Houston Texans Sign Jonathan Joseph, Nnamdi Asomugha or Bust for 49ers

Jonathan Joseph to Houston Texans Puts Pressure on 49ers to Sign Nnamdi Asomugha

One more suitor is now out of the running for the Nnamdi Asomugha sweepstakes. The Texans signed Jonathan Joseph, which is a good indication that they are out of the running for free agency's biggest prize.

Joseph's signing means that the 49ers are competing against one less team for Asomugha, but it also means that the best consolation prize is off the table.

Now the 49ers are in a position where they either sign Asomugha or face a serious void at cornerback. Antonio Cromartie could be an option, but he's going to want elite corner money and doesn't offer the sort of production that Asomugha does.

The 49ers could go after Chris Carr, but that's a huge step down from the crop of corners that were available when the lockout initially ended.

The longer these Asomugha talks drag on, the more starting corner candidates are heading off the table.

The Texans were thought to have the most capital to throw at Asomugha, but elected to seek out a lesser corner.

Now, the 49ers may be able to offer a more appealing offer than the competition from a financial standpoint, but are they willing to hold strong and risk missing out on all legitimate starting corners?

The Jets want Asomugha, while the 49ers are nearly at the point where they need him. The more desperate their situation gets, the more their situation becomes Asomugha or bust. 

It could lead to the expending of more resources to bring him in. It likens the situation Arizona just saw with Kevin Kolb. They put all of their effort into the grand prize of quarterbacks. Once Kolb looked like the only potential candidate, his market value was at an all-time high.

It's a different situation in the sense that the Cardinals had to acquire Kolb through trade and the 49ers would bring in Asomugha through free agency, but it is similar in the sense that both teams are putting all of their eggs in one basket.

The 49ers face fierce competition with the Jets and it seems like new suitors keep bursting onto the scene. There have been murmurs of other teams entering the hunt for Asomugha, but the teams that have remained consistently in the mix are the 49ers, Jets and Texans.

With the Texans now out of the hunt, it seems as though the 49ers and Jets could fend off the newcomers. The 49ers clearly have a locational advantage, as Asomugha is a big fan of the Bay Area and could make a seemingly easy move across the Bay to San Francisco.

They could also be in a better financial position to sign Asomugha, as the Jets would have an absurd amount of money tied up in their corners, with Darrelle Revis already commanding a huge salary.

The 49ers cut Nate Clements and let Takeo Spikes and David Baas walk in free agency. They've made no significant free agent signings thus far, which could point to them freeing up cap room to make a monster move.

The Texans signing Joseph could give the 49ers a better shot at Asomugha, but it gives them a worse chance at securing a legitimate corner.