Richard Sherman has one side of the field locked down for the 49ers, but the soon-to-be 32-year-old can't be counted on forever. On the other side, Ahkello Witherspoon and Emmanuel Moseley have shown flashes of promise, but both are entering the final year of their contracts.

As such, the 49ers' cornerback group could look fairly different in the not-too-distant future. Depending on how satisfied they currently are with the position, they might consider an intriguing name that just became available.

The Minnesota Vikings released cornerback Xavier Rhodes on Friday. Rhodes, 29, has spent all seven seasons of his career with the Vikings since being selected by them with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft.

The #Vikings have terminated the contracts of DT Linval Joseph and CB Xavier Rhodes.https://t.co/VIg4PYgTK7 — Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) March 13, 2020

He quickly found success with Minnesota and was named to back-to-back Pro Bowls in 2016 and 2017, in between which he signed a five-year, $70.11 million contract extension. Ultimately, he wasn't able to finish that contract, as his tenure with the organization ceased Friday.

The Vikings' decision to release Rhodes was likely centered around two things. For one, he carried a $12.9 million cap hit, and Minnesota saves $8.1 million in releasing him. And, more importantly, he didn't prove he was worth that value last season.

Rhodes struggled mightily in 2019, in what proved to be the worst season of his career. He was flagged for 10 penalties, and allowed opposing quarterbacks to post a 127.8 passer rating (fourth-worst among all CBs) and complete 82 percent (second-worst among all CBs) of their passes against his coverage. He also failed to record an interception for the first time since his rookie season.

So, it begs the question: Is Rhodes a potential fit for San Francisco?

That all depends on if you think he can get back to his Pro-Bowl level. At 6-1, 218 lbs., Rhodes has prototypical size for defensive coordinator Robert Saleh's system, and one could reason that his numbers would improve when 1. playing alongside a better defense, and 2. not getting the toughest assignment each time out. He also has a fair amount of playoff experience, and though hampered by injuries last season, has been very dependable throughout his career.

That's only part of the equation, though.

For Rhodes to fit with the 49ers, he likely would have to accept a much lower salary than he would be able to get from another team. San Francisco already has very limited cap space, and some big fish to fry. Massive extensions loom for standouts George Kittle and DeForest Buckner, and main contributors like Arik Armstead and Jimmie Ward are free agents. There are numerous teams with both more salary-cap space and a bigger need at cornerback than San Francisco, so a pairing is ultimately unlikely.

[RELATED: Report: 49ers adjust Buckner's fifth-year option value]

That said, many assumed Sherman's career was in the toilet when he came over to the 49ers after he was let go by the team that drafted him. And guess who made the Pro Bowl last season?

If Rhodes finds his way to San Francisco, you can assume both parties convinced themselves something similar is possible with him.