be an upgrade at a new position, his experience as a pro combined with the versatility to come down and cover would make him an intriguing option with a more expansive skill set than anyone else in the team's safety room.

Moore wouldn't likely come at a heavy cost, and the 49ers have plenty of cap space to incur the expense that would come with adding the veteran defensive back.

Of course, there are a handful of hangups that come with such an idea. Moore would have to be amenable to a position change. The 49ers would also have to determine whether he'd be an upgrade over any of their potential starters since bringing Moore in would mean earmarking a starting job for him. With second-year CB Upton Stout likely the team's preferred option in the slot, the options for Moore are limited in the 49ers' defense if that position change isn't feasible.