49ers sign former No. 10 overall pick to key free agent contract in unexpected move

Billy Heyen

49ers sign former No. 10 overall pick to key free agent contract in unexpected move image

It's not easy to forget a former No. 10 overall pick who is still active in the NFL.

But one was just lingering out there in free agency, waiting for the San Francisco 49ers to sign him.

And on Sunday, they did.

The 49ers reached an agreement with cornerback Eli Apple, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The Giants chose Apple 10th out of Ohio State in 2016.

He spent two-and-a-half seasons with the Giants before being moved to New Orleans and spent a pair of seasons there.

Then it was a year in Carolina, two in Cincinnati, one in Miami and one with the Chargers.

All told, Apple has played 102 NFL games and had six interceptions with 383 tackles.

Apple only appeared in four games for the Chargers last season, making two total tackles.

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He'll turn 30 on August 9.

Apple may not have much left in the tank, but as the 49ers battle injury, his was the best pedigree out there to give a chance to in the hopes of firming up their cornerback depth chart.

Maybe an Apple a day can still mean something in San Francisco.

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Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle